NASCAR driver Kyle Busch took a light-hearted jab at NASCAR’s Next Gen car in response to fellow legend Dale Earnhardt Jr’s own pokes at the former Car of Tomorrow, in a social media exchange Thursday evening.
NASCAR fans know Kyle Busch for being one of the most outspoken drivers in the garage, with many of his most iconic moments coming from his criticism of the sport and his peers.
Even in his 22nd full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, the Las Vegas native is still willing to take shots at the sport’s shortcomings, though. In a recent thread on X, Busch joined forces with Dale Earnhardt Jr to go after two of the most controversial cars in Cup Series history.
Thursday afternoon, NASCAR journalist Kelly Crandall posted her frustrations with her current car to X, saying, “I cannot wait to get rid of this vehicle.”
In response, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Eanrhadt Jr chimmed in, comparing her issues with her personal vehicle to the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow, “Had a similar experience with the COT. Do not recommend.”
Of course, the COT is one of the most controversial cars in NASCAR history, with many drivers speaking out against the car from its 2007 part-time introduction, all the way to its technical end in 2012.
Kyle Busch was one of these drivers, with the future champion going after the car right after winning in its debut race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2007, saying, “I cant stand to drive them they suck.”
While the COT had its own sordid and controversial history, the NASCAR Next Gen Car, used by the Cup Series since 2022, has had an embattled debut, with many issues ranging from non-traditional elements to producing poor on-track product.
That’s why, late Thursday afternoon, after seeing Earnhardt’s comments about the COT, Busch joined the thread, turning the attention to the Next Gen Car, telling Earnhardt:
“I’ve had a very similar experience with the Next Gen car. Do NOT recommend!” – Kyle Busch via X
Of course, this was a rather light-hearted jab at the car, and far from the worst review a driver has given in its short history, but nonetheless, much like Busch’s many heated comments of the past, this post got a roaring response from the NASCAR community.
Unfortunately for Busch, unlike the COT, which lasts just five full-time seasons, with the original design changing after three races in the 2010 season, it doesn’t seem that NASCAR is moving on from the radically changed design of the NASCAR Next Gen car anytime soon.
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NASCAR’s documentary series “Full Speed,” which used to live on Netflix, had its first two seasons look back at entire playoff runs. But now, NASCAR is shifting the series to Amazon Prime Video for its third season, and the scope of the series will also shift to new storylines.
Dropping on March 5, the new season is aimed at zooming in on one event: the 2026 Daytona 500. Instead of a multi-episode run, this time it’s a single-episode documentary that goes all in on one race.
The film will follow big names and storylines from the Daytona 500. It will spotlight the winner, Tyler Reddick, and lean into driver storylines around the weekend. That includes Kyle Busch trying to get his groove back, Brad Keselowski clawing his way back after a broken leg, Connor Zilisch being pushed as the next big thing, and Noah Gragson bringing chaos wherever he goes.
Some fans might question the move away from Netflix, especially after Season 1 pulled in 3.4 million views in the first half of 2024. Then in 2025, the docuseries clocked 900,000 views after its early May release and added another 200,000 between July and December.
But with Prime Video stepping in as one of NASCAR’s broadcast partners, moving the series lines up with a bigger play to keep content under one roof.
Amazon has already dipped into NASCAR storytelling with projects like the docuseries Earnhardt about Dale Earnhardt. Moving Full Speed to Prime follows the same playbook. And for fans who still haven’t seen previous installments, the first two seasons are also heading over to Prime Video.
However, Reddit fans are divided in their opinions about the decision. Some fans actually get why NASCAR changed the format and platform, while a chunk of fans think leaving Netflix is risky because Netflix is where casual viewers stumble into shows. Others push back, pointing out that Prime actually has a massive reach in the U.S. and strong marketing muscle.
While one fan commented, “Makes sense. I highly doubt they were gonna make a new season around a points format they don’t use anymore,” another stated, “Idk the semantics and numbers and everything behind it so I’m probably talking out of my ass….buttttttt….at what point does nascar take the less money for the exposure. You need to be on Netflix, people watch Netflix. People don’t watch Amazon video as much. Who’s gonna watch this that isn’t a nascar fan already. You have a higher chance of getting people lost on Netflix than lost on Amazon Prime Video.”
One fan commented on the news, saying, “100%. I have Amazon Prime and Netflix. AP is a train wreck for videos especially now with their ad program with videos. I steer clear because Netflix is still ad free.” Another fan supported NASCAR’s move, saying, “Prime actually has slightly more subscribers in the USA and in my opinion is better at marketing. It’s a lateral move.”
Another backed NASCAR, stating, “Most NASCAR fans will find some way to be on prime in the month of June. I think they are counting on people watching it then if they have not already seen it. Similar to the Earnhardt documentary that dropped in June last year.”
Another fan comment implied something less glamorous yet very real, pointing out that the Netflix seasons didn’t see a surge in viewership. The first season did okay, but later numbers dipped: “Netflix didn’t seem to work that well for the 2 playoff seasons.”
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NASCAR driver/owner Brad Keselowski says that he plans to race the entirety of Sunday’s DuraMax Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, despite his ongoing recovery from an injury suffered this past offseason.
