Way before Tommy Baldwin gave us an insight into the price tag of Next Gen cars, fans were convinced that these rides don’t come cheap. That wouldn’t be a problem if the car had lived up to the hype — but the reality is, it hasn’t done that yet.
Pandora’s box has opened as NASCAR heads into the trial against 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
Leaked texts exposing questionable comments from top NASCAR officials have already caused a stir, and now the price details of the Next Gen cars have been released, adding even more fuel to the fire.
Unsurprisingly, fans are far from happy to see how pricey these machines are.
What Are Fans Saying About the Cost of Next Gen Cars?
The Next Gen car was marketed as the solution everyone wanted: lower costs, less engineering work, and an opportunity for smaller teams to actually contend. And on paper, it was perfect.
Then the invoices arrived. Instead of saving money, teams realized they were spending more than ever on costly parts and constant repairs.
What was supposed to be the great equalizer has instead become one of NASCAR’s most expensive headaches.
NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass writes: “In 2021, 23XI spent $2.8M on car costs while 2022-24, its annual Next Gen spend was $3.1-4.3M; FRM spending on car costs increased from $2.9M per car in 2021 to $7.1M in 2024.”
Next Gen cars have not been popular among NASCAR fans. Many believe that these cars are responsible for the poor quality of racing. So, most fans couldn’t justify the hefty price tag they come with.
“Literally is there a single benefit to this car? Besides improved racing at intermediates almost everything else has been a net negative lol,” a fan named Nathan said, quoting Pockrass’s post on X.
““It’s cheaper for the teams” k nascar,” another fan sarcastically wrote.
According to one fan, NASCAR will likely adjust the figures to make the Next Gen car appear more economical than it actually is.
“No but they’ll lie and say it saved teams money,” they said.
Another fan pointed out that NASCAR wanted to accumulate more power with the introduction of Next Gen cars.
“Nascar introduced the Next Gen because they have sole rights over its image, unlike the Gen 6. Plus their financial relations with a lot of the part suppliers. It was another power grab,” they argued.
The real frustration is that the on-track parity NASCAR promised hasn’t held up. Yes, we see a shock winner here and there, but the standings still belong to the usual contenders.
The powerhouse organizations still boast the resources to handle the added expenses. Meanwhile, the smaller outfits are scraping to get through each race week.
No wonder fans are angry!