Lucas Bell 
The world of motorsports stretches across the globe, with drivers facing off in different series of all shapes and sizes. And while our European friends may have a particular fascination with Formula 1 and endurance racing, America does things a little differently. On this side of the pond, no form of motorsports is more popular than NASCAR. Since 1948, we’ve watched as these stock cars have battled it out on dirt tracks, ovals, and superspeedways with some of the most famous drivers of all time behind the wheel. Today is a special day in the sport however, as we gear up to watch the debut of the NASCAR Next Gen Cup Series cars. Of particular interest for our readers, this means we get to enjoy our first taste of the NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Next Gen Ford Mustang race cars.
The Debut Of The NASCAR Next Gen Vehicles
The NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro and Next Gen Ford Mustang Cup Series racers made their debut this afternoon at 3 p.m. ET. The reveal took place on NASCAR’s own website with a live stream, as well as any of the race series’ social media channels. This new racer has been teased and hyped up for over two years at this point, and marks the first major change to the series since the current “Car of Tomorrow” generation vehicles were introduced back in 2007.
What’s New With The Racers
The NASCAR Next Gen vehicles, also known as the Gen 7 cars, have been created with a focus on reducing cost for manufacturers and teams alike. A large majority of the parts on the vehicle come from a shared single-source supplier, including the new carbon-tub and tube framed chassis. These components aim to help improve driver safety across the board, which is always welcome when high-speeds are involved. There are some other serious changes coming to the NASCAR Next Gen Camaro and Mustang as well however. The traditional four-speed manual has been replaced by a six-speed sequential, and an independent rear suspension has been fit for the first time. Combine this with the new adjustable aerodynamic bits, and you have cars the promise to be much more stable, as well as quicker.
Ford was the first to tease their new NASCAR Next Gen Mustang during the pony car’s birthday week, sharing an interior driving clip of the racer. Chevrolet let us have a bit of a teaser for their NASCAR Next Gen Camaro this week, though we didn’t get any engine noise from GM. Regardless, we won’t have to wait too much longer to see what these cars actually have in store. The new Cup Series cars will begin squaring off against one another in February of 2022 when the new season kicks off.
They’ve been over-reacting to cyclical fan interest. Maybe go with an H-pattern 6-speed, but the cars’ mechanical aspects weren’t the problem. Race format and tracks used, yeah. This NASCAR just seems to be self-hating. Or whipped.
“Stages” and “playoffs” never made any sense to me as a NASCAR fan. The new cars at least look cool, but word around the paddock is that teams are greatly worried about their operating costs.
The most tracks being a Charlotte copy was a mistake 20 years ago. The schedule shouldn’t need 2 event tracks.
Some ideas: People’s attention spans are shorter, so only the iconic races should be longer, with double points. Otherwise do a quick opening act race with maybe the trucks. Get rid of the playoffs.
Nascar as family vehicle bodies on carbed race cars was fine. On 2nd thought, the transaxle is a good move. But, keep track bar adjustments. Less downforce is good. Don’t like the center lug. Tire changing should be slow. Evernham’s 2 tire stops were iconic.