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It has been 14 years since the NASCAR Xfinity Series debuted a new car generation. Since then, the Cup Series has gone through three car generations; the Xfinity and Truck Series implemented the Playoffs, and the world has seen a pandemic, three U.S. Presidents, and the invention of Instagram and TikTok. Is it time for the NASCAR Xfinity Series to get a new car?
What is the Xfinity Series at its core? It’s a support series intended to be the final stepping stone before jumping up to the highest level in North American stock car racing, the NASCAR Cup Series. It’s the second-tier series, with races slightly shorter and ratings well below the Cup Series but slightly longer races and higher ratings than those below it.
However, recent developments have blurred the lines between the Xfinity Series and the third-tier series, the Craftsman Truck Series. The Next-Gen Cup Series car, with its’ reduced horsepower, bigger tires, and better braking, led to less off-throttle time at the top level than when the current Xfinity Series car was introduced in 2010. This has caused many to say the Truck Series vehicles drive more similarly to the Cup Series cars, therefore becoming a better breeding ground for Cup Series talent.
In the Next-Gen era, we’ve seen an uptick in drivers going straight from Trucks to Cup. Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith, and Carson Hocevar are all full-time Cup Series drivers with little Xfinity Series experience, and current Truck Series stars Christian Eckes and Corey Heim could be primed to make that jump soon as well. It’s gotten to the point where Ford Performance’s Global Director Mark Rushbrook admitted that Ford actually prioritizes Trucks more than Xfinity.
This may not seem like a huge deal, but at its core, the Xfinity Series is still a second-tier series, higher than the Truck Series. Xfinity Series races are longer, have higher TV ratings, and have more appearances on network TV. They also typically get more attractive time slots than the Truck Series during tripleheader weekends. There’s a reason NASCAR sold the Xfinity Series to a new, free-to-air TV partner, and the Truck Series will remain exclusively on cable during the next TV deal.
This blur has occurred because the Cup Series has evolved while the Xfinity Series has not. The Cup Series has also seen increased parity and has promised to reduce costs with the Next-Gen car. Whether or not the increased parity is a good thing and whether reduced costs have actually materialized depends on who you ask. However, those are both things the Xfinity Series struggles with.
On the competition side, four Xfinity Series teams (Joe Gibbs Racing, Kaulig Racing, JR Motorsports/Hendrick Motorsports, and Stewart-Haas Racing) are directly affiliated with Cup Series teams, which means exponentially more resources. They have won all 20 races this season, and a driver from outside of these four teams hasn’t won a race since Aric Almirola won at Sonoma in 2023 for RSS Racing.
On the financial side, one team just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and might be gone for good. JD Motorsports has been a longtime competitor in the series, but they just could not keep up with the costs for whatever reason.
Does a new car solve all of these issues? Maybe not, but it could open the door for more parity between race teams, reduced costs, and a closer affiliation to the series it’s feeding into.
However, does the Xfinity Series really NEED an entirely new car? Back to “The Core” of the series, while the Xfinity Series is a development series, it’s still a professional racing series that entertains the fans. In terms of putting a compelling product on the track, the NASCAR Xfinity shines on all race tracks.
Fans often rave about the racing in the Xfinity Series. Some claim that the Xfinity Series is the best racing product in NASCAR. Perhaps there is no bigger Xfinity Series apologist than Dale Tanhardt.
Daniel Kriete is another member of this club. Despite the controversial rules package, he was one of many who enjoyed the Indianapolis finish.
Evan even said this as far back as 2023. He highlights the 2022 finish at Darlington, showcasing just how good he feels the racing is.
On top of that, while the lines are easily blurred between the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series, the Xfinity Series still has plenty of drivers that work their way through it. More Cup Series teams have direct affiliations or full-blown race teams in the Xfinity Series (4) than in the Truck Series (2).
Drivers like Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, and Noah Gragson each cut their teeth in the Xfinity Series. Trackhouse has used the Xfinity Series to develop Shane Van Gisbergen, and a recent Adam Stern report indicated they’re about to do the same with Connor Zilisch. Regarding current drivers, Sam Mayer is a candidate to jump up to the Cup Series soon, and Jesse Love skipped the Truck Series to sign with Richard Childress Racing in the Xfinity Series.
This argument has multiple sides, and NASCAR has no plans to unveil a new Xfinity Series car anytime soon. However, this will continue to be discussed until the Xfinity Series eventually gets a new car. When that will happen is a complete mystery.
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