The Next-Gen car’s troubles reign supreme in today’s NASCAR. From passing problems to increased parity on the racetrack, the problems are plenty. When it first debuted in 2022, safety problems emerged with Cup Series drivers like Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin incurring concussions in crashes. While that has been resolved, the lack of aerodynamic advantages has amplified the demand for more horsepower. But complaints about the Next-Gen hardly compare to those of its predecessor.

Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s fatal crash in 2001 spurred a safety revolution in NASCAR. But in the process of achieving the most secure race car, the sport hit lows. The most significant of those low points was probably the Car of Tomorrow, as a former executive recalled recently.

How NASCAR threw out the ‘flying brick’

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