![\"Brad](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/keselowski.png\")
Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: NASCAR via Getty Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Brad Keselowski<\/a> is on team horsepower.<\/p>\n The RFK Racing driver and co-owner was on this week\u2019s \u201cStacking Pennies\u201d podcast discussing the current seventh generation Next Gen Cup Series car and what he thinks the biggest issue with it is.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Next Gen car changed me in some ways for worse as a driver because you have to drive it way differently. You know, the cars in 2008, 2009, first off, were significantly faster. I don\u2019t know if I can put into terms how much faster they were than the Next Gen car,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy first Cup start was at Texas<\/a> and you could literally spin the tires off the corner. You did. You spun the tires up. You come off a turn four and you be putting the gas pedal down on the rear tire, you know, like wind up. Now, like, you can\u2019t spin the tires on a restart,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cLike, all right, here it goes. But you know what I mean? Like I\u2019m in an old pickup truck.\u201d<\/p>\n Read Also: NASCAR IS HEADING BACK TO LE MANS IN 2026<\/a><\/p>\n You don\u2019t even need to go back to 2009 to see the difference. Ryan Blaney won the pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend with a 29.159 lap while Keselowski set the track record in 2014 at 27.281, which is a huge difference on a mile track. Today\u2019s cars are rated at 670 hp, while they were making 900 hp in 2014. An even worse look is that Corey Heim won the pole for this year\u2019s Truck Series race with a 29.946 lap, and that wasn\u2019t the only time a truck beat at Cup car this year. Somewhat Ironic, given Keselowski\u2019s description.<\/p>\n Read Also: WAIT, NASCAR MIGHT ACTUALLY KILL THE PLAYOFFS? HERE\u2019S WHY \u2026 AND WHY IT MIGHT NOT<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe other cars that I raced, throttle control was paramount. Like, if you didn\u2019t have it, you\u2019re going to the back fast. And this car, it\u2019s like the antithesis of that was like you got to like just smash the pedal.\u201d<\/p>\n NASCAR has tried to address this with tire compounds that wear out and lose grip faster at some tracks, like Bristol, which might not be needed if they were more powerful.<\/p>\n