The Next Gen car in NASCAR was a multi-year project that focused on bringing the Cup car under a single-spec, manufacturer-styled design at a controlled cost. However, this issue has more or less backfired on NASCAR, as not just the fans, but several veterans have also been very bluntly outspoken about the reality of the car, especially concerning its speed.

The car sucks. It’s not fun seeing the car not pass the way it needs to be,” Kevin Harvick had said. Dale Jr.’s prodigy, Connor Zilisch, had also explained the problems in it: “I’m not an engineer, but yeah, it’s just very stiff. There’s not a lot of feel,” saying that the car “drives so weird… it just has nothing. There’s no roll. There’s nothing to lean on.” And another major issue is how the Xfinity car has a better speed record than the Next Gen, which is supposed to be the fastest, being the Cup series car. An example of that is how at the Circuit of the Americas earlier in 2025, the Xfinity car recorded a pole lap of 1:37.26, but the Next Gen car could only complete it in 1:38.08. But not all disagree with the Next Gen’s inefficiency.

Kyle Petty, son of seven-time Cup Series champion Richard Petty, has once again found himself at the center of a heated debate after making bold remarks about NASCAR’s current direction. Speaking on PRN, Petty described the Next Gen car as “a huge leap forward” and urged fans to “embrace the change,” questioning why the sport should “cling to antiquated tech when the racing is only getting better.” While outspoken commentary has long been a part of Petty’s media persona, these latest remarks struck a nerve with many fans, reigniting a familiar cycle of controversy.

A veteran driver in his own right, Kyle Petty competed in 829 Cup Series races, earning eight wins, 173 top-ten finishes, and a career-best fifth in the standings in both 1992 and 1993. Despite his achievements, his career has often been measured against his father’s towering legacy, making him both a respected voice and a frequent lightning rod for criticism when his opinions clash with the fan sentiment.

The response to his latest statement spread quickly across social platforms. Many fans accused Petty of overlooking the flaws of the Next Gen car and downplaying the concerns of those who feel the new era of racing has failed to deliver on its promise. While NASCAR itself took no formal action, the backlash was immediate and loud, underscoring how public opinion can create its own form of accountability without official penalties. Even Kyle Petty’s own father, NASCAR legend Richard Petty, has expressed skepticism about the Next Gen car, but his son’s unpopular opinion has naturally not gone down well.

This controversy isn’t Kyle Petty’s first time dividing NASCAR fans. He has consistently taken bold stances, often championing change over tradition, and his latest defense of the Next Gen car fits neatly into that pattern. Petty’s vocal alignment with such moves has put him at odds with fans, some even calling him biased towards NASCAR.

Fans clash over Petty’s praise for the Next Gen car

Fans on Reddit wasted no time in pushing back against Kyle Petty’s exuberant defense of the Next Gen car, framing their reactions through a mix of humor, frustration, and outright exasperation. A Chase Elliott fan summed up their conflicted feelings with a surprising twist: “These NASCAR industry people are starting to make me like Denny Hamlin. As a Chase Elliott fan, I don’t know how to feel about this.”
The reference to Hamlin is telling; he’s been one of the loudest critics of the Next Gen car, citing issues with passing, safety, and inconsistent handling across tracks. When fans start siding with a rival driver they usually dislike, it underscores how strongly Petty’s comments clashed with their own perceptions of the sport’s current struggles.

Some reactions cut sharper, going after Petty’s credibility both as a commentator and a former driver: “Kyle Petty’s opinion is just like his driving. They both suck!” This barb isn’t just about his commentary; it taps into a long-standing narrative that Petty’s Cup career, while respectable with 8 wins in 829 starts, never lived up to the legendary standard set by his father, Richard Petty. That history often shadows his takes, making it easy for detractors to dismiss his views as out of touch.

Others pushed back against Petty’s assertion that racing is “only getting better,” questioning the very premise of his praise: “I’d like to know where this better racing is.” That skepticism reflects broader dissatisfaction with how the Next Gen era has unfolded. While NASCAR’s leadership points to improved parity and closer finishes, green-flag passes for the lead have dropped significantly on intermediate tracks, fueling the perception that race quality hasn’t improved despite the new technology.

One fan took issue with Petty’s framing of the Next Gen car as a technological leap, countering with a colorful analogy: “It’s really not. In relative terms, it’s Bronze Age rather than Paleolithic. Which, I suppose, if you want to stretch a bit you could say it counts as revolutionary in a sense for a sport terminally stuck in the past. I guess. Maybe. But it is definitely not a particularly advanced race car.”
It’s a pointed way of saying that while the car may be modern compared to older NASCAR designs, it still lags far behind the engineering sophistication seen in other major motorsports, a perspective often voiced by fans who follow Formula 1 or IndyCar.

And then there were those who rejected Petty’s view, delivering perhaps the harshest critique: “This is the least entertaining NASCAR Cup car ever built on its own. It doesn’t sound good, it doesn’t look fast, and looks completely tame. Why do I look like I could drive one of these without any effort? The racing is not good, and the car is boring as f—.” This sentiment speaks to a visceral disappointment, not just with performance metrics or statistics, but with the sensory and emotional appeal that draws fans to the track. For these critics, the Next Gen car fails the eye and ear test, making it hard to buy into any claims of a huge leap forward.

Kyle Petty’s latest comments serve as a reminder of how influential yet divisive his voice remains within NASCAR circles.