Former driver reveals ‘out of hand’ situation forced NASCAR to make a radical decision

Former NASCAR driver and longtime insider Kenny Wallace recently exposed how chaotic the sport had become behind the scenes, so much so that it forced NASCAR to make a drastic change. Wallace revealed this in a candid conversation on his YouTube channel.

The tipping point came when teams began stockpiling cars in excess, up to 18 per driver, according to Wallace. This unsustainable arms race prompted team owners to pressure NASCAR into overhauling its policies. Wallace, who raced in over 900 national NASCAR events, said the situation simply got “out of hand.” NASCAR had to step in.

So what exactly happened that led NASCAR to a radical decision? Kenny Wallace explained it came down to economics and excess. Teams were building specialized cars for every type of track—short tracks like Bristol, superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega, road courses, and intermediates. Looking for perfection, some teams were maintaining up to 15–18 cars per driver. In his own words,

“So the sport becomes so out of hand because we want a car for Bristol, we want a car for the road course, we want a car for intermediate, we want a car for Daytona Talladega that it was costing the car owners so much money.” [1:30:09 onwards]

This massive expansion in inventory wasn’t just wasteful—it was financially crippling. Car owners couldn’t keep up with the costs. The Bristol incident Wallace described was the final straw:

“The Bristol fiasco where the car is so cattywampus that you parked the car... the car owners are screaming at us.”

According to Wallace, team owners went directly to NASCAR, demanding action. The unchecked engineering battles were draining resources and destabilizing the competition. That pressure from within the garage is what prompted NASCAR to introduce the Next Gen car—standardized, less customizable, and significantly more cost-controlled.

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Wallace defends his loyalty amid criticism from NASCAR fans

Kenny Wallace recently used his Coffee with Kenny podcast to clarify that his outspoken support of NASCAR isn't influenced by money. Some fans have accused Wallace of acting like a NASCAR spokesperson. Wallace firmly pushed back. He said on his podcast:

“So, is Kenny Wallace being paid by NASCAR? Not a dime. Actually, we almost pay them, right? Every year I used to give them a check for $10,000 to pay for my hardcard... in return, they let me race.”

That “hardcard” is essentially a pit pass, and Wallace stressed that far from being paid to talk positively about the sport, he's invested thousands of dollars of his own money into staying connected with NASCAR. For him, it’s personal.

Wallace has raced in more than 900 NASCAR events. He accepted the criticism but stood by the sport’s trajectory.

“You're not going to convince me that NASCAR is doing bad,” he said. “When the TV ratings are up, when the grandstands are doing good, when TV is paying billions of dollars and they're selling out sponsorship... NASCAR is the biggest bang for the buck.”

While some NASCAR points races in 2025 have seen a 7.3% dip in viewership, Wallace pointed to the broader picture. Non-points events like The Clash and All-Star Race are up by 56% year-over-year. Cable viewership is also rising—22 million viewers across nine races, up 78%.

On the ground, fan engagement is strong. The 2025 Daytona 500 marked the event’s 10th consecutive sellout. To Wallace, that’s proof enough that NASCAR isn’t declining. It’s adapting.