Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson admitted that the Next Gen car is limiting his chances of success. The 50-year-old driver stressed that race weekends are all “about having fun now” since a win remains out of reach with the current car.
Several drivers have called out the Next Gen car in recent months, especially Denny Hamlin, who linked them to the numerous fire incidents at Bristol last weekend.
Johnson retired from NASCAR in 2020, only to return with a fresh mindset three years later in a part-time role with his own team, Legacy Motor Club. However, given the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022, Johnson revealed that his goals in racing have now shifted, and that it isn’t just about winning races anymore. Speaking to Jeff Gluck on The Athletic, he said:
“It’s really about having fun now. The more time I spend around the Cup Series with this generation of car, the more I realize my chances of having a real shot to win, unless it’s at Daytona or Talladega, are slim.
“These Next Gen cars are so different, and the guys who do it every single day keep inching away from people like me who moonlight a few times a year. So my goals have shifted: If it helps the team, I’m in. If I get to go out there and have fun, I’m absolutely in.”
Another popular NASCAR personality who has spoken against the Next Gen car is former driver and JR Motorsports team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. He believes the addition of a diffuser, low-profile tires, and brakes that barely fade has made matters worse by making the car more track-focused, which is a step away from stock car racing tradition. He said:
“Would I have ever built a NASCAR stock car that had a diffuser? No. I wouldn’t have put a low-profile tire on it and changed the sidewall so drivers can’t feel the tire, don’t know where the limited grip is, and can’t trust it.
“But it’s all here. It’s here. It’s bought and paid for. There’s no change coming. So, if you know that nothing’s going to change, they ain’t taking the diffuser off. They’re not changing the tire, they’re not changing the brakes. And if you know that, then what good is it to sit here on this podcast and **** about it?”
Related: Kyle Larson Points to Next Gen Car as Obstacle to Cup Series Wins
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