The highly anticipated Next-Gen (Generation 7) car has shaken up NASCAR this season, and legendary 4-time champion driver Jeff Gordon, now vice chairman at Rick Hendrick’s team, recently shared his candid insights on its impact. While the Rainbow Warrior acknowledges the car’s ‘cool’ features and potential for exciting racing, he also revealed the significant switchover it placed on the finances of HMS, costing them potentially “millions of dollars.”

Nevertheless, the Next-Gen represents a substantial modernization effort for NASCAR, which has seen relatively slow progress since its inception in 1948. The car boasts several new advancements, including ‘independent rear suspension, larger wheels and brakes, and a sequential gearbox.’ Gordon praises all these features, particularly the improved handling and potential for close-track racing.

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A statistical approach will reveal a shorter roofline, a shorter decklid, and a wider body than the previous generation. The aerodynamics see a revolutionary shift, with carbon-fiber undertray creating a flat surface underneath, eliminating the need for costly exposed elements for aerodynamic gains. A notable addition is the revolutionary rear diffuser, a first for NASCAR, promising futuristic performances on the track.

However, the transition to the Next-Gen cars has come at a significant cost, according to Jeff Gordon. In a recent discussion on the Dale Jr Download with Dale Earnhardt Jr, about the challenges of the ‘switchover’ from Gen 6, the six-time Southern 500 winner said, “Now the biggest challenge on the cost side was just for us [Hendrick Motorsports], I mean some of the newer teams if they came in and only had to buy Next-gen it probably makes a lot more sense for them.”

“I just remember the day where I saw flatbeds of trucks and us loading brake calipers and parts and transmissions, just endless numbers of parts on these huge flatbeds and just the millions and millions of dollars that just went out the door. We didn’t even realize how much we had invested in the car prior to NextGen.“

While acknowledging the financial strain, Jeff Gordon also sees the positives of the new Next-Gen car. “I think the car is big and competitive; it’s put on a good race,” he commented. “There’s pretty good balance between manufacturers; I think the drivers will get more comfortable with pushing it… and from a cost standpoint, I think we are starting to see some benefits there, and so that’s good,” said the California native.

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Approaching its 40th anniversary, Hendrick Motorsports has become synonymous with NASCAR royalty. One of the founding members of the Race Team Alliance, the team faced potential closure just seven races into its debut season, only to emerge victorious with Geoff Bodine’s organization-saving win at Martinsville in 1984. Since then, Rick Hendrick and his team have clinched eight Daytona 500 victories, and fourteen Cup Series championships with legends like Terry Labonte, Jimmie Johnson, and most recently, Kyle Larson in 2021, all driving for HMS.

Furthermore, Rick Hendrick and the team boast a staggering 301 Cup victories, making them one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history. The team has contributed to the induction of 11 members into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, including team owner Rick Hendrick, most recently Jimmie Johnson, and Gordon himself in 2019, all first-ballot inductees, showcasing the team’s dominant impact on stock-car racing.

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As NASCAR kicks off its 75th-anniversary year with the Daytona 500, Hendrick Motorsports has more than just nostalgia on its agenda. Special paint schemes at Martinsville, a fan event on Memorial Day weekend, and a resounding collaborative effort in fielding the Garage 56 entry for NASCAR in the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year. As the 2024 season unfolds and teams like Rick Hendrick’s continue to unlock the Next-Gen’s secrets, one thing is certain: The Next-Gen era has arrived, and its impact on NASCAR is already undeniable.

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