Next Gen (NASCAR)

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Next Gen
Austin cindric Next Gen (51429599897).jpg
Ford Mustang GT Next Gen car driven by Austin Cindric
CategoryNASCAR Cup Series
ConstructorUnited States Chevrolet
United States Ford
Japan Toyota
PredecessorGeneration 6
Technical specifications
ChassisSteel tube frame with integral safety roll cage
Length193.4 in (4,912 mm)
Width78.6 in (1,996 mm)
Height50.4 in (1,280 mm)
Wheelbase110 in (2,794 mm)
Engine5.86 L (358 cu in) V8 Naturally-aspirated FR layout
Transmission5 forward speeds + 1 reverse Sequential manual transmission
Weight3,200 lb (1,451 kg) minimum without driver and fuel
3,400 lb (1,542 kg) minimum with driver and fuel
FuelSunoco Green E15
TiresGoodyear
Competition history

The Next Gen car, formerly known as the Gen-7 car, is the common name for the new racecar that will be used in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2022.[1][2] A further evolution of the Generation 6 car, the Next Gen will feature improved aero and downforce packages while introducing new technologies on the track. In addition, the Next Gen car is meant to lower costs and attract new original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to compete with Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota.[3][4][5][6]

The Next Gen body style was set to debut at the 2021 Daytona 500,[7][6] but when the COVID-19 pandemic postponed all NASCAR racing (and therefore, testing) until the month of May, the sanctioning body announced that the debut of the car would be pushed back a year to 2022.[1][2]

History[]

Testing sessions[]

The rules package of the 2019 season served as the starting point of the Next Gen's development.[1][3] The prototype, built by Richard Childress Racing using a generic body, was tested for the first time on October 8–9 by driver Austin Dillon at Richmond Raceway.[8][9]

The second test of the car was done at Phoenix Raceway on December 9–10 with Joey Logano behind the wheel.[1][10] Erik Jones drove the car in its third test, which was held at Homestead–Miami Speedway on January 15–16.[11]

The fourth test was at Auto Club Speedway with William Byron on March 2–3.[1][12] John Probst, NASCAR's senior vice president of racing innovation, commented that the "P3" prototype Byron tested was nearly 100 percent of the final product.[6][13]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all racing was postponed through the month of May. Further testing that was scheduled to take place at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Clint Bowyer on March 16–17[14] was still on since the Next Gen car testing was exempted from NASCAR's indefinite ban on all testing.[15][16] However, this decision was quickly reversed because of the situation as the Atlanta weekend was postponed shortly after the Rudy Gobert incident at an NBA game days prior that led to NASCAR's decision on postponement. A handful of manufacturers, teams, and drivers alike indicated their hope for the debut of the car to be postponed one year to 2022 as a result of the lost testing time.[17] On March 30, 2020, it was reported that NASCAR was taking a serious look at pushing back the rollout of the new car to 2022.[18] NASCAR officially confirmed these reports on April 2, 2020, and the car's debut was pushed back a year to allow for enough testing time after the postponement of all events through May.[2]

On August 17, NASCAR announced that testing of the Next Gen car would resume at Dover International Speedway with Cole Custer on August 18–19, while another prototype, built by Action Express Racing, was tested at the Daytona road course with Felipe Nasr driving the day after the Daytona road course events.[1][19]

On November 10, NASCAR announced Charlotte Motor Speedway would host a pair of tests, with Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. participating in both with a pair of prototype chassis. The tests took place on November 16–18 with the first day being held on the road course, and the second day on the oval.[1][20]

On December 11, NASCAR announced the Next Gen's first superspeedway test at Daytona on December 14–15, with Chris Buescher as the test driver.[1][21] The Next Gen car has successfully passed all speed tests. They were able to focus on the gearbox and other features. The next tests took place at Charlotte before further tire tests were carried out with Goodyear.[22]

