“Hopefully this is the direction we go,” Denny Hamlin’s seven-word verdict may have been the clearest endorsement yet of NASCAR’s new superspeedway package. After years of frustration surrounding fuel-saving and follow-the-leader racing, the changes at Daytona offered a glimpse of something different. Chase Elliott also came away encouraged by what he saw on the track. Now, Hamlin’s backing could give NASCAR even more reason to believe it has finally found a better path for superspeedway racing.

“I thought just the overall ability to kind of get momentum, and like it last for a long period of time, it seemed like it’s better to me. I think from there like if we had a chance now that we have a race right, you know maybe try and get our balances a little better. I feel like those two things combined might be pretty good. See where it goes. But it seems like a better race to me,” Chase Elliott told NASCAR reporter John Newby in a post-race interview.

That assessment came after NASCAR took a major gamble with its superspeedway package at Daytona. The sanctioning body entered the Coke Zero Sugar 400 looking to address one of the biggest complaints surrounding Next Gen racing at Daytona and Talladega: gridlock.

The previous package often produced tightly packed racing where cars struggled to make meaningful moves through the field. Drivers could get trapped in lanes, while fuel-saving strategies frequently became just as important as outright speed.

NASCAR attempted to change that dynamic by reducing the rear spoiler from seven inches to four inches. The change was paired with a horsepower reduction from 510 to 465 to compensate for the reduced downforce.

The idea was straightforward. Less drag could allow cars to build stronger runs and give drivers more opportunities to move around the pack instead of simply waiting for track position to change.

However, teams were given almost no opportunity to learn the new package on track. Daytona went straight into qualifying without a practice session. That meant drivers and crew chiefs had to rely heavily on simulations, wind-tunnel data and previous experience before throwing the new setup into one of NASCAR’s fastest races.

That made the early stages something of an experiment. Yet, once the race unfolded, the initial concerns appeared to fade. The numbers offered perhaps the clearest evidence that something had changed.

There were 41 lead changes among 22 different drivers, showcasing a level of movement that had often been missing from Next Gen superspeedway racing. Drivers noticed the difference, too.

“I mean, yeah, I won,” Ryan Preece said. “I like it. Did you like it?”

Chase Briscoe was similarly encouraged by what he experienced behind the wheel.

“I thought the package was way better,” Briscoe said. “Who knows if there’s still more to go, but I thought compared to what we had, it was really good.”

Those reactions matter because NASCAR was never expecting the Daytona experiment to produce a perfect package immediately. The goal was to create a foundation that could be refined through competition. And now, attention is already turning toward Talladega.

The YellaWood 500, scheduled for October 25, will be the only superspeedway event in the Chase. Discussions are already beginning about whether NASCAR should carry the Daytona package to Alabama.

There is a strong argument for doing exactly that. Talladega has many of the same issues that have frustrated drivers at Daytona. Gridlock can make passing difficult, while fuel conservation can shape entire stretches of a race. NASCAR changed the stage lengths during the spring race in Talladega to reduce fuel-saving strategies.

However, the Daytona package appeared to offer improvements in three key areas: reducing gridlock, improving maneuverability, and creating more opportunities for drivers to race aggressively rather than simply save fuel.

If the package continues to deliver the kind of racing drivers experienced Saturday night, Denny Hamlin’s hope that this is “the direction we go” may become more than just a seven-word verdict.

It could very well become the new ‘superspeedway package’ for a long time.