When the 2022 NASCAR racing season began for the Cup Series, NASCAR introduced a new car – the Next Gen car – one that was designed to save the team owners money and put driving back into the hands of the drivers.   But like all new things, issues arose over the season that required some tweaks and adjustments.

In 2022, Cup Series drivers set a modern era record with 19 different race winners but when it came to short track racing, passing and competitive racing was practically non-existent.

Looking for a way to address the aero issues and bring back some excitement when it came to running short track races, NASCAR has stumble upon a possible solution while working on the Garage 56 car for the 24 Hours at Le Mans next season.

Another area that NASCAR is looking at to increase the competitive nature on the track is during the road course races.  Typically, drivers “short pit” – come down pit road for tires and fuel before the end of a stage on road courses because if they plan the strategy properly can advance further with a green flag pit stop then with  a pit stop during the caution.  Crew chief one-upmanship is as much a part of racing as the driving on the track.

As a result; NASCAR is looking at eliminating the end of stage caution flags during the road course races.

NASCAR is looking hard at possible changes to the cars…and even the races themselves…in the off season in order to make the races safer for the drivers and more exciting for the fans.  Safety measures for the cars to address fire issues and stiffer bodies not allowing the cars to absorb the energy during a wreck are already in the works for next season.