Why Passing is So Hard With The NASCAR Next Gen on Short Tracks

The thing that makes me think this is mostly not an aero issue is they tried testing with no diffuser at Richmond last year I think and the drivers said there was little difference. I think it's part HP, part wider tires, part new suspension, and part aero. I have no idea how they'll get back the short track racing we had before with this car.

Bristol and Richmond have proved its the tire. The current slick is too big. Add that to low HP and brakes thst are too big this is what you get.

Good information. Thank you.

Is it possible that the main issue is the ride height and platform control requirements? Xfinity and Trucks both have minimum ride height rules, which had been abandoned in the Cup Series in 2014. Gen 4 had coil-binding, then the COT introduced bumpstops; both implemented by teams to control the platform. With no ride height rules, the cars move less due to the bump stops and high rebound shocks, introduced in the Gen 6 era and exaggerated in the Next Gen era. Assuming NASCAR implements a ride height rule, with restrictions on the bump stops and outlawing coil-binding (max number of coils), an emphasis will be placed on the mechanical platform rather than the areo platform. It seems at least to be an easy item to test with limited cost to teams and partners

I believe the rear diffuser is the main issue. It doesn’t work well at short tracks because the cars don’t go fast enough for it to be effective.

Not near enough HP, ever go to a go kart track that they all go exactly 7mph?

I am not that knowledgeable on the physics of racing but i have a comment ill throw out there for anyone else to correct me on.

I feel like the next gen car was an attempt to make dirty air less of an issue on bigger tracks by making mechanical grip easier to produce (wider tires, larger tires, maybe other things im not aware) and they also tried to reduce the amount of dirty air that the leading car produces (stepped splitter, rear diffuser, smooth underbody). And so the car's design was a massive attempt to solve the dirty air problem and give the trailing faster car the ability to get right up on a leading car without having dirty air stall them out and then allow them to have enough mechanical grip to get around them. But it just didn't work and the cars still stall out when when they are behind a leading car (and blocking has just become so easy to do for the lead car) and the dirty air still robs them of the downforce they need to overtake the leading car.

And all the changes i listed above (as well as better brakes, IRS and the sequential shifter) have just ruined short track racing with no real way to fix that

I think the real problem is the rear diffuser. It create so much dirty air because the cars aren’t going fast enough for it to work like it’s supposed to. Also the past 2 years it seems the design of the Camaros are superior on short tracks & road courses than the Mustang and Camry.