A few days ago, Tyler Reddick ranted about the Next-Gen car. The 23XI Racing driver finished runner-up in the 2025 Daytona 500, a vast improvement from his previous 27th-place finish. However, he confessed he had no hand in it, as the Next-Gen’s faults caused massive wrecks en route to his finish. What is more, he slammed the tendency to save fuel, as drivers cannot pass in this car. Guess what, NASCAR may be making things more difficult for next season.

The 2026 season is already inundated with several upcoming changes. Ranging from NASCAR’s new street course in San Diego, the Naval Base Coronado, to fresh tweaks to the playoff format, the sport is in a state of overhaul. However, the latest rumors about next season’s changes did not put fans in a good mood.

Controlling the race-determining factor

In 2024, Joey Logano set off a controversial conversation. After being an afterthought in the initial stretch of the season, the Team Penske star won in Nashville. And the circumstances of that victory caught people’s attention – Logano powered to a quintuple overtime finish, solely relying on fuel mileage. He used the same strategy during the playoffs in Las Vegas, running the final 72 laps without stopping. After he went on to win the championship, Logano inspired his competitors for 2025. From William Byron‘s Iowa victory to Bubba Wallace’s Brickyard 400 win, fuel saving played a major role.

So now, NASCAR is apparently trying to control this novel race-winning factor. Introducing the Next-Gen car in 2022 was not enough to compel race teams to rely on single-spec parts for their cars. This meant increased parity on the racetrack, fewer opportunities for passing, and wildcard outcomes. A NASCAR fan released a concerning rumor on Instagram. They wrote, “Filling in the blanks from what I’ve heard here, sounds like the Cup Series could be getting a spec gas can next season.”

This means that the critics of the Next-Gen car, including Tyler Reddick, along with veterans like Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin, will have yet another topic to bash NASCAR on next season. According to a YouTube video of Joe Gibbs Racing, each gas can hold approximately 12 gallons of gas. The weight of both the container and the fuel amounts to a hefty 95 pounds. Teams do not bear the financial burden of the fuel, as Sunoco generously supplies around 10,400 gallons of fuel to NASCAR teams at no charge.

The last time NASCAR updated its fuel can policy was in early 2024. The sport announced back then that Xfinity and Truck Series teams would use lighter cans for the season. Instead of the traditional 11-gallon can, the teams got nine-gallon cans. This allowed teams to have less specialized athletes to fuel the race cars. This was in response to requests from many teams, and so was an agreeable decision.

However, if the latest rumor turns out to be true, the response may not be so heartening. We can already see that in the fans’ comments.

NASCAR fans clutch their heads in despair

Ever since the Next-Gen car debuted in 2022, drivers and fans have been waging a battle. Ranging from the car’s proclivity to cause wrecks to aerodynamic problems, there were multiple issues that the community urged NASCAR to solve. However, the latest rumor left fans hopeless, as it places another issue on the table. “Fix the cars 🙅 Fix the cans 🙌,” one fan wrote. Somebody else came up with the perfect name for the upcoming gas cans. They also lamented the fact that this might deepen passing problems on the racetrack. The comment read, “Next Gen gas can🥀🥀🥀 dirty air gonna be even worse.”

Given the Next-Gen car’s faults already dominating every racing weekend, another fan confessed to a slight misunderstanding. According to this fan and probably many others, NASCAR had already monopolized the gas can like the Next-Gen’s other spec parts. The comment read, “Imma be real, I thought the gas cans were already spec 💀.” Somebody else officially lost all hope in NASCAR to consciously improve the sport. Despite teasing changes in the playoff format and also raising the car’s horsepower, the latest update just brings things back to square one. The fan wrote, “Toss the whole series away.”

Somebody else brought the NASCAR lawsuit into the conversation. They referred to Michael Jordan’s comments about the sport indulging in ‘monopolistic practices.’ Evidently, those practices may seep into preparations for the 2026 season and into the gas cans. The fan wrote, “Almost sounds like a monopoly they’re running.”

Clearly, the responses are already turning out to be negative for NASCAR’s rumored change. We can only wait and see if the gas cans also escape the race teams’ advantage.