Kyle Larson absolutely dominated the Bristol track at the Food City 500. After leading for 411 out of 500 laps, he emerged victorious in style. While many praised Larson for his spectacular performance, the viewers were largely unhappy with the overall competition.
The backlash was focused on NASCAR’s NextGen cars that came into the picture in 2022. Many folks expressed their disappointment on social media and called out the descending spirit of the sport.
Why The NextGen Car Restricts Competition
When the NextGen Car was first unveiled, it was highly anticipated, and many had big expectations from it. The main intent behind it was to make cars more cost-effective, improve the overall aerodynamics, and promote fair contention among all teams. With this philosophy, the cars did fare well on bigger tracks, but on shorter tracks, things did not work quite as expected.
Due to the wider tires and independent rear suspensions, the new cars maintain a tighter grip. This minimizes slipping and also reduces passing opportunities for drivers. Another aspect of the NextGen car is its aerodynamic underbody that produces insane amounts of downforce as compared to its predecessors. However, on shorter tracks, this is not as advantageous. When cars are too set on the track, it again makes passing harder.
Plus, the problem of dirty air is still as relevant as ever, even with the new design. The car was also designed to avoid excess parity between well-funded and underfunded teams. A few years ago, a superior car setup was more advantageous on a short track. However, with the new car in action, while the drivers’ skills still matter as much, it often makes most racers on the track look alike.
The Backlash Over Kyle Larson’s Win at Bristol
While Larson shined in the competition and added another Bristol win to his total, many were unhappy with the overall race. Among these was also popular NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck, who straight out blamed the NextGen car. However, the tire wear also had to be taken into consideration, especially how things panned out at the qualifier.
Things turned out differently from what most had expected, at least in the tire department. The tires did not wear out as fast, and the race only had a total of eight lead changes. This made for a race that lacked excitement.
Several disgruntled fans voiced their opinion online. An X user called Colby Evans wrote:
“I’m angry because I care about this sport. I’m frustrated because I feel like this car can be better. I’m disappointed because I was always excited when it came time for Bristol/Martinsville.
“A lot of the Gen7 product is Crap, it’s not sustainable for NASCAR wanting to keep or make new fans for the future.
“I say all this with heart and love for the sport I’ve had for over 15 years
My rating is 1/10 for the Race, I just hope change will come.”
Another user said:
“I’m not tweeting a great deal from this race because, and I don’t mean to sound negative, but there just isn’t a lot happening here.
“Even for me, a Inside Baseball guy, who loves all the little strategic nuances. Just logging laps here today.”
One user went as far as to call it the worst car in NASCAR.
“This is by far the worst car that NASCAR has ever had in the modern era and it’s unacceptable, the car doesn’t race well anywhere and this is such a diverse schedule.
Get to work on that Gen 8 cause this is pathetic @NASCAR.”
I saw the crowd, not a lot of hope left for NASCAR. I’ll continue to support my local tracks