NASCAR on kickoff of 2022 season: "Buckle up, everyone"
NASCAR President Steve Phelps shared an open letter to the sport’s fans as the 2022 season was set to kick off on Sunday.
In the letter, Phelps talked about the beginning of a “new era” in NASCAR with the racing debut of its Next Generation race car in the Cup Series beginning with Sunday’s exhibition Busch Light Clash race inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“The Next Gen race car has arrived and is ready for its debut to start the 2022 season. The new car not only reinforces NASCAR’s commitment to best-in-class racing, it symbolizes the bold innovation that continues to drive us forward across all areas of the sport,” he said.
“Its inaugural tour will follow a dynamic schedule that returns NASCAR to stock car racing’s hallowed ground, while also exploring new venues and opportunities. We look forward to hosting you and your families at our races this season and hope to create fun and memorable experiences that will last a lifetime.”
Phelps also sent a special welcome to new fans, important considering NASCAR said upwards of 70 percent of ticket buyers to Sunday’s race were attending a NASCAR race in person for the first time.
“As the interest and enthusiasm for our sport continues to grow, we’re also proud to welcome countless new fans to the NASCAR family, and we hope you thoroughly enjoy the unpredictable thrill ride that is sure to be the 2022 race season,” he said.
“So buckle up, everyone. The green flag on the Next Gen era is about to drop.”
Here is the letter in its entirety:
To Our Fans –
When the drivers fire their engines today at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, NASCAR will officially begin a new era, and the future of our sport will be on full display for our industry and fans. The Next Gen race car has arrived and is ready for its debut to start the 2022 season. The new car not only reinforces NASCAR’s commitment to best-in-class racing, it symbolizes the bold innovation that continues to drive us forward across all areas of the sport. Its inaugural tour will follow a dynamic schedule that returns NASCAR to stock car racing’s hallowed ground, while also exploring new venues and opportunities. We look forward to hosting you and your families at our races this season and hope to create fun and memorable experiences that will last a lifetime. It is your loyalty and passion for NASCAR that has carried us forward all these years, and we’re proud to return the heart-pounding action and dramatic, side-by-side racing you’ve always known and loved.
As the interest and enthusiasm for our sport continues to grow, we’re also proud to welcome countless new fans to the NASCAR family, and we hope you thoroughly enjoy the unpredictable thrill ride that is sure to be the 2022 race season.
So buckle up, everyone. The green flag on the Next Gen era is about to drop. Get your race tickets. Set your tune-in reminders. And follow the NASCAR action at every turn until we crown our champions at Phoenix Raceway in November. On behalf of the NASCAR industry, thank you for your continued support of NASCAR. We hope you enjoy today’s Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum.
Best,
Steve Phelps
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