The debut of the Next Gen car on the NASCAR Cup Series tracks in 2022 marked a new era. While drivers like Christopher Bell have smoothly transitioned to these new vehicles, veterans like Kyle Busch confess they are still struggling with the adjustments. It won’t be long before this challenge reaches the drivers in the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series as well.
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During a live stream at the Race Industry Week webinar, NASCAR President Steve Phelps weighed in on the subject, stating, “I think we’ll continue to fine-tune what that car is. And it’s an industry-wide thing… I think there’s some other opportunities for us in the lower series to make some changes. What those look like, I don’t know, but we’ll keep iterating on the Next Gen car.”
Further continuing, he added, “I think we’re looking at some things in the Xfinity Series, nothing to announce now. I think there’s some things we need to do with our race teams in the Xfinity Series as well as (the manufacturers) that are existing and potential new OEs that could be in that series and in our Truck Series.”
NASCAR and Xfinity cars handle distinctly on the track. Hence, it might take some time for the Xfinity drivers as well to understand and navigate the tracks accordingly.
For instance, while both series boast engines with 358 cubic inches of displacement and V8 configurations, the horsepower slightly varies; Cup cars harness 670 horsepower, whereas Xfinity cars can rev up to 700. Furthermore, while Cup cars feature a five-speed sequential manual transmission, Xfinity vehicles maintain the traditional four-speed setup.
Regarding gear shifts, the Cup Series cars have transitioned to a 5-speed sequential shifter. In contrast, Xfinity Series vehicles continue to operate with the conventional H-Pattern 4-speed shifter, a system the Cup Series used until the dawn of the Next Gen era.
What’s the current status of NASCAR’s Electric Vehicles initiative?
NASCAR, in collaboration with ABB, unveiled an EV prototype that was first introduced to the public during the Chicago Street Course race in July. The vehicle later took center stage at events like Climate Week in New York City.
However, Steve Phelps pointed out that these innovations are contingent upon the evolving landscape of the automotive industry and how both existing and potential manufacturers aim to leverage their brands within NASCAR.
Steve O’Donnell, COO of NASCAR, further clarified the situation during a press conference in Phoenix, expressing pride in NASCAR’s R&D team for demonstrating cutting-edge technologies.
According to him, while EVs may not hit the NASCAR series races just yet, their introduction serves to display the sport’s capabilities. Should the organization decide to launch a dedicated series, NASCAR is fully equipped to do so.
