NASCAR Fans Crown Next Gen’s Handicap the “Clown Territory” After $3.8 Billion Worth Partner’s Dismal Survival Rate

The 2024 Cup season is delivering major action every weekend, but there’s one dilemma that NASCAR just can’t seem to escape. Ever since the introduction of the Next Gen car, fans have criticized Goodyear tires for creating lackluster racing. Fast forward to this season, and there were hints of the situation getting better. NASCAR executives and veterans, including Kevin Harvick, were quick to highlight how the tire wear at Bristol had been the key to intense racing.

However, after drivers have repeatedly fallen victim to flat tires that have ruined their races completely, the NASCAR community finally had enough of the Next Gen car’s incompatibility with competent tires. It all reached a boiling point at the AdventHealth 400 after three-time Kansas winner Joey Logano lost all hopes of a win owing to a single spin.

Joey Logano’s wreck at Kansas highlights a glaring issue with the Next Gen Goodyear tire package

It’s no secret that Goodyear has been swimming in controversies ever since the Next Gen car debuted. Call it tough luck, but the new generation of Cup Series cars just didn’t gel well with the Goodyear compounds. But now that viewership is increasing and NASCAR is aiming for a complete resurgence, the $3.8 Billion manufacturer needs to act quickly to address the situation. So when we had glimpses of success at Bristol, many believed this was it.

But as races continue to unfold, the biggest drawback of the Next Gen car reveals itself more and more.

Just take Joey Logano’s case at Kansas Speedway this weekend. After qualifying in 11th, Joey Logano was eager to scratch the top five, if not a podium. But as the race continued to unfold, the #22 Penske driver fell victim to tire wear near lap 197, triggering a major caution. At the point of the spin, Logano was running in 16th, but that was only the beginning of his journey backward.

Falling nearly three laps down, Logano could only recover to 34th when the checkered fell. Despite pitting for fresh rubber and running relatively well later on, one spin had set Logano back so much that his race was over with 70 laps still remaining. This meant that any failure of the Goodyear tires could completely derail a driver’s race no matter where they were placed. Just take Kyle Busch’s fate for example.

Although the #8 RCR driver was running inside the top five at a good pace, the tires lost all grip and Busch slid to the grass. Busch later recovered to seventh, but the commentators noted just how light the Next Gen car looked as he tried to get it back under control. Naturally, this left many fans questioning Goodyear’s tire choices and whether the Next Gen car is hurting the competition.

With NASCAR and Goodyear all set to introduce the softest-ever tire compound they have at the All-Star Race, fans highlighted how the problem didn’t lie solely with the tires.

The NASCAR community is running out of patience with the Next-Gen car

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After taking a look at Joey Logano and Kyle Busch’s fate, the NASCAR community immediately highlighted the biggest issue with the current tire setup. Fans highlighted the poor durability of both the Goodyear tires and the Next Gen car; “Not good that a relatively harmless spin and couple of flats can completely strand a car on the track.” Others chimed in; “Gotta fix this tire crap. A flat tire takes 30 laps of caution because you can’t move. That is ridiculous”

For those who had been complaining of lackluster racing and fuel-saving shenanigans, the spins at Kansas led to fans making a harrowing revelation. They shared on X, “Now people realize why these cars just ride around without making an attempt to pass, because if you do and make contact and spin with flat tires, your day is over, completely a junk racecar! 

With talks of the softer-tire compound making its way to the All-Star Race, some felt such developments weren’t a priority when the foundations were weak themselves. Users highlighted how “These cars not being able to get to pit road from flat tires is the stupidest thing ever! The rear-toe link idea is also stupid. Change is good, but not for those things.” 

Seeing how NASCAR was running into one controversy after another, despite the great on-track finishes, fans were left frustrated with the state of racing. Users began to compare the current scenario to a circus. One user shared “Flat tire puts you 3 laps down #Clownshow at the #Nascarnival event” as others also stated;  “Great, race is now devolving into clown territory” 

With all that said, the AdventHealth 400 was perhaps one of the greatest NASCAR races in recent memory. From last-minute heartbreaks to surprising celebrations, we witnessed it all!