NASCAR is ready to alter the ‘DNA of the garage’ over unsanctioned modification with sanctions

NASCAR introduced more regulations in 2023 regarding unsanctioned modifications and sanctions for it.

NASCAR is ready to alter the ‘DNA of the garage’ over unsanctioned modification with sanctions

NASCAR 2023 Richmond Cup race (Credits: NASCAR.Com)

The Premier stock car racing organization in the world, NASCAR, introduced the Next-Gen cars in the 2022 season in an effort to cut the team budget and increase competition. 7th Gen Cup cars have parts manufactured by over 30 single-source suppliers and even a common chassis. This helped teams to cut down the cost and reduce the dominance the prominent teams enjoyed thus far.

With the radical change, came another big task for NASCAR. They had to police the whole garage more vigilant than in the past to ensure that teams did not modify the manufacture supplied parts to gain an advantage. The extensive regulations from NASCAR saw multiple teams being hit with heavy point penalties and fines. RFK Racing was sanctioned heavily in 2022, and JGR was stripped of its wins.

YouTube video

But even after all those sanctions, the teams don’t seem to back down from modifying parts. Hendrick Motorsports has been found guilty of such infringements twice this year. RCR and Kauling Racing were also sanctioned as well. Every team fined this year for infringements is surprisingly from the Chevy garage.

FS Video

NASCAR Senior VP Elton Sawyer, in a recent interview with Motorsports.com ahead of the Talladega Cup race, revealed that the organization would police the rule breaches with an iron fist in 2023 and would change the culture of modifications in the garage. He said, “It’s been the DNA of the garage area for years. One thing we have to change is the culture within the race teams and the garage area with this new car. I think a lot of it is them testing the waters,”.

“You think about over 74-plus years how the garage has operated, and I don’t know that we’re going to turn that culture around in 12 to 16 months. But we will stay the course. We’re not going to get lazy. We’re going to continue to take cars home. We’re going to continue to look at cars,” Elton Sawyer added.

In case you missed it: “Come to Canada, we’ll keep you safe”- Fans troll Bubba Wallace as a framed photo of his wedding is put for sale in a Californian thrift store

NASCAR didn’t want a return to the status quo 5 years ago

Dash 4 Cash is exclusive to the NASCAR Xfinity series
The 6th gen era saw teams modifying their car parts at will

Sawyer discussed the state of NASCAR five years ago, where the teams with the most resources dominated the sport as they could afford to modify and manufacture parts at their will. He pointed out that the lack of budgetary restrictions and regulations allowed prominent teams to strive while the backmarkers failed to progress enough.

“We can’t let it go back to where it was five years ago. Back then, race teams had become almost manufacturing facilities. They would buy the raw material, and they were building every part of the car. They would design and develop and race and repeat,” Sawyer said.

“The more research and development that you do within those walls of the race teams, that’s cost; that’s money, and not everybody can do that. It’s a fine line (on enforcement), it’s a balance that we have to strike. Again, we won’t and can’t get lazy with this car,” Sawyer added.

Discover more: