What is now known as the Cup Series was originally called the "Strictly Stock" division because it included stock vehicles that were prepared to compete directly out of the factory when NASCAR racing first started in 1949.
Since then, a lot has changed, and the cars utilized at NASCAR's highest level are now exclusively race cars rather than simply stock cars. However, NASCAR is making a significant step backwards toward the time when stock cars were stock and ahead into new possibilities with their seventh-generation Cup car.
The Gen 6 utilized from 2013 to 2021 as the car and chassis competed in the Cup Series will be replaced by NASCAR's new Next Gen car for the 2022 season.
The Next Gen platform, which has been developed over the past few years along with a rigorous winter testing schedule, provides NASCAR's three automakers with a vehicle that is more faithful and pertinent to their street equivalents while also providing NASCAR with a vehicle that can both enhance the level of on-track competition and allow for more cutting-edge and pertinent technology.
The Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum was where the Next Gen car made its competitive debut. There, it was put to the test around the Coliseum's challenging quarter-mile track. As the Next Gen car prepares to make its first official start in a race with points at stake, here is a brief description of it.
The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Ford Mustang, and Toyota TRD Camry all have slightly different Next Gen car specifications, but they all have a sharper, more coupe-like appearance in general.
The car has a narrower track width, a shorter greenhouse, a shorter deck lid, 18" forged aluminum wheels, and wider tires. In addition, the wheels will have just one lug nut instead of the conventional five lugs found on earlier models.
The entirely symmetrical body of the Next Gen car will lessen aerodynamic forces on the vehicle and return the focus to driver skill and vehicle configuration.
The body of the Next Gen car is made of a composite material rather than sheet metal because it is more robust and can resist contact with walls and other vehicles without losing performance.
An independent rear suspension, rack and pinion steering, and bigger brakes are just a few of the enhanced specifications that the Next Gen car has to keep up with contemporary passenger vehicle technology.
The car's transmission and rear gear have been integrated into a single unit with the use of a new transaxle, which will also make it easier to electrify the vehicle in the future.
Every car can now have an in-car camera, and improved automobile connectivity will enable the transmission of additional real-time information to fans.
Also Read | Best Formula 1 races of all time
New front and rear bumpers on the car's revised chassis allow for greater safety. Additionally, the middle section of the car's front and back clips are bolted to it, making maintenance and damage repair simpler.
This was demonstrated at a Charlotte Motor Speedway test of the vehicle when Richard Childress Racing repaired an Austin Dillon-flew car and had it back on the track the same day.
The Next Gen car represents a significant change in how NASCAR Cup Series cars are built and maintained as NASCAR works to introduce a new business model to make stock car racing more accessible and cheap.
Instead of producing individual components for the Next Gen car, NASCAR teams will now buy parts from suppliers like Five Star Race Car Bodies, Dallara, McLaren, and others.
In an effort to save expenses and boost parity, NASCAR has recently increased the regulation of team car inventories. With NASCAR and the chassis supplier deciding whether a chassis can be fixed or needs to be replaced in the case of a crash, race teams will now be limited to seven cars per car number at a time. After a car has participated in at least three races, teams are not permitted to replace it.
The Next Gen car will sport a high-horsepower and low-downforce aerodynamic kit that has gained favor with fans and rivals after several years of fiercely disputed discussion about which direction NASCAR should follow.
The Next Gen vehicle will have a four-inch spoiler on the rear decklid and an engine with a typical racetrack output of 670 horsepower.
Although NASCAR had experimented with lower horsepower in recent years in an effort to possibly entice new OEMs to the sport in order to join Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota, NASCAR Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell stated in December that 670 horsepower was "within the range" to entice another automaker to the sport.
