While the whole NASCAR fanbase is stoked to see the action resume on February 4th with the pre-season race at L.A. Coliseum, the short track package is still under scrutiny. Drivers racing each other in close quarters at smaller half-a-mile venues like Bristol, and Martinsville Speedway have always been a treat for the fans. However, with the introduction of the revolutionary Next-Gen cars that have now become sluggish in close quarters, the organization is doing its best to get its once sublime and popular product great again.

While the fans and the sanctioning body recognized the major flaw, it looks like the seventh-generation cars are slowly yet steadily inching toward the solution despite NASCAR not heeding drivers’ demand for more horsepower. Let’s see how NASCAR is chipping away at the issue without compromising the longevity of its race machines.

Next-gen cars are a step in the right direction for improving short-track racing

Ask any ardent NASCAR fan what their favorite race is; the answer most probably would’ve been the short track race held in Bristol or Martinsville. However, with the cars becoming more identical with similar specs and dynamics, passing became a hard nut to crack for drivers, especially on half-mile tracks. Drivers like JGR veteran Denny Hamlin and 2-time Daytona winner Dale Earnhardt Jr have often voiced their opinions about the need for increasing power figures. Even the King, Richard Petty, was vocal about the issue, standing his ground and urging NASCAR to churn out more HP instead of de-tuning the car and cutting down on the power.

Needless to say, not only did the governing body stuff this demand but instead went ahead with tweaking the aero package. The Next Gen cars will feature a large floor piece underneath the car, which will be dramatically reduced this season on short tracks and road courses. With less downforce created by the undertray, drivers, in theory, should be able to slide the rear of the car, thus giving it more maneuverability on the racetrack, which in turn will give way for more passes, which many fans equate to better racing.

While tire wear also contributes to the issue, NASCAR’s decision not to bump up the power in its machines will certainly keep the cars more reliable, taking away the risk of a catastrophic engine failure and thus keeping the budget at a minimum. Moreover, even though, the recent car testing at Phoenix has improved the car’s aerodynamics considerably, it is still rough around the edges.

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According to industry experts like Richard Johns, a mechanical engineer who leads NASCAR’s performance team at Ford, the steps are in the right direction for a problem that doesn’t have an exact solution. He said, “It’ll probably take another iteration or two to really get back to the racing we saw with the old Gen 6 car at some of those tracks.”

“I don’t know how to fix this yet”- NASCAR official gets candid about the major issue

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Despite the massive changes in the aero packages, the new-generation car is still as effective as the sixth-generation cars in general, especially in close-quarter scenarios. Even NASCAR’s Vice President of Vehicle Design aligns with this notion; he even goes to the extent of putting it bluntly out there, mentioning that there still isn’t a clear-cut solution to the problem.

According to The Athletic.com, he said, “Our stance is I’m not going to stand up there and say, I know how to fix this, I don’t know how to fix this yet. I’m saying I’m willing to go investigate where we think our issues are and then make some honest accounts of where we’re at and what we can go work on.” 

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Even though he identifies the problem and is very much aware of the situation, he too is pretty convinced and optimistic about finding the light at the end of the tunnel, saying, “It’s only a problem. Problems have solutions.”