If you’re new to NASCAR, you might think the Xfinity Series is just “Cup’s little brother.” In a way, it is – the second-tier national series where up-and-coming drivers sharpen their skills and veterans sometimes drop in for extra seat time. It’s been around since 1982, originally called the Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series, before taking on names like Busch Series and Nationwide Series over the years.

But don’t let the “lower division” label fool you. Xfinity races often pack just as much, if not more, excitement than the Cup level. With fewer aero tricks, more raw handling, and plenty of elbows-out racing, it’s a fan favorite for pure competition. And as one rising driver mentored by none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently admitted, it might just beat NASCAR’s top-tier machines in ways you wouldn’t expect.

Dale Jr.’s prodigy’s surprising take on cup cars

When Connor Zilisch compared NASCAR’s top-tier Cup Series to the so-called “lower division” Xfinity Series, his verdict was blunt. “I would say the Xfinity car is the most fun in my opinion,” he told Door Bumper Clear. The rookie’s reasoning? The Next Gen Cup car, in his words, “just drives so weird… it just has nothing. There’s no roll. There’s nothing to lean on.”

Zilisch, who’s run only a handful of Cup events, including COTA and Atlanta this year, said the car’s stiffness leaves drivers on edge at all times with very numb feedback. “I’m not an engineer, but yeah, it’s just very stiff. There’s not a lot of feel,” Zilisch said. He’s not the first to criticize the Next Gen’s handling. Cup veterans like Dale Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Kevin Harvick have previously noted its lack of mechanical grip, especially on road courses where tire feel is critical.

“The car sucks. It’s not fun seeing the car not pass the way it needs to be,” Harvick recently said. Hamlin went a step further, saying, “Everything sucks. I don’t even know where to start.” He is further infuriated by NASCAR’s refusal to address Next-Gen issues. Similarly, even Dale Jr. didn’t mince words when it came to the Next-Gen cars. He called the Next Gen car a “sports car” and not a NASCAR stock car.

By contrast, the Xfinity car offers “a lot of roll” and “a lot more sidewall to feel,” according to Zilisch, retaining the essence of a NASCAR car. That’s because the series still uses 15-inch wheels with thicker tire sidewalls, providing more compliance and feedback than the Cup car’s low-profile 18-inch setup introduced in 2022.

This extra “give” allows drivers to push harder through technical sections. The difference is obvious in lap times. “The Xfinity and Truck [Series] was a second faster than the Cup car in qualifying,” Kraft noted. At the recent qualifying at Watkins Glen, the fastest qualifying time in the Cup Series was 1:11:960 by Ryan Blaney. In contrast, Zilisch managed to grab the top spot in Xfinity series with a qualifying time of 1:10:884.

Zilisch’s remarks may be candid. However, they shed light on an ongoing debate in NASCAR circles: whether the Next Gen car’s technological leap has come at the expense of driver enjoyment and racing quality. For fans, his performance in both series and his willingness to speak openly about the differences offer a refreshing perspective.

And for NASCAR itself, the contrast in lap times and driver feedback could fuel further discussion. It could perhaps even lead to future tweaks to ensure that the sport’s premier series delivers the thrill and feel its drivers crave.

Kyle Petty fires back at Dale Jr.’s critique

Taking over from the buzz around Connor Zilisch’s comments, NASCAR legend Kyle Petty has added his voice to the debate and thrown some serious shade at Dale Jr.’s remarks. He had called out the Next-Gen car’s diffuser, low-profile tires, and big brakes as proof of its IMSA-like setup when he termed it as a sports car.

Petty pushed back forcefully during a segment on the Performance Racing Network, dismissing that criticism as “undeserved.” He pointed out that NASCAR hasn’t really been racing traditional stock cars since the 1950s. “People complained in the ’70s when we went to tubular chassis. They complained when we moved to radial tires. Complaints have always followed change,” he emphasized.

Petty’s perspective centers on embracing progress. “This car jumped leap years ahead. We have to adjust to it,” he said. Petty reminded fans that many changes, from chassis to tire technology, were once controversial before becoming the norm. While many drivers, including Dale Jr., have aired frustrations over the car’s handling, especially on road courses, Petty’s take is a call to appreciate the “spectacular stuff on the racetrack” that the Next Gen package enables.

In the end, Kyle Petty’s rebuttal isn’t just about defending the Next Gen car. Rather, it’s about reminding fans and drivers alike that NASCAR has never stood still. From carburetors to fuel injection, steel bodies to composite panels, every era has faced its own wave of skepticism before becoming “the good old days.” Whether you side with Dale Jr.’s yearning for a more traditional feel or Petty’s vision of progress, one thing’s for sure: the conversation around the Next Gen car isn’t slowing down anytime soon.