NASCAR Exec Claims Officials Aren’t “Just Sitting Still” When it Comes to Fixing On-Track Issues

What’s Happening?

In response to mounting complaints about the NASCAR Cup Series’ on-track product, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer wants fans to know that the sport is “always looking to make our product better” and that NASCAR officials aren’t “sitting still.”

It’s no secret that for a second week in a row, NASCAR fans exited the race weekend sharing their disappointment in the quality of racing shown by the sport’s highest level on Sunday afternoon at Watkins Glen.

NASCAR’s Next Gen or Generation Seven race car has not had the smoothest introduction to the sport, and four seasons into its tenure as the Cup Series primary race car, things aren’t getting any easier. While NASCAR has tried (and claims to be actively exploring) numerous methods of improving the cars’ performance on short tracks and road courses, fans are growing increasingly impatient for a long-term solution.

During a Tuesday morning interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer addressed the mounting pressure from fans.

Though he feels that the sport’s road course product is “good,” he reassured fans that the sport hears their complaints, repeating that NASCAR officials are “always looking to make our product better.”

The former driver turned NASCAR official even addressed fans’ complaints about Shane van Gisbergen’s road course dominance after the 36-year-old rookie won his fourth straight road course race this season. Sawyer said he feels that what van Gisbergen is doing on road courses is “phenomenal,” asking the fans to embrace and celebrate the New Zealand native’s dominance in his first full-time season.

Returning to the current state of the sport’s on-track racing, Sawyer reassured that NASCAR officials are continuing to investigate what they can do to consistently make the product the best it can be.

“When we look at our product that’s on the race track, we want to continue to look at that and what we can do, whether it’s the car, whether it’s the engines, whether it’s the tires, whatever it may be to continue week in and week out to bring the best racing to our race fans as we possibly can.” — Elton Sawyer

Regarding fears of another disappointing short track race this weekend at Richmond Raceway, Sawyer cites the work the sport has done testing at the track as proof that the sport is constantly working on the racing product at Richmond and other tracks.

“This weekend, we’re off to Richmond, another short track where we have spent some time there testing over the years,” Sawyer said. “Our goal was always to just continue to make the product better. I can’t emphasize that enough. We’re not just sitting still on what we have.”

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