Year after year, NASCAR strives to inject new life into the races, seeking ways to intensify the competition. One of the most significant shifts came in 2022 when NASCAR made the transition from the Gen 6 to the Next Gen cars. This transition was more than just a change in appearance; it was a complete overhaul that brought the entire field closer together. The Next Gen cars are a marvel of modern engineering, where every component, down to the tiniest piece of metal, is outsourced. With NASCAR’s rigorous inspection processes, scrutinizing every inch of the vehicles for any hint of modification, every millimeter of metal counts, translating into fractions of a second on the track.

To prevent teams from resorting to nefarious means to gain an advantage, NASCAR has relinquished the rights to manufacture these cars. Instead, they are handled by various distributors. But at what cost?

Denny Hamlin’s bold proposal: Revamping NASCAR’s manufacturing process

Denny Hamlin, who also fields two Toyotas on the grid, understands the unique perspective of both a driver and an owner. While a crash on the track might make him breathe a sigh of relief as a driver, it fills him with desperation as an owner, especially if it involves a 23XI car with a staggering price tag flashing before his eyes. The six-digit figure is enough to make anyone’s head spin, possibly glaring with neon accents.

During the latest podcast episode on ‘Actions Detrimental’, co-host Jared Allen raised the question: “Why don’t we have, let’s say, Hendrick makes a certain part, and NASCAR has to take a look and approve these parts before they are disseminated to the teams?”

A moment of deafening silence followed as Hamlin’s gears turned, pondering the implications of such a proposition. Finally, he broke the silence, revealing, “I think that there’s a way, and trust me, the cost of the cars is so high I’d be willing to take that risk.”

The Joe Gibbs driver spilled the beans on the quality control of these parts stating, “Also, I believe truly that the teams’ quality control will likely be better than any of the other manufacturers. Now, there are some distributors that their quality control is very, very good, and their parts that they distribute to the teams are just really, really, really precise. And there are others that are wildly inconsistent, and it’s a roll of the dice on whether you get a good one or a bad one.”

That being said, he remained steadfast in his verdict, “Now, a good one or a bad one is not going to decide whether you finish 20th or first, let’s be clear there. I mean, it’s just little here, little over here, little here. So, I think that it could save us a tremendous amount of money. I don’t know how much, but certainly, the teams could build the Next Gen car much, much cheaper than what it costs us currently to purchase it from someone else.”

While this proposal could potentially reduce costs significantly, it is not without its detractors, as Hamlin acknowledged. The 42-year-old playfully mentioned Greg Fornelli, the president of the 35,000 sq. ft Distribution Center, as someone who might vehemently oppose his ideas.

The thought of Fornelli’s reaction drew a chuckle from co-host Jared Allen, who jokingly speculated if Greg was listening to the episode and cursing Hamlin under his breath. “I have no idea, but I wonder if Greg’s listening to this episode and going, “F* you, Denny, f* you.”” 

Watch This Story: Hendrick Motorsports Drivers Declare War on Common Culprit

Opinions on the Next Gen cars are, unsurprisingly, polarizing as 4x Champ claimed it to be ‘on the edge.’

Jeff Gordon unveils NASCAR’s  Next Gen business realities

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Jeff Gordon has had his fair share of rides in a NASCAR Cup car. His familiarity with the Next Gen comes as a Vice Chairman and Co-Owner of Hendrick Motorsports. During a podcast episode on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio he shared “This car is on the edge. The drivers are really having to pay attention and be super focused.”

Gordon added, “I think a lot of that is the tires and lack of side force, but otherwise, I really like the car.” He also noted significant safety improvements, praising the car’s crush zones and safety features that have proven effective in protecting drivers during high-speed collisions.

However, Gordon emphasized that, from a business standpoint, the sport is still in the process of adjusting to the changes, particularly with regard to understanding the lifespan and cost of the various components. “From a business standpoint, we’re still making up for year 1 of changing over all the parts and pieces and understanding the lifespan that a lot of these parts have.”

Read more: “This Is Just Money” – Denny Hamlin Owes Fords Maestro as He Surprisingly Extends His Lead at the Top

The cost of NASCAR charters, coupled with the expenses of maintaining these high-performance cars through crashes, wrecks, and contacts every weekend, serves as a stark reminder that the challenges of this sport extend far beyond the asphalt.