Many seem to believe that the NASCAR NextGen car is based on Group GT3 machines, technically known as the Cup Grand Touring cars. However, that’s definitely not the case.Bozi Tatarevic, a renowned racing mechanic, pit crew member, and NASCAR insider, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to explain how the NextGen car differs from the GT3 car. His analysis, backed by insights from British race car driver Katherine Legge, provided interesting food for thought for the NASCAR aficionados.According to Tatarevic, one of the main reasons people refer to the NextGen car as a GT3 car is due to its single lug nut design. However, the weight of these cars completely sets them apart.“A Ford Mustang NASCAR Cup car has a minimum weight of 3,385 pounds while a Ford Mustang GT3 car has a BoP weight of 2,899 pounds and that is because their architecture is so different,” Tatarevic pointed out.The sheet metal on a Ford Mustang GT3 is quite the same as its road-going variant. A roll cage is added to the design and changes are made to the front and the rear, but it’s still, as Tatarevic called it, a “homologated car”.“On the other hand,” explained Tatarevic, “the NASCAR Next Gen chassis is a completely unique tube frame chassis designed by NASCAR that is built to be able to race on ovals and be safe enough for tracks like Talladega.”Some would bring up the sequential transaxle as an example of why the NextGen car is like a GT3 car. But Tatarevic pointed out that sequential transaxles are used in all kinds of race cars. Furthermore, the ones used in the NextGen are custom-built for NASCAR. Even the chassis is very different.“Keen observers may notice that the case is similar to what is used in Supercars and they would be right because the Xtrac P1334 NASCAR transaxle is based on the Xtrac P1293 Supercars transaxle but different enough that they are not interchangeable,” he added.Another huge piece is the difference in the aerodynamic arrangement. NASCAR cars have been designed to run seamlessly on a variety of tracks. However, in the case of GT3 cars, OEMs develop them specifically for road course racing.Ram planning to return to NASCAR competition with its first affiliated team: Kaulig RacingDodge is all set to return to NASCAR through its Ram brand in 2026. Ram plans to enter the grid with Kaulig Racing in 2026, a partnership that was announced just hours before last week’s Cup Series race, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway.This alliance will pave the way for Kaulig Racing to become a part of the Craftsman Truck Series lineup for the first time since its inception. Per reports, five Kaulig Racing trucks will carry the Ram banner next season.“I know Ram doesn't do anything small, as you can see by the dealerships and everything else, and I know at Kaulig Racing, we don't do anything small," team owner Matt Kaulig said in a statement. "So when we're going into the truck series, we're not going to kind of silently come in or just kind of tiptoe our way in. We're doing it big."For now, all eyes are on Darlington Raceway, which will host the upcoming Truck and Xfinity races on Saturday (August 30) and the Cup Series race on Sunday. For Truck and Cup, the races will mark the beginning of the 2025 playoffs. Whereas on the Xfinity side of things, two races remain till the playoffs kick off at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 12.