NASCAR racing with the Next-Gen car is just different when compared to previous iterations. Ever since its roll-out, drivers and teams have been hard at work to find the secret sauce that leads to success. One might say that Team Penske has cracked the code, as they have won three consecutive championships in the Next-Gen era. But, in reality, they are only trying to adapt to the new system and make the most of the format in place.

In fact, the most successful driver with this new platform is Hendrick Motorsports star Kyle Larson. There was a time when he clinched 10 race wins in 2021, during his championship-winning season. With parity racing in full swing, none of the teams or drivers have been able to replicate or tie a streak of wins to their name. Larson had his fair share of trouble with the new car, but if we are to go by his numbers in 2024, it’s fair to say the No. 5 Chevy team has made significant progress.

Kyle Larson is the best driver since the rollout of the Next-Gen car

After his championship triumph, Larson was having a hard time adjusting to the new machine. From winning 10 races in 2021, he dropped to just three victories in 2022, and to make matters worse, he got collected in freak accidents. While crew chief Cliff Daniels and Larson haven’t recreated the memories of 2021, they have made steady and significant progress.

If we are to take into account the number of wins over the three years with the Next-Gen car, Larson clinches the top spot with 11 victories. He also has the most top 5 finishes (43) and average starting position (ninth). Sharing his experience adjusting to this new car, Larson stated, “I haven’t looked at stats of other top guys from the years past, but six wins, led a ton of laps, won a ton of stages – I don’t know if anybody else had a season like that yet in the Next-Gen era.”

Kyle Larson had the most number of wins (6), most top 5 finishes (15), most laps led (1700), and the best record in stage wins (12) in 2024. Well, he has a point when he says that none of his competitors has been near him, as he’s pretty much dominated in every statistical category. However, he has had his fair share of trouble with the car, and that showed up at the worst time possible; the playoffs. Had it not been for the early crash at Homestead, he might have had a shot at winning the title. But a flat tire and a nasty crash in the wall derailed his championship campaign.

“Although I still crash a lot, it was less. We were able to kind of put more the length of a race together than the early portions of a race like we did in 2023 and then, crash. So, you always want to clean up, all those areas still. So, next year I would love to crash even less and lead more laps, win more races, win more stages. But I understand that’s really tough to do,” Larson added while speaking to Hendrick Motorsports.

Even his teammate, Chase Elliott, joined in on this conversation; he certainly has had to reinvent himself to be consistent. After a big falloff in 2023, the 2024 season was a welcoming change for the No. 9 team. But, despite a good comeback run, Elliott explained that there’s more to the Next-Gen car than meets the eye.

Elliott feels even the rival camps are leveling up with the new car

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For some reason, Chase Elliott and his crew were the first ones to find the code to excel with the Next-Gen car. In 2022, they racked up five wins, but they couldn’t continue this good run going into the postseason. Well, this is where Logano and Ford camp triumphed as they switched on the afterburners and bagged the championship.

Apart from Penske, the likes of 23XI Racing, Christopher Bell from JGR, and Trackhouse Racing have also made significant gains with the new car. This is where Elliott feels his team will constantly need to upgrade and look for new tricks to be able to stand out from the competition. “I think it just goes to show you that everyone is taking those steps as well, and it’s about bettering yourself and just continuing to try to push that limit a little bit.” Bell has notched up 8 wins and 37 top-5 finishes in the Next-Gen car, including back-to-back appearances in the Championship 4. However, the JGR star failed to win a race since June 2024 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

23XI Racing made their first foray into the Championship 4 after Tyler Reddick followed up his regular season championship with a stunning win at Homestead to make the final four. However, while Chevrolet and Toyota have dominated the regular season, it has been Penske all the way in the playoffs. Out of the 10 playoff races in 2024, Team Penske drivers won four of those races, finishing 1-2 in the championship standings.

One thing is for sure, both Chevy and Toyota drivers will have to step their game up. For the time being, Ford with Team Penske are the ones who have figured out the best use of the Next-Gen race car.