Richard Petty’s blunt remark on NASCAR’s NextGen struggles: “I don’t think anybody’s got it figured out”

Richard Petty shared his thoughts on the current NextGen car in the NASCAR Cup Series. Speaking about this, the NASCAR Hall of Famer stated that no driver or Original Equipment Manufacturers was able to "figure" out the car yet when it comes to making a perfect combination.

NASCAR introduced the Next Gen car to the Cup Series in 2022. This was an upgraded version of the Generation 6 car, which came with features such as improved aerodynamics and downforce, a combination to make the racing better.

However, the car, as per many drivers, is also quite tough to control, as the handling is far from smooth. As a result, the NextGen car, also known as the Generation 7 car, has faced numerous criticisms.

Petty, who was always a strong critic of the Next Gen car, recently shared his verdict, where he called out how the car lacked a complete package. Speaking about this, here's what the seven-time Cup Series champion said in the recent Petty Race Recap on X:

"I don't think there's any one thing. It's gonna be a combination of things. Whether they give 'em more horsepower, or whether they raise 'em up off the ground a little bit, or whether they take some of the aero deals away, or give it more, whatever it takes. There is a combination that will make the cars better, but right now I don't think anybody's got it figured out."

Currently, three OEMs manufacture the car: Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota. Chevrolet fields the Camaro ZL1 in the Cup Series, while Ford puts Mustang Dark Horse, and Toyota uses the Camry TRD.

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Richard Petty on NextGen car: 'doesn't seem like a stock car'

NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Richard Petty walks the grid the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 - Source: Getty

During his conversation about the NextGen car with his son, Kyle Petty, Richard Petty opened up about the characteristics of the NextGen car. Speaking about this, Petty stated that the NextGen car did not reflect the Stock background, something that is very important in NASCAR since the sport is about racing with stock cars.

"You hit a point. Ain't nothing on this car looks like a stock car. So we could take these three chairs and set 'em on the interstate and wait for a car like that to come by, we ain't gonna see it." He said

Richard Petty is the most successful NASCAR Cup Series driver, with seven titles and 200 race wins to his name in 1184 races over 35 years. He debuted in the sport in 1958 and retired at the end of 1992, with an incredible statistic of 123 poles and 712 Top 10s to his name.