The NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond will be a historic night, featuring a first for a NASCAR point race. To improve the racing product on short tracks, NASCAR will give the teams multiple tire compounds to help provide alternate strategies and hopefully create more variation in speed. However, what is NASCAR’s other option if the “Option” tires don’t work?
The race at Bristol in March proved that the Next-Gen car could put on a good short-track race without increasing horsepower. If the tire wear is drastic enough, the good cars can separate themselves from the others. One of the biggest issues with short-track racing today is that the cars are incredibly similar, making passing difficult.
However, if the Richmond race is North Wilkesboro 2.0 with little passing and variability in tire wear or lap time, where can NASCAR go from here with tires? Logic would say Goodyear could make the tires as soft as possible, but how much further can they go?
Bristol was a race in which tire wear was ultimately too extreme. If the tires are not durable enough, they pose a genuine safety threat to competitors on the track, so Goodyear has to strike a balance. How much farther they can go remains to be seen.
If they can go a little further without compromising safety, take it as far as possible. If not, NASCAR has to look elsewhere.
Aerodynamics is not the answer. NASCAR spent the first two seasons of the Next-Gen era experimenting with aerodynamics, and the cars are going too slow on short tracks for aero to matter that much anyway. Changing other potential issues like tire width and the brakes would probably require a major overhaul of the Next-gen car’s design.
That leaves one final lever: horsepower. The thing that NASCAR was called on to change for so long, but primarily for cost reasons, decided not to attempt the change.
More horsepower could increase tire wear, allowing drivers to be more aggressive with the cars. NASCAR increased horsepower on short tracks between 2019 and 2020, and the racing improved dramatically.
However, increasing horsepower is not guaranteed to be the magic bullet fans and drivers are hoping for. Tyler Reddick said in an episode of “Door, Bumper, Clear” last December that NASCAR would probably need to increase horsepower to around 1000 for a big difference.
Maybe NASCAR’s hand will be forced to make bigger changes or will just have to deal with the short-track racing product they have, especially if they’re not willing to increase horsepower.
If the “Option” tires do not work at Richmond, NASCAR may be forced to make more drastic changes. However, it would take a lot of convincing.
What do you think about all this? Let us know on Discord or X what your take is, and don’t forget you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and even YouTube.
Two NASCAR Cup Series crew members for Ross Chastain’s No. 1 team were suspended following the race at Circuit of the Americas
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
On February 17, Ubisoft released a trailer that confirmed that NASCAR would be included in The Crew Motorfest’s next season update. Details were limited at the time, but in a press release issued today, Ubisoft revealed the full details of the update ahead of its March 4 launch.
Ubisoft says drafting will affect car speed and help save fuel, implying that drafting will be a huge factor in the game, at least with these cars. You can check out this and much more on Ubisoft’s official post linked below
Earlier this Tuesday, the official The Crew Motorfest account clarified confusion around the NASCAR bundles. The Crew Credit (CC) bundles only include cosmetic team liveries, not additional cars. The 3 base Next Gen cars (Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Toyota Camry XSE, and Chevrolet ZL1) are part of the free Season 9 update and can be purchased separately.
Mitch Rasmussen, NASCAR’s Senior Director of Interactive, said in the press release:
We’re excited to bring our iconic brand to life in The Crew Motorfest. This collaboration represents another important step in our strategy to bring NASCAR into the digital spaces and places where next generation fans spend their time, giving players new ways to interact with the culture and communities they love.
The content arrives as part of Year 3 Season 9 and is officially licensed by NASCAR. You can watch the first trailer and learn more in the article linked below
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Four road courses on the schedule, and somehow that’s enough to spark one of the biggest debates in the garage. After recent comments from Brad Keselowski questioning the business value of road racing, the conversation has picked up serious steam. Is NASCAR leaning too far into it, or is the current balance about right?
There are valid points on both sides, from sponsorship realities to fan traditions to competitive diversity. Some tracks have gained traction. Others have struggled. The question isn’t just whether road courses belong, but how many make sense within a 36-race season. It’s less about extremes and more about direction. And with future schedule changes always looming, this debate probably isn’t settled anytime soon.
Watch Also:
