"It's almost like looking into a mirror": NASCAR's aero director's thoughts on the similarities between modern-day Supercars and the Next-Gen Cup car

NASCAR aerodynamics director Chris Popiela recently delved into the parallels between modern-day Supercars and Cup Series cars.

The 2023 Cup Series season saw the Australian Supercars series draw closer to American prominence. This was particularly the case when three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen made his Cup debut.

This transition was emblematic of a broader trend, with multiple Supercars drivers poised to join Cup Series ranks in the upcoming season.

Taking the recent collaborations a step further, aero director Chris Popiela recently visited the Supercars garages. There, he dwelt upon the similarities between Cup Series and Supercars vehicles. Providing insights into this intersection of racing ideologies, he said:

"I think it's pretty exciting. I haven't been able to see a Supercars vehicle in person before."

Popiela highlighted the striking visual parallels between Cup Series and Supercars vehicles.

"One of my first reactions to walking in the tunnel and seeing the Camaro for the first time was 'Hey, this is very similar to what we have'. Something we're pretty used to looking at.

"Same with the Mustang as well. Those body styles are very, very similar. It's almost like looking into a mirror at times."

Emphasizing the importance of maintaining street relevance in the American stock car racing scene, Popiela said:

"I think in NASCAR, it's something that's really relevant, is to remain street relevant. So, you try to get the Mustang or the Camaro to look exactly like it does on the street to the race vehicle.

"I think with the body styles they're almost the same and very similar."

Chris Popiela explains what NASCAR can learn from Supercars

Popiela expanded on the burgeoning relationship between NASCAR and Supercars, acknowledging the positive trajectory in recent years.

"Certainly our relationship has been building between Supercars and NASCAR in the last couple of years. Especially with the debut of Supercars' next-gen vehicle and our next-gen vehicle."

Expressing admiration for Supercars' collaborative spirit and dynamic approach, Chris Popiela shared his opinions on the aspects that NASCAR can learn from the Australian series.

"I think there's a lot of things in the Supercars that can help us out, with how they inspect the cars and how they handle teams.

"It's been a bit of a pleasure to watch the team dynamic and the collaboration that the teams have. I think there's certainly a lot of things we can pick up from each other."