NASCAR could be looking at a significant change to its Cup Series cars. Denny Hamlin says officials are working to bring pitch back into the Next Gen platform, hoping to address a problem drivers have been dealing with for years: how difficult it can be to race when you’re not out front.
Hamlin discussed the issue on his Actions Detrimental podcast after the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His frustration is easy to understand. A car can look unbeatable in clean air, only to lose its edge once it gets caught behind traffic.
“The leader just got a tremendous advantage, and it always will have an advantage in this car,” Hamlin said.
Last weeekend at Charlotte, when Chase Briscoe got out front, he looked like the class of the field. The same was true of Kyle Larson. But running at the front and trying to get past another car are two very different things with these cars.
Hamlin shared NASCAR is now looking at a technical change that could help close that gap.
Charlotte Was a Good Example of the Problem
Oct 11, 2026; Concord, North Carolina, USA; Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson (5) and driver Chase Briscoe (19) lead the first laps during the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Bank of America 400 provided a clear illustration of how the race can look different depending on where a driver is running.
Larson led 97 laps and won the opening stage, but he finished sixth. Christopher Bell led 93 laps and took the second stage, while Briscoe eventually came away with the victory after leading 62 laps.
Briscoe had to hold off a late charge from Bell, winning by just 0.029 seconds. The finish was close, but Hamlin’s concern goes beyond who wins a particular race. It’s about how the car behaves when a driver is trying to make a pass.
“When Larson was even out front, it was like, oh, he looks great. But in traffic, just things are different,” Hamlin said.
That’s what NASCAR allegedly wants to address. A driver might have a fast car, but catching the leader doesn’t necessarily mean they can get past them. Once a car loses the benefit of clean air, following closely can become a challenge of its own.
Charlotte didn’t prove that aerodynamics alone decided the race. But it did give a timely example of why the advantage of running out front remains such a talking point.
NASCAR Wants to Bring Pitch Back
Hamlin revealed that NASCAR is actively working on bringing pitch back into the Cup cars, a change that could alter their aerodynamic behaviour.
“I’m not really sure how you’re going to get rid of that advantage that the front car has,” he said. “I know NASCAR is actively working on trying to get the pitch back in the cars.”
For years, traditional stock cars generally ran with their noses lower than their rear ends. The Next Gen car, introduced in 2022, has a different aerodynamic design, including a flat underbody.
Pitch describes the car’s front-to-rear angle, while rake is often used to describe the difference in ride height between the front and rear. Adjusting that stance can affect how air flows around the car and how it performs when following another vehicle.
The idea is not simply to make the cars look like they used to. NASCAR would need to find a setup that helps drivers follow and pass without compromising handling or creating other problems.
“There’s rules that have to get changed to make that happen,” said Hamlin. “There’s also unintended consequences that they’re trying to think through.”
This is encouraging for anyone who wants to see NASCAR address the difficulty of passing in the Cup Series. But there is still a long way between working on an idea and putting a revised car on the track.
My love for motorsports started in my childhood in Tunisia, watching races with my family. Fast forward to today, … More about Farah Ben Gamra