Remember when Ross Chastain stuck his car to the wall and went full throttle on the turn in 2022? The strategy that was inspired by the video game style of racing is only possible today because of the durability of the Next Gen cars. NASCAR introduced the new generation to make sure drivers are safer by building more durable cars and reducing the overall speed. But now that drivers have figured that out, we get to see results like the chaotic Watkins Glen race.

The safety aspect of the Next Gen cars is highly appreciated by the whole NASCAR community, but when drivers are using the cars as ramming vehicles, questions begin to pop up. Knowing that the cars won’t take significant damage has brought about a change in the sport. In a way, drivers have gotten more aggressive on the track as there are fewer repercussions compared to before. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell recently brought that to everyone’s attention, and fans have started to share their opinions too.

Christopher Bell admits that drivers have gotten more aggressive

Surely, Watkins Glen was an interesting race to watch. Fans were kept on the edge by drivers who believed that they didn’t need to slow down as much while turning if there was a car to bump into ahead of them to control the speed. This was brought to notice by many drivers, and Christopher Bell became the one to talk about it in depth.

In a recent interview with Sportsnaut.com, Christopher Bell mentioned that the Next Gen cars are what have been dictating the recent races. During the interview, Bell revealed, “The biggest thing that I have noticed as far as respect on the track and etiquette is that it really changed, probably midway through the 2022 season.”

Taking things one step further, Bell explained, “The NextGen car came out, and as we started to run it, we drivers learned how durable it is…You’re able to get away with contact and not damage your car and hinder your own race. It has definitely enticed people, especially on the road courses, to make sure you’re the one on offense and not defense.”

With everyone in offense mode, such incidents are bound to happen, but that’s where the ethical question comes up: who is to maintain order in the sport—is it the drivers or the governing body of NASCAR?

This is where Bell had no answer, as he believed that everyone should sit down and have a discussion about this. While Bell stayed neutral with his opinion, fans who saw the post on Reddit did not look at it the same way. Many of them came forward to share what they thought should be done, and in the end, the suggestions came from all sides of the spectrum.

Fans’ thoughts on Next Gen cars making NASCAR more aggressive

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One fan spoke about the differences in the durability of the older cars vs. the Next Gen models. They drew a parallel to what was going on in the Cars of Tomorrow tour, where the sport got much more aggressive when the cars could take more of a beating. They commented, “It’s interesting, but I remember the Gen4 being sort of fragile (very aerosensitive), and the same thing happened with the COT when guys realized they could lay the right side against the wall all day without issue.” 

“I would hate NASCAR policing driving standards. It would not be good,” said another fan, who believes that the lesser interference from the governing body, the better. This is quite a common stance in the community; however, for it to work, drivers need to discipline themselves and avoid wrecks. Taking advantage of the car’s strength is easy, but if it means getting into scary accidents, it is the drivers themselves who are losing out.

With how the situation has been recently, the playoff format has led drivers to use the strategy of doing anything they can to win. One victory could mean that the driver who is last in line can make it to the playoffs, and that’s where this fan believes the aggression is coming from. This can be traced back to something that Austin Dillion did when he wrecked Joey Logano to win the race. Luckily NASCAR took it upon themselves to negate the driver’s playoff spot, but he still got to keep the win. The comment reads, “Between the car being incredibly strong and a points system that puts so much emphasis on winning, there really aren’t any consequences for drivers making mistakes.”

One fan spoke about an old incident from 2010 where the former NASCAR VP Robin Pemberton said his infamous line, “Boys have at it.” Although it has been 14 years since that incident, this fan remembers the line and states, “Sorry, Chris, the ethics part of the rulebook just says, ‘Boys have at it.'” Although it is a decision that has been overruled with new safety guidelines, the fan believes that it is the driver’s responsibility to drive ethically.

Unlike most fans who were talking about the Next Gen cars, this one put the blame purely on the playoff format for the recent aggressive driving. If you make it into the playoffs, you are in it. However, if you are out, you are out. Considering this black-or-white truth about the playoff format encourages drivers to drive like they have nothing to lose, according to this fan. Their comment reads, “Championship format doesn’t help. Win and you’re in system is dumb af..”

Looking at this, who do you think should be responsible for making NASCAR a safer and less aggressive sport? Share your thoughts in the comments below.