NASCAR to Step into New Era with Next Gen Cars

Every so often, NASCAR like to introduce a set of specified upgrades to their standard fleet of Cup Series cars, updating both the design and performance of their cars for all competitors. While the current generation of cars was introduced back in 2013, NASCAR is now ready once more to leap forward with some radical changes.

The decision to introduce the Next Gen for the 2022 season marks a significant technological step for NASCAR, a series that has garnered a reputation as one that has been slow to adopt new technologies. While that may have been true in the past, NASCAR is surely hoping to change that fact, and the updates they have announced for their 2022 cars seem to show that commitment.

For instance, instead of aluminum body panels, the Next Gen cars will have composite panels that house a symmetrical body. This strays from the traditional skewed position that stock cars typically sit in for aerodynamic purposes. The wheels have grown from 15 inches to 18 with larger brakes behind them. Wider and softer Goodyear tyres will provide a lower profile, but more importantly, pit stops will look a lot different. Rather than keeping five-lug rims, the new wheels are centre-locking, much like what you would see on open wheel race cars. This means that instead of crew members having to unscrew each lug before they can remove the tyres, all that needs to be worked on now is a single nut.

As for what's under the hood, NASCAR is bringing back their 5.9 L pushrod V8s, but much has changed aside front hat. Cars now have transaxle transmissions instead of ones that are bolted to the engines. Five sequential gears replace an H-pattern gearbox with just four speeds. Fully independent double wishbone suspension will be introduced as well, which when paired with a better braking system, should make for a more responsive drive all around, something that will be music to many drivers' ears.

So what impact will these changes actually have? From an entertainment perspective, these upgrades will hopefully create more action on track by making it more difficult for the teams with more resources and funding to dominate the field. As for the teams themselves, a big factor they will be looking at with these new cars will be cost. Specifically, many of the parts that are typically very expensive to teams to manufacture, like the chassis, will now become standard parts on the Next Gen car. This is a change that will reduce operating costs for many smaller teams, something that should not only allow for more parity throughout the field, but also reduce the barriers to entry for teams looking to enter the series in the future.

The manufacturers themselves will have something to look forward to with the Next Gen car as well, with the physical appearance of the cars now being more distinct from one manufacturer to the next. The Next Gen Ford unmistakably looks like a Ford Mustang that you would see on the streets, and same goes for the Toyota Camry and Chevrolet Camaro. It's important to remember that while these companies are hungry to build competitive race cars, many manufacturers often race to increase their car sales and brand visibility. As for Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet, they have been clamouring for Cup cars that look more similar to the vehicles they sell, and now their demands have been firmly met.