“That’s a horrible lie”: Fans call out Roger Penske over cost-saving claims about Next Gen cars

Roger Penske's recent claim that his team cut costs under the Next Gen car has prompted sharp backlash from fans on social media. The motorsports mogul said that Team Penske has spent less with fewer cars and fewer part replacements since 2022.

Roger Penske, who has won the past three Cup championships, also claimed the car "enhanced on track racing". However, while Penske has enjoyed success with the Next Gen car, several drivers have criticized and called for improvements to the new model. Sports Business Journal's Adam Stern posted a quote from the team owner on X:

"Since the Next Gen car began racing in 2022, Team Penske's Cup Series race car costs have been reduced due to a smaller number of race cars in the fleet and a lesser volume of parts replacements. In addition ... the Next Gen car has enhanced on track racing."

Adam Stern

@A_S12

Roger Penske: "Since the Next Gen car began racing in 2022, Team Penske's Cup Series race car costs have been reduced due to a smaller number of race cars in the fleet and a lesser volume of parts replacements. In addition ... the Next Gen car has enhanced on track racing."

The statement triggered a storm of responses from fans.

"That's a horrible lie lol," a fan wrote.

"Says the guy who's 3/3 on championships in this car totally not biased at all lmao," another commented.

"I am so happy Someone worth 9 billion dollars is saving a little money at the cost of the whole sport failing," yet another replied.

Meanwhile, others pointed out Roger Penske's influence in NASCAR.

"Nascar telling the owners to desperately put out points to help their case.. and it's painful to see 😂 Nascar probably typed them up, sent them to the teams and said here post this lol," a fan wrote.

"Penske has a lot of political reasons to shill and play nice with NASCAR," another shared.

Multiple drivers, including Denny Hamlin, have complained of weak horsepower and argued that NASCAR did not test the Next Gen car enough across all track types.

Short-track racing, in particular, has been affected the most. Tyler Reddick called the short-track package "exponentially worse" last year, and Kyle Busch said the racing on short ovals is harder now. He also claimed the car's parts are too standardized, which makes it harder to pass drivers on the track.

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Roger Penske's comments back NASCAR in lawsuit by NASCAR teams 23XI and FRM

Roger Penske's statement about the Next Gen came as part of his support for NASCAR in its ongoing legal dispute with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports (FRM). Penske's declaration was submitted within NASCAR's motion for summary judgment that defended the charter system.

"I believe that the Charter system has been beneficial because it delivered on the race teams' goal of creating long-term equity value," part of Roger Penske's statement read (via Motorsport).

However, this support contrasts with the positions of 23XI and FRM, which filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, alleging monopolistic practices and challenging the fairness of the charter system. The teams argue that the system restricts competition and has led to increased costs without proportional benefits.

Several teams have also previously said that the car has increased complexity and cost rather than cutting them. Richard Childress admitted that it proved more expensive than anticipated.