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Shane van Gisbergen, who won five of six road and street races last year, will have the odds in his corner heading to Circuit of the Americas (COTA), even with a P6 there last season. But on the other side, there are some drivers who have often drawn the short straw at COTA and will line up on Sunday. Let’s take a look at both ends of that deal ahead of this weekend at COTA.
Daniel Suarez
Despite previous ties to Trackhouse Racing, whose lineup sits near the front of most road course previews, Suarez owns the roughest ledger among current drivers at COTA. Across five starts, the Spire Motorsports driver carries an average finish of 30.2, with a best of P24 after starting second in 2022. Last year, Suarez had started P5 but spun on the opening lap of the final stage, then got tagged by Connor Zilisch.
Across his five starts, Suarez’s average starting position sits at 9.2, yet races keep slipping through his fingers due to luck swings and on-track incidents.
Bubba Wallace
The 23XI Racing driver has five COTA starts and has suffered more heartbreak than highlights, with an average finish of 29.8. His best result on the track came in 2024, a P15 after starting P10. Last year also, he qualified second and locked out the front row with teammate Tyler Reddick. Wallace flashed pace early but burned through tires and slipped to P20. Even so, he did manage to bag a stage win.
Ty Dillon
The grandson of Richard Childress has yet to crack the code at COTA. In four starts, his average start sits at 33.5, with finishes hovering at 27.0. Last year, he climbed from P34 to P28, inch by inch. He has shown more life in lower series on the track, though, including an 11th in the 2024 Truck race. In 2026, now with Kaulig Racing, he enters after top-20 runs at Daytona and Atlanta, hoping to turn the tide.
Ryan Preece
Preece has had races where promise showed before slipping away. One outing saw him run inside the top 15 on pace (back in 2021). But last year, despite grabbing Stage 2, he fell to 33rd following a late pit call and a fuel pump issue. He started 28th, climbed through the field, hovered in the mid-teens late, then lost ground after a caution cycle. On raw numbers, he ranked 13th in total speed and late-run metrics, though.
Brad Keselowski
The RFK Racing co-owner carries an average finish of 18.2 on road layouts, yet COTA has not been kind. While his driver, Chris Buescher, has found a groove on left-right tracks, Keselowski’s best here is P14 from a P26 start in 2022. In 2025, he came home 15th after battling a cool-suit failure that left him needing help just getting out of his car.
This year brings another hurdle as he is recovering from a broken right femur, leaving his status for COTA up in the air. He has kept Joey Hand on standby, ready to swap mid-race if the shifting and G-forces at the 17-turn layout take their toll.
Shane van Gisbergen
Going by his road course history and previous runs, SVG walks into Sunday with the wind at his back. Entering the race, the No. 97 car from Trackhouse Racing rides a five-race road-course streak, a run matched only by Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. He also paced the field for 301 laps in 2025, putting him at the head of the table.
Yet Circuit of the Americas remains one track where the trophy still slips through his fingers. Away from COTA, he has ruled road layouts, sweeping Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and the Charlotte Roval in 2025.
Even so, COTA stands as the odd one out. In his 2024 Xfinity debut, he led 20 laps and fought for the win in overtime before a penalty pulled the rug. In the 2025 Cup race, he showed pace, led laps, but finished P6, still knocking on the door.
Tyler Reddick
Already two-for-two this season after wins at Daytona and Atlanta, Reddick heads to COTA with momentum in his pocket. His numbers here point toward another swing at the front, with an average finish of 4.6 across five starts. The No. 45 driver has never finished worse than P9 at this track, and his average starting spot sits at 2.2, putting him on the front foot when the green waves.
Connor Zilisch
The 19-year-old has only one Cup start here, and the 37th-place result hides more than it reveals. His weekend last year split into two halves at COTA, where he grabbed an Xfinity win on Saturday before Sunday slipped away.
The Trackhouse Racing driver started P14 but got caught in Turn 1 chaos, picking up a flat and heading to pit road. After falling back, he clawed forward, set the fastest lap for a stretch, and cracked the top 10 by Lap 41. But then on Lap 50, teammate Daniel Suarez spun in Turn 20, sending Zilisch into a wall of smoke and into the stalled car, ending both days.
Yet, given his road-course background and Xfinity record, he could still give SVG a run if he finds his rhythm in the Next Gen car.
Alex Bowman
The Hendrick Motorsports driver has kept a steady hand on road layouts. He owns an average finish of 5.2 at COTA and 15.1 across road and street tracks, and even came home second in 2022 after starting P5.
In 2024 and 2025, he finished P4 and P9 despite starting P17 and P21. The No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver has never finished outside the top 10 in five starts on the track. In fact, Bowman and Reddick are the only drivers to log a top-10 in every Cup race at COTA from 2021 to 2025. Entering the March 1, 2026 weekend, Bowman looks to steady the ship after sitting 32nd in points following Daytona and Atlanta.
Ross Chastain
The third and final driver of the Trackhouse Racing team is also very much expected to be in the mix. Chastain showed in 2022 that COTA could be his playground, scoring his first Cup win here in the Next Gen era. In five starts, he has never finished outside the top 12 and carries an average finish of 5.6, along with a perfect lap completion mark at the circuit.
Last year, he started P9 but finished P12 after an early clash with Chase Elliott that put both on the back foot. Chastain later owned up, saying he felt he had wrecked both days and even moved aside later to let Elliott through.
But even with the Lap 1 drama, he fought back into the top 10 mix before settling just outside it.