On February 1, 2021, NASCAR announced that the development stage of the Next Gen was complete.[23] On April 1, Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota, brought prototypes of their Next Gen cars to Martinsville Speedway for testing alongside NASCAR's evaluation of Goodyear's wet-weather tires.[24] On April 6–7, Tyler Reddick conducted a Goodyear tire test for the Next Gen car at Darlington Raceway.[25] During the final run of the testing, Reddick lost control of the car and scraped the outside wall, damaging the right side of the car.[26]

On June 30, Ross Chastain tested the Chevrolet Next Gen at Dover.[27]

NASCAR conducted further testing at Texas Motor Speedway on July 27–28, with Justin Allgaier in the Chevrolet, David Ragan in the Ford, and Drew Herring in the Toyota. Herring reportedly crashed the Toyota during the test.[28] On August 20, Christopher Bell tested the Toyota at Bristol Motor Speedway.[29] On August 31, eight teams were announced to do tire testing at Daytona on September 7–8. The teams are the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet driven by Austin Dillon, the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota driven by Denny Hamlin, the Roush Fenway Racing No. 17 Ford driven by Chris Buescher, the Team Penske No. 22 Ford driven by Joey Logano, the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet driven by William Byron, the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Ford driven by Cole Custer, the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain, and the JTG Daugherty Racing No. 47 Chevrolet driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.[30]

On October 8, StarCom Racing announced that Kaz Grala would test the Next Gen at the Charlotte Roval on October 11.[31] Three days later, NASCAR announced the schedule of the Next Gen's testing before the 2022 season: November 17–18 at Charlotte, December 14–15 at Phoenix, and January 11–12 at Daytona.[32] On October 26, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, and Bowyer tested the Next Gen at Bowman Gray Stadium for Goodyear to determine the tires to use at the 2022 Busch Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.[33] On October 27, Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports reported that Stewart Friesen would test the Next Gen at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Virginia to determine the tires to use for the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol.[34] On November 25, NASCAR rescheduled the Phoenix testing session to January 25–26, replacing the Las Vegas testing schedule. NASCAR also tentatively scheduled additional Charlotte sessions on December 15 and 17 for testing under cold weather conditions.[35] On November 30, Phoenix Raceway announced free admission for fans to watch the January 25 testing session.[36] On December 9, Friesen completed further Goodyear dirt tire testing at Lancaster Motor Speedway in Lancaster, South Carolina.[37]

During the Charlotte testing on November 17, Dillon's car sustained major damage after hitting the outside wall in turn 2 and sliding into the inside wall. Mechanics and engineers from all participating teams examined the wrecked car to assess the damage. Richard Childress Racing was able to return the car to its shop for repairs and send it back to the track later that night. "So, yeah, it was a really good feeling knowing that the car performed as designed. Looking at the front bumper on it, looked like it crushed the way it was designed to do," said John Probst, NASCAR's senior vice president of racing innovation.[38] At Charlotte on December 15, Reddick lost control of his car and slammed on the sand barrels in front of pit road.[39] Following the Charlotte test sessions, NASCAR announced that teams will use the 670 horsepower and 4-inch spoiler package for intermediate tracks, short tracks, and road courses.[40]

Unveiling and safety concerns[]

NASCAR unveiled the Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Ford Mustang GT, and Toyota Camry TRD at The Park Expo in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 5, 2021, with Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, and Denny Hamlin representing their respective brands during the event.[1][41] On May 25, Öhlins was announced as the official shock absorber provider for the Next Gen.[42]

On July 8, rumors started to speculate that the Next Gen would be delayed until 2023 or 2024. This started when Steve Hmiel confirmed that during crash testing, the dummy in the car was "killed". Hmiel stated that the car may have been too stiff and had too few crush zones.[43] In response to the allegations, NASCAR said that the rumors had been happening for months. In a statement, NASCAR's John Probst said "[We] simulated some of the bigger incidents that we've had with the current Gen-6 car on the Next-Gen car. I'd say that we're pretty happy with where we're at. I won't get into the specifics of where we're at."[44][45][46][47] On July 19, NASCAR announced that distribution of the Next Gen chassis would begin that week.[48]

