Despite challenges, NASCAR "thrilled for where this sport is"

NASCAR President Steve Phelps credited the sport’s stance on social justice and the addition of the Next Gen car in the Cup Series as major factors in the positive metrics seen throughout the 2022 season.

“It was the events that happened in June of 2020 that I think set the course of NASCAR to change where the sport was from a reputation standpoint and from a relevance standpoint. That was the stance on social justice,” said Phelps during NASCAR’s annual “State of the Sport” news conference at Phoenix Raceway.

“Jimmie (Johnson) led a group of drivers to create a video that talked about learning, being educated, doing better with respect to understanding what was happening in this country and kind of the reckoning that was happening.

“Jimmie gave permission for the sport to come out and do the things that we did and say the things that we did. That changed the face of this sport forever.”

Phelps comments followed an announcement by Petty GMS Motorsports that Johnson, a seven-time Cup champion who just completed a fulltime season in the IndyCar Series, would take an ownership stake in the organization beginning next year.

Johnson also plans to run some Cup races, including the 2023 season-opening Daytona 500.

Renewed interest in the sport

In addition to Johnson returning to a role in NASCAR, Phelps highlighted other new owners such as Michael Jordan and Pitbull, Cup wins this season by drivers Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suarez (both graduates of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program) and a more diverse workforce and fanbase.

“It’s important,” he said. “It’s changing the face of the sport as we move forward.”

Phelps said NASCAR’s efforts to remain “bold and innovative” were evident in the success of its preseason Busch Clash race held in a built-front-scratch track inside the Los Angeles Coliseum, the increased competitiveness and parity of the Next Gen car as well as a significant increase in attendance at races.

“What does this car do? There was a relevance to this car for (manufacturer) partners. The styling was fantastic of this car,” he said. “Then the question would be, Well, what’s the race-ability of the car?

“The race-ability of the car was such that it resulted in 19 different winners, so more than half the field won a race in NASCAR this year. Five first-time winners. More passes throughout the field in a single season (set four weeks ago).

“I’m thrilled for where this sport is. Thrilled for where the sport is going.”

Overcoming the Next Gen issues

The 2022 season has not been without challenges, however.

NASCAR continues to study the Next Gen car and its impacts with walls as well as how it travels over bumps on the track. Two Cup Series drivers – Kurt Busch and Alex Bowman – missed races this season from concussions suffered in rear-end accidents.

“As with anything that is new, you’re going to learn, collect data, which we’ve done. Adjustments have been made to the rear clip that’s already gone out to the race teams for next year,” said chief operating officer Steve O’Donnell.

“What we’re learning is those smaller hits, which we’ve never seen before in terms of a car that we’ve raced, are the ones we really need to concentrate on. That’s why you’re seeing the tweaks being made to the clip, for those smaller impacts, even a bump on a restart, those types of things.”

While the Next Gen car seemed to dramatically improve racing on intermediate and superspeedways, there appeared a decline in the quality of the on-track product on some short tracks and road courses.

NASCAR expects to make changes in the offseason to address that.

“We have a lot of dialogue going on with the drivers in terms of potentially looking at some power things. I think that’s a little more complicated,” O’Donnell said.

“There are some things we’ve looked at even through Garage 56 that we found from an aero standpoint that could be put in place as early as next year for both short tracks and road courses.”

Among the other topics Phelps and O’Donnell addressed:

- NASCAR will continue a “meaningful dialogue” next season with Cup team owners over a revenue-sharing plan that will involve both revenue increases and cutting expenses.

- Phelps said he thinks the charter system in the Cup Series is good for the sport and believes they will be renewed but acknowledged the possibility they may not. The current agreements end after the 2024 season.

- Phelps said he did not know if an international race would be added anytime soon but said “continued schedule variation” will take place with the 2024 Cup schedule.

- O’Donnell said there is “ongoing dialogue” with potential new manufacturers but there was no “fresh news.” He said it was a “really complicated time” in the auto industry in general now.

- Asked about a new TV deal – the current one expires at the end of 2024 – Phelps said NASCAR’s relationship with current partners Fox and NBC has “never been better.” He did note a significant amount of interest from other broadcast entities.

- O’Donnell said there will be discussions with drivers in the offseason about finding the right balance in officiating driver confrontations outside the car. NASCAR is also ensuring it has all the technology it needs to make officiating calls during the race and not after the fact.