It is no secret how the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series campaign has been a wreck fest. Time and again, drivers have shoved into each other’s cars for their own personal gains. While it is entertaining from a neutral point of view, how long until this gets annoying? Furthermore, the wrecks are only increasing the tension between the drivers. And the situation only gets more tricky after Kyle Busch’s teammate explained the true scenario recently.

Busch was the first one to step up and say how drivers have been lacking respect for each other this season. While many have agreed to this, the on-track wrecks speak otherwise. Recently, using Rowdy’s teammate’s statements, a NASCAR veteran deep-dived into this matter.

Kyle Busch’s teammate’s statements raise doubts over Next-Gen cars

It all started when Denny Hamlin admitted to intentionally wrecking Ross Chastain at Phoenix Raceway. Following this, Busch pointed out how drivers nowadays, have no etiquette like they used to have before. This led to the “respect” debate and has been going on ever since.

With so much wrecking going on, NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace looked into the subject. Speaking on his “The Kenny Wallace Show”, the 59-year-old shared a short story. Just some time back, he was present at the Bristol Motor Speedway. It was then that he was involved in a conversation with Richard Childress Racing driver and Busch’s teammate, Austin Dillon.

He was direct with his question when he asked Dillon the real reason drivers are “beating the hell out of each other”. Surprisingly, the 32-year-old had a technical answer to it. He said, “Kenny, this new Next Gen car, the front end is so strong that maybe it’s a little too strong, there’s no consequences to pay. ”

Dillon also explained how it was different from the old car. He said, “With the old car, you were afraid to knock the radiator out but this new car, Man O Man, it’s just great up there.” Well, one of the significant changes from the old cars was the use of composite material rather than sheet metal. This brings more durability and adds more withstanding strength in an event of contact with a wall or a car.

Wallace further added his input about the front of the Next Gen car. He said, “You know, I have looked at it [front end] before, it’s just all this structure up there, it’s like a mesh of work up there and it’s just contoured into the bumper, you knock the hell out of each other.” Certainly, the sturdiness of the front end of the car might be one reason drivers are more encouraged to wreck.

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Having said that, is the Next-Gen car solid enough to bear the frequency of these beatings? What does this mean for the driver’s safety in the long run? Luckily, Dillon shed some light on it too.

Austin Dillon opens up about the steps NASCAR is taking for the drivers’ safety

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While Kyle Busch is unhappy with the lack of respect, Austin Dillon explained how the sturdy front end of the Next Gen car plays a role in it. Interestingly, to bring more safety to the drivers, NASCAR made some changes in the rear end of the car. The newer model this season involves lesser bars and some of the bars involve built-in holes in the area of potential bending points.

Speaking to Kenny Wallace recently, Dillon discussed it. He said, “I think NASCAR did some good changes in the off-season for the rear of the car. I think there’s a whole other step we can do in the front now. We’re just not there yet, it’s an industry-wide move. It’s hard to move the whole ship that quickly.

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“I think eventually we’ll get there and you’ll see more flex when we hit each other and not as stiff for sure.” While these ideas look promising for the safety of the driver, it surely does not discourage racers to shove their cars.

Given the technology used, should we consider wrecking the new normal for NASCAR?