In the wake of the recent NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway, veteran driver Denny Hamlin has voiced urgent demands for changes to the Next-Gen car, highlighting persistent issues that negatively affect passing and racing excitement. Hamlin stressed that without addressing aerodynamic flaws and tire problems soon, the series risks continued poor race quality and diminished competition on the track.
Denny Hamlin Highlights Passing Difficulties and Aerodynamic Challenges
The return to Iowa Speedway last Sunday was a welcome event for NASCAR fans, yet many drivers including Hamlin expressed dissatisfaction with the racing product produced by the Next-Gen car. One key frustration is the difficulty in overtaking other drivers due to the persistent problem of “dirty air” behind leading cars.
Hamlin explained that when the front of the car lifts off the ground while trailing another vehicle, it causes a significant reduction in grip, making passes nearly impossible. This aerodynamic issue grants the race leader an undue advantage, as following cars struggle to stay close enough for a clean pass. Hamlin emphasized the need for alterations in the car’s aero design, softer tires, and adjustments to help the car maintain better contact with the track, especially in traffic.
You want to make it better, for sure. Until we get the front of these racecars on the ground instead of a foot off the ground we’re going to continue to have the same problems, and that is when we get behind someone we’re just going to plow.
Denny Hamlin said on the Actions Detrimental Podcast.
Hamlin further described the current “attitude” of the seventh-generation cars as fundamentally flawed. He called for a shift in aerodynamic load from underneath the car to the overbody, believing this would enhance performance in traffic and improve race quality. His frustration with the current design was clear and repeated emphatically.
The attitude of the cars are wrong. It’s wrong, it’s wrong, it’s wrong, it’s wrong, please fix it, it’s wrong, it’s wrong. Fix the attitude of the car, it’ll make them better in traffic. More overbody, less underbody. If you want the same amount of downforce put it on the overbody, take it off the underbody. God dangit, it drives me crazy.
Denny Hamlin added.
How Tire Issues Exacerbate Race Leader’s Advantage
Hamlin also pointed out that the problem with passing is intensified by the current tire situation, which favors race leaders disproportionately. Drivers struggling in traffic find it almost impossible to overtake even those far behind in the standings, such as cars running in 30th place or lower.
It’s the yo-yo effect you see at Martinsville. No one can pass. You can’t pass the 30th-place car. That is the problem we’re talking about and that is what we have to fix. It’s that the leader looks like superman because he can run half throttle and just hold everyone off. Chase Briscoe at Pocono.
Denny Hamlin said.
The dominance of the leader is highlighted by this “yo-yo effect,” where slower cars respond sluggishly to faster traffic, making overtakes rare and races predictable. Hamlin expressed disappointment that short tracks, considered the foundation of NASCAR racing, are now being tarnished by these technical issues.
He urged NASCAR to pressure Goodyear to develop softer tires that could better promote competition and greater tire falloff, which would allow drivers more opportunity to pass. Although Goodyear has made progress throughout the season, Hamlin remains skeptical about the current tire specification.
If you can do it at a short track, that should be like the eye-opener. OK, we’ve really got to fix this. Goodyear’s really done a good job all year long of trying to implement softer and softer tires. It’s just this one, I don’t know how they got where they got on this tire…
Denny Hamlin asserted.
Currently, the tires’ compound limits the performance drop-off over runs, which means the advantage gained by fresh tires is insufficient to encourage aggressive racing. This further compounds the challenges posed by the underperforming aerodynamics of the Next-Gen cars.
Denny Hamlin’s Urgent Call for NASCAR to Address Racing Quality
As a three-time Daytona 500 winner, Hamlin’s concerns resonate loudly within the NASCAR community. His frustration reflects a broader perception that the Next-Gen car, in its current state, stifles racing excitement and impedes drivers’ ability to race wheel-to-wheel effectively.
Fixing the aerodynamic “attitude” of the car—reducing underbody downforce while increasing overbody effect—and improving tire softness are primary measures Hamlin stresses for NASCAR to prioritize. Without such changes, the series risks continued underwhelming races that neither drivers nor fans desire.
The Iowa event, marked by limited passing opportunities and a dominant leader, symbolizes larger technical issues undermining competition across circuits, especially at short tracks like Martinsville and Pocono. Hamlin’s outspoken stance urges NASCAR leadership and suppliers like Goodyear to respond quickly, aiming to restore the balance that makes stock car racing captivating and unpredictable.
