NASCAR promises drivers safety changes on new car for 2023

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A NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware, U.S., May 16, 2021. /CFP

NASCAR says it had a productive test of its new car and promised drivers that solutions to some of their safety concerns should be implemented by next season.

NASCAR's top leadership held a 75-minute meeting ahead of Saturday's practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It said it expects a new rear clip, rear bumper structure and center section on next year's Next Gen car. Those parts are too stiff right now and drivers have complained all season they are feeling the force from routine crashes more than before.

Alex Bowman and Kurt Busch are both sidelined with concussions suffered in crashes in the Next Gen, and Cody Shane Ware won't race because he has a broken foot that would be under too much strain on Charlotte's hybrid road course/oval circuit. It's the first time in at least two decades that three full time Cup drivers will miss a race.

NASCAR had a slide presentation prepared, but two different drivers likened the session to an episode of "Seinfeld." Erik Jones described it as an "airing of grievances" while Brad Keselowski, driver and part-owner of RFK Racing, said "everybody had a little bit to say, this may be a little bit of a Festivus."

"It was definitely tense from the driver side. NASCAR did a good job of trying to answer the questions asked, but you can tell that there's frustration," driver Christopher Bell said. "We got through two slides. I believe that they had a much larger presentation available to us, but we got stuck in open conversation that took up the majority of the time."

Source(s): AP