Getty
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 08: Riley Herbst, driver of the #35 Monster Energy Toyota, Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Fry’s/Artesano/Kraft Ford, Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 Wendy’s Chevrolet, and AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #16 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 08, 2026 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway with a key change to the Next Gen car. Officials will use a short-track aerodynamic package along with more horsepower. This setup removes much of the underbody downforce that teams have relied on in recent seasons. Drivers expect the change to affect grip, tire wear, and control.
Motorsport journalist Matt Weaver reported that several drivers believe the race could look very different from recent races at Darlington. The track already demands precision, but this new package may increase the level of difficulty. As teams prepare, many in the garage area point to handling issues and tire wear as factors that could shape the outcome.
Drivers Expect Cars to be Harder to Handle
Denny Hamlin said the new setup could make the cars difficult to control at Darlington. He pointed to the removal of underbody downforce as a major reason.
“One thing I will tell you is that heads up on Darlington, you want to see some cars out of control here in a few weeks. These cars, with essentially little to no underbody because we’re now going to the short track aerodynamic package for Darlington, these cars are out of control.”
Denny Hamlin also focused on tire falloff and its potential impact on the race.
“I’m predicting four seconds of fall off; it might be more. It’s just the cars with the underbody taken off and that simple diffuser, just even on new tires, just absolutely out of control. So, it’s going to be a wild card race.”
Christopher Bell Expects a Different Darlington Race
Christopher Bell said the changes could alter how the Next Gen car performs at Darlington.
“I think Darlington is going to be very, very, very different than what we’ve had in the years past with the Next Gen car, so I’m excited about it. I think it has potential to look like a much different Darlington race than what we’ve had in the last couple of years.”
Bell pointed to the recent race at Phoenix as an example of how added horsepower can impact racing.
“I just had a ton of fun at Phoenix. I thought Phoenix was night and day different than what we’ve had the last, well, since we’ve started going there, it’s been really hard to pass and this race was the first race. I felt like you could actually make your way through the field if you had a better car.”
“If you had a better car, you were able to pass, and I think a lot of that was due to the horsepower. The added horsepower made the track feel slick. The tires degraded. We were sliding around, and the best cars made it to the front. I think Darlington is going to be more of the same.”
Tire Wear and Unknowns Could Define the Race
Drivers also pointed to tire wear as a major concern.
Ross Chastain said sliding is already part of racing at Darlington.
“I only race the old car one year at (Chip Ganassi Racing) and all my other races there have been with Trackhouse. And in all my years racing there, we’re always sliding around. I don’t think we’ve had bad races at Darlington. Darlington, in my opinion, is the best race track in the world.”
Brad Keselowski focused on how long tires may last under the new conditions.
“The biggest thing I’m thinking about at Darlington is to go 50 laps on a set of tires was almost impossible with the NextGen car in the last two or three seasons, and now that we have more horsepower and less aero, I don’t know if we’re gonna be able to go 35 laps. So, keeping up with the tires is going to be a big challenge. The drivers managing it, the teams putting our setups to where it can do it. Darlington is going to be a heavy lift.”
“It might turn out no different, but I don’t think that will be the case. I think it’s gonna be a really difficult race.”
With multiple drivers pointing to tire wear, reduced grip, and unpredictable handling, Darlington could deliver a race shaped more by control and strategy than raw speed.
Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce
More Heavy on NASCAR
Loading more stories