NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell is standing firm on the Next Gen car, calling it key to keeping the sport competitive and attracting new manufacturers. While critics like Denny Hamlin slam it as “bad business,” O’Donnell sees room to tweak, not scrap, the setup. The debate brings back memories of the Car of Tomorrow era and the tension between progress and tradition. And now, his latest comments hint at what’s coming next.
Back in 2007, NASCAR faced a similar storm when it introduced the Car of Tomorrow. Drivers like Tony Stewart pushed back hard, but officials stood firm, putting safety and cost savings first. O’Donnell seems to be taking a page from that playbook, he’s not ignoring the issues, but he’s not ready to toss the whole setup either.
Steve O’Donnell’s firm defense of next-gen
In his latest 1-on-1 podcast, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell pushed back hard on calls to scrap the Next Gen car, highlighting its success in drawing new OEM interest and leveling the field for smaller teams. He explained, “It’s pretty hard to argue about the fact that if we did not have this new model, we would not have the interests we have from new OEMs, which are getting pretty heated in a good way.”
This ties directly to the car’s 2022 debut, which slashed team spending by standardizing parts and boosted wins for underdogs like Trackhouse Racing, who grabbed their first Cup victory that year. O’Donnell admitted short-track woes but stressed evolution over overhaul, noting how engineers have narrowed gaps since the car’s strong 2022 start with 19 different winners.
“When you looked at the first year, I’d argue it was probably some of the best racing we’ve had throughout our history, in terms of what that race car produced, different winners, and different organizations winning,” he said. That echoes the 2008 Car of Tomorrow push, where officials weathered criticism to prioritize safety after Dale Earnhardt‘s 2001 tragedy, leading to zero fatalities in Cup since, a backdrop O’Donnell draws from in balancing costs and competition.
Wrapping up, he focused on targeted 2026 adjustments like horsepower bumps at select tracks, warning against big leaps that could scare off partners. “Horsepower going from current levels to 1,000, you will change the entire industry from a cost standpoint, potentially. You will potentially lose the interest from some potential new OEMs,” O’Donnell added.
This pragmatic angle mirrors his 2024 push for tire tweaks at Nashville, where Goodyear’s softer compounds led to more passes, proving small changes can refresh racing without a full reset. As car talks evolve, playoff tweaks are also bubbling up.
Playoff trials loom for 2026
NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell has hinted at testing fresh playoff ideas in the lower series next year, aiming to refine the format before any Cup rollout. He shared, “We are kind of in the final processes. We’ve tried to talk to as many of the stakeholder groups as possible. We’ve got a couple more of those conversations to have.”
This stems from fan feedback after Joey Logano‘s 2024 title with a 17.1 average finish, the lowest ever, prompting chats with drivers and owners.
O’Donnell compared the approach to baseball’s minor league trials, a shift from NASCAR‘s past direct implementations like the 2014 elimination format. “Most sports will look at, ‘Hey, let’s try this in AAA baseball. And if it works, great, if we want to tweak it, okay, let’s make those tweaks and then put it to the next level.’ We’ve historically not done that,” he noted.
Before 2016, Trucks and Xfinity lacked playoffs, offering a precedent for varied structures that could test win bonuses or consistency points.
He stressed accountability if no changes happen, saying, “If we stay the status quo and we don’t do anything in all three series, there’s got to be a pretty good explanation as to why, and to who we spoke to.” This includes the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, set to replace Xfinity in 2026, where tweaks might emphasize road courses or short tracks to build fan pride in champions.
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