Introduced in 2022, NASCAR\u2019s Gen-7 car, better known as the NextGen, has proven controversial to say the least. Despite this, commissioner Steve Phelps stood firmly behind the NextGen car during his deposition in the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR.<\/p>\n
Filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, the lawsuit is now in its second week and centers around the controversial 2024 charter agreement, to which neither team signed up, with the plaintiffs alleging \u201cmonopolistic\u201d practices<\/a> by NASCAR<\/a>.<\/p>\n Three years into its lifespan, and the NextGen\u2019s short track package remains a particular point of frustration for fans and drivers alike, with many having criticized not only its straight line speed but also its passability due to its aerodynamic properties.<\/p>\n A particular low point for the NextGen car came this past season when, at Iowa Speedway, it was outqualified by the ARCA Menards Series cars<\/a> – a NASCAR-sanctioned series outside of its three national series and largely used as a proving ground for future talent.<\/p>\n Despite this, Phelps said in court on Tuesday that the NextGen car has been a success, claiming, via Adam Stern<\/a>, \u201cThe racing is just better, so it has accomplished what I hoped it would accomplish.\u201d He later went on to add<\/a>, \u201cI believe this is the safest car in all of motorsports.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up to our NASCAR newsletter here.<\/a><\/p>\n While the NextGen may be safe, Phelps\u2019 claims about how successful the on-track product has been doesn\u2019t seem to ring true, given that NASCAR President Steve O\u2019Donnell revealed on Dale Earnhardt Jr.<\/a>\u2019s podcast late in the season that in 2026, cars would see an increase in horsepower from 670 to 750<\/a> on tracks shorter than 1.5 miles, as well as on all road courses, affecting 17 tracks in total<\/a>, in direct response to critics of the car.<\/p>\n \u201cWe hear the fans, we hear the industry,\u201d O\u2019Donnell said. \u201cYes, we want to try and see what will work here.\u201d<\/p>\n Unfortunately, according to RFK Racing\u2019s Ryan Preece, who was one of three drivers to recently participate in a test run at Bristol Motor Speedway, the difference is negligible<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n