The Other National Pastime
NASCAR has finally revealed the car that will change the future of the entire industry. This will be the most significant change in NASCAR in the last seventy years and it seems that the fans are more than ready. This seventh-generation cup car will ultimately redefine how vehicle manufacturers market their products, how NASCAR teams operate, and the way that drivers drive. The world will get a real first look at this new vehicle in February of this year at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The exhibition race is a much-anticipated event in the world of NASCAR and will precede the opening race of the season at the Daytona 500. This new vehicle will be the first one in NASCAR history to have aluminum wheels, independent rear suspension, and rack-and-pinion steering. These and other monumental changes to the way NASCAR vehicles are usually made will make it the most prestigious car ever made for the sport. While it’s challenging to bet on the outcome, we can certainly share the details.
The Details
Initially, the Next Gen vehicle was intended to be released for the 2021 season, but naturally, COVID complicated things. The start of development for this vehicle was back in 2019 when the NASCAR higher-ups first began discussing how to introduce vehicles that look more like the production version they come from, as well as keep operating costs down in a difficult time. The new vehicle was also intended to bring in new teams and manufacturers to compete with the currently holy trinity of NASCAR: Ford, Chevy, and Toyota. Steve Lauletta, 23xi’s team president, runs a relatively new team and is excited about the coming change. He believes it will bring a much-needed financial boost to the industry and keep things as cost-effective as possible. He knows that, in the short term, a substantial investment will be necessary but that it will pay off in the long term. This new vehicle will also change how teams operate in a lot of ways. It will put a lot more of the strategy decisions directly into the hands of the drivers.
How does this new vehicle compare? Well, to start with, the body is now perfectly symmetrical, featuring dimensions much more like regular vehicles. Carbon-fibre reinforced plastic panels are now fitted to the body, making the vehicle much more durable and flexible and much more cost-effective than regular sheet metal. Steel tube frames are no longer needed; with the new models, each vehicle has bolt-on rear and front frames that are far easier to replace than before. NASCAR has given the suspension an overhaul, too: they’ve added four-way adjustable dampers and ditched the live rear axle for an independent setup. The next-gen vehicle is also much more aerodynamic than previous models; the new model features a rear diffuser that will vary according to track type as well as carbon fiber under trays that create a smooth surface under the car. While this is great for keeping the car firmly on the track, it adds a lot of heat to the cockpit. This meant redesigning the exhaust’s shape and location to deal with heat soak. One of the most significant and most anticipated changes is the rack-and-pinion steering which takes the place of the outdated ball steering box that all the NASCAR vehicles have featured so far. Replacing the four-speed gearbox is a five-speed transaxle and replacing 15-inch steelies is a set of 18 aluminum rims that offer clearance for much larger brakes.
Crew chief Steve says that he thinks this new system will put a lot more pressure on the gas main than before, which means that the margin for error in terms of needing fuel will be much smaller than before. This definitely changes things for the whole team and will mean that drivers need to be a lot more aware not only of the tack and of other drivers but also of the situation within their own vehicle. The 2022 NASCAR series is going to be completely different from any year that came before. Where the mentality has always been, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” the industry is going to have to evolve to anticipate issues before they happen.
Wrap Up
There are a lot of changes coming for NASCAR participants and NASCAR lovers alike. February will see the first races featuring the next-gen vehicle and will offer us a lot more perspective on how these monumental changes are really going to affect the industry. See you in LA and Daytona!
