Next Gen cars are a “big win” due to their ability to facilitate side-by-side racing. And 2012 Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski acknowledges that. However, he has voiced concerns about the safety implications and changes to the dynamics of the sport, bringing the wrecking ball reference back to the table.

Brad Keselowski began his Cup Series career in 2008 with Car of Tomorrow. Navigating through time across three different generations of chassis, Keselowski comes with a fair amount of experience and believes NASCAR to have taken the game a bit too far with the Next Gen cars.

Brad Keselowski on Next Gen cars: A boon for the driver but a bane to the sport

Keselowski firmly believed that the sport may have gone too far in terms of car resilience. Keselowski claimed that if Ross Chastain had been driving the previous car generations, he would have failed to complete the race due to the fragile nature of those cars. Brad, on Kenny Wallace’s show, mentioned, “Nowadays, you put Ross Chastain in the Gen. 5, Gen. 6 car, and he’s in the garage at lap 50 because you can’t touch people with those cars or you couldn’t hit them like do now.”

However, with the increased durability of the Next-gen car, Chastain can now continue racing after collisions that would have otherwise ended his race prematurely. Brad highlighted the example of Ross Chastain, saying, “He would have wrecked himself out.”

Moreover, Brad expressed his discomfort with the fact that some drivers had suffered injuries due to the new design. He said, “I don’t want to see drivers get hurt. I don’t like the fact that the cars have a tank and that you can run over people and keep going.” This change, in his opinion, has altered the nature of racing.

Keselowski also said, “We went from a car that was probably a little too fragile to now a car that’s like, ‘Hey, I can bounce this thing off the wall and just keep on trucking.’ I think that’s probably a little too far.”

Watch The Story: Ross Chastain Refuses To Apologize For The Shift In Media Perception Since His Major Cup Series Success Last Season

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Keselowski’s appreciation for the Next Gen car stems from its ability to promote exhilarating side-by-side racing, a feature lacking in previous car generations. Brad said, “I love the fact that we can run side by side with this car, and it doesn’t just spin out.”

Discussing the wide tires on the new cars, Keselowski corrected Wallace’s assumption. He said, “It’s not the tire, it’s the arrow, Kenny. It’s the arrow on the car that allows the car to run side by side, and I’m so thankful that we fixed that.”

Brad Keselowski’s analysis of the Next-gen car sheds light on the significant strides made in the sport. However, his concerns about increased accidents and the durability of the cars serve as a reminder of the delicate balance required to maintain driver safety and preserve the traditional competitive nature of NASCAR. As the Next-gen car continues to evolve, it remains crucial for NASCAR to address these concerns and fine-tune the design to ensure a thrilling yet safe racing experience for all drivers and fans alike.

Read More: I Haven’t Done Enough” – Regretful Brad Keselowski Makes a Heart Warming Confession