Brad Keselowski Opens Up Past Wounds, Setting Off Fans to Protest Against NASCAR

The Next Gen car, rolled out in 2022, has been NASCAR’s lightning rod for years, sparking debates that won’t quit. Designed to cut costs and level the playing field, it’s a technological marvel with a spec chassis, single lug-nut wheels, and a sleek underbody for downforce. But it’s also a headache for drivers and fans who crave the raw, driver-driven racing of yesteryear.

Start with the aerodynamics. The flat underbody and diffuser make cars prone to lift-off at high speeds, especially on superspeedways. Corey LaJoie, and Josh Berry’s airborne flips at Michigan and Daytona sent chills through the sport. Chase Elliott called the underwing “like a flat sheet” that catches wind, turning cars into kites. Ryan Preece’s terrifying Daytona rollovers in 2023 and 2025 only amplified the concern. These incidents aren’t just scary—they’re a design flaw that’s yet to be fully tamed.

Then there’s the “dirty air” problem. The Next Gen’s aero reliance chokes passing, leaving drivers stuck in turbulent air. Elliott’s blunt: “Dirty air is relevant at all tracks… Trying to find clean air is just as important as staying in the groove.” He’s labeled it a “car design flaw,” a sentiment Kyle Busch shares, noting the car’s lack of feedback makes it tough to pinpoint issues. The result? Races where aero trumps skill, frustrating drivers who thrive on car control.

Brad Keselowski has been vocal about these demerits. After watching cars go airborne, he told Bob Pockrass, “I don’t like it. Nobody likes when cars come off the ground… I’m smart enough to know that it’s one [issue] that needs to be solved.” He’s pushed for stronger safety measures after Preece’s Daytona flips, stressing NASCAR’s “obligation to prevent a fatality.” He’s also called the Next Gen a “pandemic baby” with untested safety, pointing to concussions and stiff impacts. Recent Michigan tests failed to fix the aero issues, leaving NASCAR “back on the drawing board.”

Recently, Keselowski has added more fuel to the fire when he reposted a Dale Jr. tweet reminiscing about the Gen 4 car, “Hard to explain the feeling of driving off into the corner with a Gen4 car at a 1.5. One bobble and you were done, no saving it. Wrecked cars, dreams shattered, It was the ultimate commitment. Knowing when you could and couldn’t really separated the top drivers.” Fans erupted, their nostalgia and frustration with the Next Gen boiling over into calls for NASCAR to rethink its direction.

Fan Fury Over Next Gen Flaws

Keselowski’s post sparked a firestorm, with fans venting on social media. One wrote, “In one post you described what the NextGen car has taken away from drivers like you, Busch, Elliott and others that need a car that you have to ‘drive’ and not just plow through the air with.” This nails the heart of the gripe: the Next Gen’s aero-heavy design sidelines driver skill. Keselowski, Busch, and Elliott have all lamented how it limits passing in dirty air, with Busch struggling to diagnose issues and Elliott calling it a fundamental flaw. The “plowing through the air” dig captures how airflow, not racecraft, dictates outcomes, leaving fans craving the driver-driven battles of old.

Another fan chimed in, “Gen 4 was the best we had it in just about every aspect, wish we still had it today and if people bring up safety think NASCAR Could’ve done that but obviously that didn’t happen. Every 1/24 die cast have is Gen 4, I can’t get enough of them.” The Gen 4, used from 1992 to 2007, was a high-wire act of speed and grip, where one mistake could end a race, as Keselowski’s post recalled. Ryan Newman’s 2003 crash at Daytona and the multi-car pile up during the 2005 Dover races are just examples of how difficult it was to handle the car back in the day.

Adding to the pain points, this fan wrote, “Loved that Gen4 car! always wished NASCAR hadn’t locked that spoiler where y’all could move it up and down.” The Gen 4’s adjustable spoilers let teams tweak downforce, giving drivers like Keselowski control over handling. In the Gen 7 car, the drivers have to deal with a 7-inch rear spoiler on superspeedway tracks. This is backed by the reduced 510 horsepower, which has made this style of racing stale for the fans.

“We need a package that doesn’t allow bums to keep up with talented drivers,” one fan vented. The Next Gen’s uniform design creates pack racing, where clean air trumps skill, letting less experienced drivers hang with veterans. We saw how Kyle Larson was pretty much uncontested in Bristol, whereas Chase Briscoe made the most of this style of racing with his win at Pocono. Despite being low on fuel, he was able to fend off Denny Hamlin.

Finally, a fan urged, “Please be more vocal about this to nascar, let it be known that this is what you guys want and that this is what the fans want!” The Gen 7 car can take the hits and bumps very well, and with the parity platform, drivers have to deal with more physical tussle than racing their own race on weekends. Instant fix to this problem looks like a bump in engine power, which in theory is going to make driving a little difficult. NASCAR has acknowledged that they are working on the horsepower, but it isn’t likely to solve all the issues with the Next Gen platform.