Following the Daytona testing, drivers expressed concern over the interior heat due to the placement of the exhaust directly under the seat.[49]

Design[]

Aero and downforce packages[]

The Next Gen car is expected to use a stepped front splitter, aerodynamic vents on the hood, and a redesigned side skirt, all of which are designed to reduce the amount of side force in the cars. A notable addition to the Next Gen car is the rear diffuser, which is set to be used in NASCAR for the first time. NASCAR has conducted various tests on the wind tunnel to have the car to generate more downforce using the rear diffuser. Adjustable aerodynamic components are also expected to be used to accommodate the various track types in the schedule.[50][51]

Technological improvements[]

Spec chassis[]

Despite initial reports that the Next Gen will use a carbon fiber tub, NASCAR engineer Brandon Thomas clarified that the car will still use a steel space frame, but with a modular setup to allow faster setups.[52] Dallara was initially rumored to be the exclusive supplier of the new chassis, but it was revealed that Technique recently opened a shop in Concord, North Carolina, indicating that they will manufacture the chassis for NASCAR teams.[4][5]

Sequential transmission[]

The Next Gen car will have the traditional four-speed manual transmission replaced with a floor-mounted six-speed Xtrac Limited sequential manual transmission, similar to the type of transmission used in contemporary race cars (e.g., touring cars).[53][54][4]

Independent rear suspension[]

Much like the race cars used in IMSA, the Next Gen car will use an independent rear suspension with 5-way adjustable Öhlins TTR dampers, instead of the solid rear axle used by previous generations.[4]

New wheel design[]

On March 2, 2020, NASCAR announced that the traditional 15-inch steel wheel with the five-lug pattern will be replaced by a new 18-inch aluminum wheel that uses a single center-locking lug nut. The wheels will be manufactured by BBS.[55][7][4][5][54] Prototypes tested before the announcement featured aluminum wheels, but with a five-lug pattern.

Refueling system[]

