NASCAR recently made changes to the short-track race package, and fans haven’t taken to it well. 

The changes will see the energy-absorbing foam removed to prevent the constant bumping that is often seen on short tracks. Jeff Gluck from The Athletic originally reported on this, and fans were left frustrated with the change. 

Fans felt that hard racing and bumping are one of the few ways to overtake on these short tracks, where it’s often a one-line race. But there seems to have been confusion about the reasoning behind the package change. 

Jeff Gluck elaborated on his GluckCast podcast that the changes come because drivers were facing issues with the bumps. Gluck said, “I heard that drivers have been pushing for this and NASCAR ended up agreeing with them.”

According to Gluck, the drivers called for the changes because the minor bumps often have no impact on any part of the car, but the impact travels straight to the driver's head and neck, which bobs around as the only part of their body that isn’t strapped into the car. 

While the HANS makes it much safer, the violent jerks from minor bumps were proving to be a difficulty. 

The energy-absorbing foam was added to the front and rear bumpers with the Next Gen cars rolled out in 2022, and they are a necessity to prevent high-impact crashes like that of Christopher Bell in Michigan. 

While Bell was safe there and the spotlight fell on the safety of the car and the safer barriers, the case is different for short tracks. 

How does the change impact drivers at short tracks?

Bristol, North Wilkesboro, Martinsville, and Richmond are some of the tracks that will see the new packages. Gluck explained on the same podcast that the aim of the package is simple: during impact, the car should have some amount of give so that the impact doesn’t fall directly on the driver’s neck. 

Currently, with the energy-absorbing foam, most drivers will see that minor bumps leave zero damage to their own bumper or the bumper of the car in front. This has promoted a style of fearless driving where a driver can launch into the pack ahead without fear of damage. 

That is exactly what will change. With the foam removed, any kind of contact on the bumper means that part of the bumper will give way. This should ideally affect the aerodynamics as well as the overall performance of the car. 

Drivers will now be more cautious with overtly aggressive moves, meaning racecraft becomes the crucial factor apart from raw performance. 

While fans may feel that this is a negative move, drivers will feel pleased that NASCAR has taken their concerns not only into consideration but also implemented swift changes. 

Expect a less bumpy race with minimal contact, and expect drivers who do bump to pay the price through performance. 

What are your thoughts on the new short track package?

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason