Connor Zilisch slams NASCAR’s Next Gen car, calling it the toughest ride of his career. The young racer points to serious flaws, from its GT3-style setup to its extreme rigidity, which raises safety concerns. He is not alone—other drivers, including Chase Elliott, have voiced frustrations over its harsh design. Despite promises of better performance and cost savings, the car’s reality tells a different story. With growing concerns, questions remain about its future in NASCAR’s Cup Series.
Key Highlights
- Connor Zilisch criticizes the Next Gen car for being excessively rigid, directly impacting driver comfort and safety.
- The car’s setup is unforgiving, with a low rear height sacrificing driver control and comfort.
- Low tire air pressure in the Next Gen car exacerbates performance and stability issues.
- The car’s design requires a compromise between speed and driver comfort, complicating racing dynamics.
- Zilisch’s experience highlights broader dissatisfaction among drivers with the car’s configuration and safety concerns.
Chase Elliott’s Criticism and the Growing Frustration with the Next Gen Car
Despite its initial promise to innovate and improve the NASCAR experience, the Next Gen car has become a focal point of discontent among drivers, with Chase Elliott emerging as a vocal critic.
Elliott’s concerns highlight a broader dissatisfaction within the racing community, as the car has failed to meet its lofty ambitions. Designed with the intent to reduce team expenses and improve safety, the Next Gen car, unfortunately, has not delivered on these promises.
Instead of achieving cost-effectiveness, teams have been compelled to invest heavily in advanced data and simulation technologies to remain competitive. Additionally, safety, once touted as a hallmark of the new design, has been compromised by the car’s excessive rigidity.
This rigidity has led to notable safety concerns, as impacts are directly transmitted to the driver, raising alarms among drivers who prioritize safety above all else. Consequently, Elliott’s criticisms reflect a deeper, systemic issue within NASCAR’s current engineering paradigm.
Connor Zilisch and the Next Gen Car’s Setup Flaws
While the Next Gen car was envisioned as a revolutionary step forward for NASCAR, its execution has been blemished by considerable design flaws, as highlighted by the young and promising Connor Zilisch.
During his appearance on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, Zilisch articulated concerns that resonate with many in the racing community. He explicitly compared the car to a GT3 machine, noting the peculiar setup of running the rear notably lower to gain speed.
“The only thing that is weird about the Cup car is how low you run the rear. You got to do it to make speed, but it’s so uncomfortable. Especially on low air, right? That’s how Daniel ended his race. We’re out on low air, you hit a pothole or a dip in the track, and the car bangs to the ground, and you kind of lose control of it.” – Connor Zilisch
This configuration, he argues, sacrifices comfort and control, particularly evident when tire air pressure is low. Zilisch pointed to a specific incident with Daniel Suarez at COTA, where a slight misjudgment led to a collision, emphasizing how vital setup balance is for performance and safety.
His insights reveal a broader issue within NASCAR, where drivers must navigate a demanding compromise between speed and stability, leading to a precarious competitive environment.
The Rigidity of NASCAR Next Gen Car and Driver Concerns
Connor Zilisch’s critique of the Next Gen car’s setup flaws serves as a prelude to broader concerns regarding its rigidity, a characteristic that has stirred considerable unease within the NASCAR community.
The shift from the previous generation’s more forgiving nature to the Next Gen car’s rigid framework highlights several crucial issues:
- Driver Comfort: Zilisch and others describe the car as “uncomfortable” due to its inflexibility, making even minor errors potentially catastrophic.
- Safety Concerns: While the car’s structure minimizes damage to the vehicle, it transmits crash energy directly to drivers, exacerbating risks of injuries like concussions.
- Aggressive Setups: The car necessitates aggressive configurations for peak performance, which compromise driver safety and comfort.
- Driver Feedback: Figures like Denny Hamlin emphasize the necessity for NASCAR leadership to heed drivers’ safety concerns, especially as younger racers face enduring health implications.
“The wheel is you’re not doing much. You’re not turning much, right? It’s very Kind of everything’s a lot faster than the XFINITY car the XFINITY car you’re rolled over on the outside tire and You know three tires on the ground exiting the corner It’s just a lot different and softer and you know it’s it’s a lot more comfortable feeling. The cup car is really uncomfortable to drive when it doesn’t drive really well And I feel like the window is a lot smaller to get it driving.” – Connor Zilisch
These compounded issues highlight the imperative for reevaluation of the Next Gen car’s design.
NASCAR’s “Nuclear Arms Race” and the Cost of the Next Gen Car
Amidst the evolving landscape of NASCAR, the introduction of the Next Gen car has inadvertently triggered an intense “nuclear arms race” among competing teams, escalating financial commitments in pursuit of marginal competitive advantages.
Jeff Burton aptly described the scenario, highlighting the paradox where teams invest heavily in technology that ultimately fails to improve the essence of racing. The pursuit of technological superiority has overshadowed the initial promise of cost-effectiveness, creating a financial burden that contradicts the car’s intended purpose.
“We have an arms race. It’s a nuclear arms race in NASCAR. Whoever can buy the most technology, that’s what they’re all after. And now once everybody has it, why does it matter that you have it?” – Jeff Burton
Dale Earnhardt Jr. initially praised the Next Gen car for its superior performance, yet later expressed concerns over its excessive durability, which may compromise safety—an issue highlighted by Chase Briscoe’s unease about its perceived invincibility.
“The car does everything better.” Over time, even Dale Jr. began to express stronger reservations about the Next-Gen car, “In that attempt to try to make a car that’s more cost-effective and more durable, you know these pieces have been made too, too tough.” – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
This relentless quest for advantage raises fundamental questions about the balance between innovation and the core values of competitive racing, challenging the sustainability of NASCAR’s current path.
NASCAR’s Cup Series and the Performance Debate
The financial strain imposed by the Next Gen car’s technological race has naturally led to a broader examination of NASCAR’s Cup Series, specifically concerning its performance dynamics and identity crisis.
This scrutiny is intensified by the perplexing reality of Cup Series cars being outpaced by their Xfinity counterparts, as evidenced by recent performances at the Circuit of the Americas.
A myriad of issues surface:
- The reduced 670-horsepower package limits acceleration.
- Increased aerodynamic drag from the rear diffuser restricts straight-line speed.
- Challenging traffic dynamics hinder overtaking, as noted by Denny Hamlin.
- NASCAR Xfinity’s lower downforce offers superior road course handling.
Such disparities question whether NASCAR’s pursuit of parity has diluted the NASCAR Cup Series’ premier status.
The identity crisis unfolds as fans and experts ponder whether a return to higher horsepower or a reevaluation of aerodynamics could restore the Cup Series’ rightful place as NASCAR’s pinnacle.
News in Brief: Connor Zilisch Slams NASCAR’s Next Gen Car
In view of mounting criticism from drivers like Connor Zilisch and Chase Elliott, it becomes increasingly evident that the Next Gen car’s design flaws, particularly its unforgiving rigidity and costly setup, are fostering considerable concern within the NASCAR community.
The so-called “nuclear arms race” to improve performance has inadvertently compromised driver safety and satisfaction, prompting urgent calls for a reevaluation. As the Cup Series continues, addressing these systemic issues is imperative to guarantee the sport’s integrity and longevity.
