NASCAR: Another Next Gen car change is on the way

The biggest story of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season has been the unveiling of the Next Gen car and the changes that will come with it, and now another aesthetic change is on the way.

The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season will feature the highly anticipated debut of the Next Gen car, featuring numerous changes compared to its predecessor.

The “return of stock” is featured prominently in the body of the Next Gen car, and instead of the passenger side protruding out further than the driver side, the two sides will be symmetrical. Center-lock wheels and a sequential gear box are additional changes.

Another big change NASCAR recently confirmed is that the number on the car will move from the door to closer to the front, which left some fans in an uproar.

This move allows for more sponsorship room, and it was initially attempted in the 2020 All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, when the numbers were actually moved toward the back.

NASCAR is showing their desire for innovation with the Next Gen car, and from under the hood to the car itself, it appears that this car will feature more changes than new cars from years prior.

While the Car of Tomorrow saw significant changes in terms of the safety of the drivers, the overall appearance of the car led to many similarities, aside from the manufacturer stickers.

Now NASCAR is looking to not only add change to the Next Gen car with number placement, but with design as well.

FOX Sports’  Bob Pockrass confirmed that the Next Gen car will allow cars to feature chrome/metallic number designs as opposed to the traditional glossy finish the number stickers have had.

NASCAR has been more open to allowing design changes on the cars, recently allowing colored window nets. This resulted in drivers donning pink window nets at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Now NASCAR will allow metallic number decals, bringing back shades of both Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jr., who ran metallic decals on their cars. The golden #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford shown above also brings back tradition, with NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough having donned a golden #21 when he drove for the team.