The NASCAR Next Gen car has not received much praise from fans and drivers since its introduction in the 2022 season. There was sky-high enthusiasm surrounding its launch, but in recent years, much of that hype has faded.
Austin Cindric recently got behind the wheel of the Gen3 Supercar, and it reminded him of the glaring flaws of the NASCAR machine.
What Does Austin Cindric Think Is Wrong with the Next Gen Car?
Cindric has flown to Australia to make his Repco Supercars Championship debut this month at the bp Adelaide Grand Final, driving a Tickford Racing wildcard Mustang. He has had a smooth introduction to the Gen3 Supercar, logging several laps over recent sessions at Sandown.
The NASCAR Cup Series star came away with positive impressions after taking the Armor All No.5 Ford for a spin.
“I think in a lot of ways, quite a bit of what I expected,” Cindric told V8 Sleuth. “It’s good to feel it out and kind of put everything that I’ve done prep work-wise, have a feel for it and really put some relevancy behind some of the questions that I may or may not have, work on some of the techniques,” he added.
At this stage, it’s all about finding rhythm and establishing best practices. Cindric isn’t concerned with speed records for now, but rather with building confidence behind the wheel.
“I think I’m at that point where you’re trying to work out best practices. We don’t have lap times or a beacon, that’s not what today is all about, but I feel good. I feel like I have gotten up to speed well, I just probably need to continue to ramp up,” he said.
Cindric went on to explain how driving a Supercar compares to NASCAR’s Next Gen, pointing out the main reason he thinks the Supercar simply drives better.
“It drives a lot better. Well, it’s got more over-body downforce. Even just by looking at the car, it’s a lighter car, grippier tire, so all the things it does better,” he said.
Cindric noted that while both cars are high-performance machines, the way the Supercar interacts with the track is noticeably different.
Unlike the rigid Next Gen Cup car, the Supercar allows him to use kerbs more aggressively, giving the driver a greater sense of connection and control without the harsh consequences he’s used to in NASCAR. In his words:
“It’s comparable but the current generation Cup car is a lot more rigid. Like, I’ve really had to talk myself into using the kerb as much as I can with this car. Yeah, it has a bigger effect on the driver but the car still says gripped up whereas if I hit some of these kerbs in a Cup car I’d be in the blue tent!”
Frustration with the Next Gen car has only intensified after a run of races on some of NASCAR’s top tracks fell short of expectations.
As Cindric explains, the car doesn’t feel as responsive as its counterparts in other motorsports, such as Supercar. Even though NASCAR is making changes to the Next Gen car, fans and drivers aren’t convinced we’ll see quick improvements.