Kenny Wallace’s steadfast defense of NASCAR’s Next Gen car has hit a wall. Veteran driver Ken Schrader, armed with decades of racing data, delivered a blunt rebuttal to Wallace’s claims that criticism of the car is overblown.
The clash erupted during a podcast discussion about Kyle Larson’s dominant Kansas win and his call for more horsepower. Schrader’s counterargument, anchored in cold, hard numbers, has reignited tensions over the car’s impact on modern racing.
Ken Schrader’s Speed Data Undercuts Next Gen Optimism
On a recent “Herm & Schrader” podcast episode, Wallace and Schrader were talking about the Next Gen cars and Larson’s dominant run at Kansas.
“Kyle Larson goes there, and I am like, ‘Oh no, Schrader is not going to like this.’ Kyle Larson says, ‘Yeah, we need to do something. We need to maybe up the horsepower. The NASCAR Cup Racing is getting stale.’ And I went, ‘No!’” Wallace said.
Schrader, a 69-year-old racing veteran with 1,178 NASCAR career starts, dismantled Wallace’s positivity with a historical comparison.
“In Atlanta in 1997, 28 years ago, right? Geoff Bodine ran a 27.08 [seconds lap] to get the pole. This year, the pole was a 30.90 [seconds],” Schrader replied to Wallace. “That’s close to four seconds slower.”
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The stark difference underscores NASCAR’s deliberate efforts to reduce speeds over the decades. Schrader argued that slower cars have transformed tracks like Atlanta into drafting-heavy circuits rather than technical challenges.
“Did Atlanta become a drafting track because they put four more degrees bank in it or whatever?” he added. “No, they slowed the cars down so damn much that you don’t have to let off,” he said. “So, I think the cars do need more power.”
Wallace, who initially dismissed Larson’s call for horsepower increases, reshared the podcast clip with a caption: “HERM & SCHRADER has Great Takes.”
Fan and Driver Backlash Intensifies Over Next Gen Car
Schrader’s critique amplifies growing frustration among fans and drivers. Wallace faced a social media firestorm days earlier after calling critics overly negative. “For f***’s sake, people. Get a f***ing life,” Wallace said in a viral video. “Richard Petty says it was a great race. Jeff Gluck says it was a great race. And you guys are like, ‘Yeah, but there’s still something wrong with the car.’”
Fans and drivers aren’t buying it. “The car sucks Kenny, listen to the guys that are driving them,” one fan tweeted. Others echoed Larson’s concerns about stale racing, with one bluntly stating, “F*** the car, no such thing as a good f***ing race anymore.”
Even Wallace acknowledged the car needs adjustments, but doubled down on broader optimism. “The totality of NASCAR is doing really good,” he insisted, citing rising TV ratings and sponsorships. Critics counter that metrics mask on-track issues. “This car is why we never have good racing,” a fan wrote. “Fix it and stop making excuses.”
Schrader’s data-driven stance adds weight to these complaints. His 1997-versus-2025 comparison isn’t just about speed — it’s a referendum on racing’s soul. As NASCAR balances innovation with tradition, the Next Gen debate reveals a gridlock no discretionary caution can resolve.
For Schrader, a man who once won a race by spraying a fire extinguisher to fake engine trouble, creativity matters. His message is clear: Slower cars might be safer, but they’re strangling the sport’s edge.