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NASCAR’s hottest driver says the game has taken an unacceptable step backward in security with its new Subsequent Gen automotive, a uncommon public providing of opinion Saturday by Chase Elliott.
NASCAR’s prime drivers basically have changed into an offended mob as they head into Sunday’s playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway. Alex Bowman and Kurt Busch are each sidelined with concussions, and Cody Shane Ware will race with a damaged foot. All three drivers have been injured in crashes in NASCAR’s new Subsequent Gen automotive.
The automotive had a honeymoon section when it debuted at the beginning of the yr as a result of it delivered on its promise to enhance the racing and degree the aggressive enjoying area. Whereas the Subsequent Gen confronted some bugs within the first seven months, the automotive is now experiencing severe issues throughout the playoff portion of the season.
That has created a rising sense of urgency from the drivers that NASCAR should soften the rear of the automobiles within the curiosity of security.
Bowman and Busch have been each injured when the rear of their automobiles hit the wall. As a result of the Subsequent Gen was designed to be sturdy, their crashes regarded routine, when in actuality many of the vitality from the impacts was absorbed by the drivers. Busch is out for an eleventh consecutive race. Bowman crashed on Lap 98 on Sunday at Texas, radioed his staff to say it was the toughest hit of his life, appeared unwell on his in-car digicam and but continued to drive 231 laps. He was identified together with his concussion Thursday.
“These kinds of incidents that lead to accidents … I am not a physician, however I’ve watched numerous automobiles again into the wall and the man can be advantageous,” Elliott, who’s teammates with Bowman at Hendrick Motorsports, mentioned Saturday earlier than qualifying at Talladega, including, “Nobody’s resistant to it. It could possibly be me subsequent week. It could possibly be any of my friends or fellow rivals. I simply hate to see us go backward, and I am afraid that we now have.”
Elliott final week crashed whereas main at Texas when his tire failed. Though he has been voted the preferred driver by followers the previous three years, the 26-year-old son of Corridor of Famer Invoice Elliott hardly ever publicizes his opinions on controversies.
However the drivers clearly have had sufficient after the Subsequent Gen was a catastrophe for a fourth consecutive playoff race. Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick publicly known as out NASCAR on Twitter for not doing sufficient to maintain the drivers secure.
Fairly disappointing that our sanctioning physique refuses to acknowledge or settle for any accountability for drivers getting damage. It is the identical THEY mentioned. WE knew higher. It is fallacious these drivers proceed to get taken benefit of by the system.
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) September 30, 2022
Fully unacceptable that these in cost have let issues get so far. I bear in mind it prefer it was yesterday @dennyhamlin within the presentation of the brand new automotive to the drivers pleading that the automotive was to stiff. Knowledge did not agree. TIME TO LISTEN TO THE DRIVERS CRASHING THEM!
— Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) September 30, 2022
NASCAR is adamant it’s working tirelessly to deal with points, and rule adjustments have been made to deal with a sudden rash of automotive fires within the playoff-opening race at Darlington. NASCAR might start checking the air strain ranges on tires to find out if the current failures occurred as a result of groups are pushing previous the Goodyear-recommended settings. However there does not appear to be a fast repair on softening the chassis.
Elliott mentioned NASCAR had loads of time to develop the automotive and uncover these issues. The Subsequent Gen was introduced in 2019 as scheduled to debut in 2021, however in 2020, NASCAR moved the debut to this season due to COVID-19 slowdowns.
“Heck, we had loads of time to check this automotive and crash it, do all of the issues that we have to do to make sure that a few of these issues which are taking place now weren’t taking place,” Elliott mentioned. “We had a ton of time to try this, and this automotive was delayed a whole calendar yr on prime of that. We received an additional yr of time to work on it, and we’re nonetheless on this place.
“There isn’t any excuse for going backward. Now we have too many good folks, an excessive amount of expertise, too a few years of crashing. We shouldn’t be within the place we’re in. If you come out with a brand new product, it is best to take [a step] ahead, not keep the identical or go backward, particularly within the security class.”
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