Harvick, Hamlin Are Fed Up With Next Gen Car | Should “Win and You’re In” Go Away?

Kyle Larson just lit a fuse NASCAR’s been sitting on for nearly two decades—”Talladega Nights” made the sport look like a joke. That’s not just a hot take, it’s the tip of a much deeper conversation about NASCAR’s image, the state of the Next Gen car, and the very soul of its competition format. In this episode of Out of the Groove, Eric Estepp dives into all of it, from Larson’s controversial movie review to fuel-saving frustration, and the ugly truth about parity in the Cup Series.

• Why does Larson think Talladega Nights hurt NASCAR—and why does Eric agree with him?
• What makes Cars, another 2006 film, a better ambassador for stock car racing?
• How has the “win and you’re in” playoff rule come under fire—again?
• Is the Next Gen car actually sucking the skill out of the sport?

Eric doesn’t just echo complaints—he breaks down why engineers might be winning more races than drivers these days, how real-time data and parity are strangling on-track action, and why raising horsepower in 2026 might be too little, too late. With voices like Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and Dale Jr. also sounding off, NASCAR’s got more than a horsepower problem—it’s got a direction problem. So what do you think? Did Talladega Nights mock the sport too much? Is one win enough to make a playoff driver? And can NASCAR claw back control from the data and bring real racing back?

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