NASCAR is a sport in transition, and the period of change warrants some tough decisions. The decisions, ranging from alternating race venues to changing the car specs, have not been welcomed by long-time NASCAR fans, who feel the quality of racing has severely deteriorated over the years.
The claim stands true to a certain extent. With the current power units’ capped performances, nearly all the cars end up running a similar race, leaving little room for true racing and exhilarating passes.
However, the races are becoming cleaner as time passes, which is undoubtedly a good sign for the sport.
Chase Elliott’s Atlanta Win Sparks New Era in NASCAR Clean Racing Record
As things stand, the biggest complaint from drivers and fans alike has been the current-spec car contesting the races in NASCAR. Given the performance caps, nearly all the teams run the same strategy, and there’s no innovative racing on display.
With drivers bunching up, it creates more chances of them crashing into each other, especially in the closing laps of any race, as each driver starts pushing for the race win. Given the same, the opening few races of the 2025 season ended under yellow flag conditions, further ruining the race-watching experience.
However, NASCAR’s transitional period is now starting to show some positive signs, with clean racing once again becoming the norm.
As confirmed on X by NASCAR Insights, the last seven Cup Series races have ended in a green flag run that went on for 25 or more laps. Notably, this is the first time this has happened since the Fall of 1998, nearly 27 years ago.
The last seven NASCAR Cup Series races have ended with a green flag run longer than 25 laps.
This is the first time this has happened since the Fall of 1998, nearly 27 years ago. pic.twitter.com/bSOi7dSzLc
— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) July 4, 2025
While crashes have always been integral to oval racing, cars running into each other remain the norm in 2025. Just last weekend in Atlanta, as many as 23 cars were involved in a Stage 2 crash that Denny Hamlin and John-Hunter Nemechek started.
However, the crash sent enough cars out of the race to ensure that the ones that were still running had enough space to maneuver as they saw fit. Owing to this, the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart ended up witnessing 40+ lead changes before Chase Elliott passed Brad Keselowski for the race win.
Moreover, with drivers running similar cars, the Cup Series has seen 12 different race winners in 2025, and there are still eight races left before the playoffs begin.
As such, while the race-running strategies have lost the innovative edge that teams once had, the trade-off has been that there is no clear favorite to win a race or even the championship.