The Next Gen car is expected to use a clamp-on refueling hose similar to those used in IMSA. This would eliminate the use of the traditional gas cylinder canister carried over the pit wall.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "NASCAR Next Gen Car". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Next Gen car debut delayed until 2022 due to coronavirus pandemic". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. April 2, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Albert, Zack (February 4, 2019). "Generation next: 2021 the target for Gen-7 race car". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Smith, Steven Cole (December 30, 2019). "Next-Gen: What We Know about NASCAR's New Car". Autoweek. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "NASCAR Next Gen car to feature single lug nut". RacingNews.co. March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Crandall, Kelly (March 3, 2020). "NASCAR settles on Next-Gen specs". Racer. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Albert, Zack (March 2, 2020). "New Next Gen car debuts in Auto Club test, '99 percent' complete". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  8. ^ Page, Scott (October 7, 2019). "NASCAR to test Next Gen car at Richmond". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  9. ^ "Next Gen car makes on-track test debut at Richmond". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. October 9, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  10. ^ Albert, Zack (December 10, 2019). "Early impressions: Joey Logano finds a 'challenging' Next Gen car in Phoenix test". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
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  12. ^ "William Byron to test Next Gen car at Auto Club Speedway". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. February 25, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  13. ^ Tatarevic, Bozi (March 10, 2020). "NASCAR Next Gen "P3" prototype is "99 percent" of the final race car". The Hagerty Group, LLC. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  14. ^ Albert, Zack (March 10, 2020). "Clint Bowyer to drive Next Gen car in Atlanta test". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  15. ^ "NASCAR issues indefinite ban on non-Next Gen testing". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
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  17. ^ Crandall, Kelly (March 30, 2020). "Support growing for NASCAR Next Gen delay". Racer. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
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  20. ^ "Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr. set for two-day Next Gen test at Charlotte". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  21. ^ Albert, Zack (December 11, 2020). "Cup Series' Next Gen model set for two-day test at Daytona; Buescher to drive". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  22. ^ "L'auto Next Gen della NASCAR raggiunge gli obiettivi di velocità a Daytona". The Shield Of Sports (in Italian). December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  23. ^ Albert, Zack (February 1, 2021). "Competition briefing: Development phase of Next Gen car is complete". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  24. ^ Albert, Zack (April 2, 2021). "Manufacturers make strides with Next Gen test at Martinsville". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  25. ^ "Tyler Reddick conducts Next Gen Goodyear Tire Test at Darlington". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  26. ^ "Slight scrape for Reddick as Goodyear test for Next Gen car concludes at Darlington". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. April 6, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
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  28. ^ "NASCAR completes Next Gen test at Texas Motor Speedway". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. July 29, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  29. ^ "Christopher Bell tests Next Gen car at Bristol on Wednesday". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  30. ^ "Eight Cup teams to test Next Gen cars at Daytona". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. August 31, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  31. ^ "Kaz Grala to test NextGen for StarCom Racing". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  32. ^ "NASCAR releases upcoming Next Gen testing schedule; announces horsepower package for 2022". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  33. ^ "Earnhardt, Stewart, Bowyer to test at Bowman Gray UPDATE". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  34. ^ "Stewart Friesen to test Next Gen on dirt track". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  35. ^ "NASCAR modifies Next Gen test schedule". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  36. ^ "Phoenix Raceway Offers Free First Look at NASCAR Next Gen Cars on Jan. 25". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
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  38. ^ Waack, Terrin (November 17, 2021). "On the clock: Next Gen car 'performed as designed' in Austin Dillon test wreck". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  39. ^ Albert, Zack (December 15, 2021). "Tyler Reddick crashes into pit-road barrier during Next Gen testing at Charlotte". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  40. ^ "NASCAR Moving to Higher Horsepower, Lower Downforce Package in 2022 UPDATE". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  41. ^ Albert, Zack (May 5, 2021). "Stock reborn: NASCAR, manufacturers unveil Next Gen models for 2022 Cup Series". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  42. ^ "Öhlins to provide shocks for Next Gen car". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  43. ^ Hmiel, Lisa. "So painful to watch the development of the new car. The engineers could really use a real world guy to temper some of their ideas. Have seen photos of a wrecked car and hearing rumors of sled tests killing the dummy, the car may be too stiff with too few crush zones". Twitter. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  44. ^ Pockrass, Bob. "Those rumors been around for months. NASCAR's John Probst in May: "(We) simulated some of the bigger incidents that we've had with the current Gen-6 car on the Next-Gen car. I'd say that we're pretty happy with where we're at. I won't get into the specifics of where we're at."". Twitter. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  45. ^ Taranto, Steve (July 9, 2021). "Explaining the alleged safety concerns surrounding NASCAR's Next Gen car". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  46. ^ Long, Dustin (July 9, 2021). "Analysis of NASCAR Next Gen car crash test underway". NBC Sports. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  47. ^ Utter, Jim (July 9, 2021). "NASCAR awaits final sign-off of crash results on Next Gen car". Motorsport Network. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
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  49. ^ "Will heat be an issue inside Next Gen cars?". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  50. ^ Ramsey, Jonathon (January 19, 2020). "NASCAR tests six-speed sequential manual gearbox in 2021 Next-Gen car". Autoblog. Verizon Media. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  51. ^ Weaver, Matt (March 4, 2020). "Latest NASCAR Next-Gen Test Underscores a Challenging Race Car". Autoweek. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  52. ^ Donut Media (May 4, 2021). Why NASCAR Is Getting Kinda Weird. YouTube. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  53. ^ Andrejev, Alex (May 5, 2021). "NASCAR Next Gen car unveiled: Look at 2022 Toyota Camry". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  54. ^ a b Wilhelm, Chase (March 3, 2020). "William Byron details learning experience after Next Gen test at Fontana". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  55. ^ Albert, Zack (March 2, 2020). "NASCAR moving to single lug-nut design for Next Gen car". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved March 3, 2020.

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