Denny Hamlin, the veteran driver with 12 Cup Series victories in the next-gen car era, keeps it real when talking about NASCAR’s tech shifts. The Car of Tomorrow launched in 2007 after Dale Earnhardt’s 2001 fatal wreck, prioritizing safety. Then came the Gen 6 that similarly doubled down on safety by being more manufacturer-specific. And then, the Next Gen car rolled out in 2022 with key upgrades over the Gen-6 model, but with time, it has failed to deliver the same racing fever that fans and drivers both expect from it. In fact, Hamlin feels that the car’s progress might be going the other way around, and he explained the reasons why he feels so.

Hamlin questioned the core philosophy earlier this year, saying, “You want everyone to run the same speed, and whoever has the opportunity or

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