NASCAR’s latest change to short tracks has quickly become one of the most debated topics. On June 25th, The Athletic's Jeff Gluck tweeted on X that NASCAR will remove the energy-absorbing bumper foam for short tracks. This will affect how the drivers race each other at the upcoming short tracks. 

The energy-absorbing foam was first introduced in 2007 in the Cars of Tomorrow. The concept was carried over to the next-gen cars, which were introduced in the 2022 season. However, with the upcoming races being short tracks, the sanctioning body has decided to get rid of them. 

Gluck also reported how the drivers' opinions about removing the energy-absorbing foam were taken into consideration. 

"I heard earlier this month the drivers have been pushing for this; they don't want to be able to plow into someone at a short track with no consequences. Now if you ram into someone at a short track, your car would likely be damaged. At least that's my understanding."

The energy-absorbing foam will be absent starting at North Wilkesboro Speedway, then Richmond Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and finally Martinsville Speedway.

With the energy-absorbing foam taken away, the cars will be more susceptible to bigger damages of the drivers slam into the cars ahead of them. 

However, this major change announced by the sanctioning body has caused a major buzz among the NASCAR fans on social media. 

NASCAR fans weigh in on the new changes to the cars

The fans soon took to the comment section of Jeff Gluck’s X post. One fan wrote about how the sanctioning body should change the whole car to accommodate racing on the short tracks. They wrote, "Or just change the entire car so short tracks can be raceable again."

Another fan expressed their satisfaction about the drivers being involved in the decision-making process. They wrote, "I like that the drivers are the ones who are behind this change.  That means they've looked at what they (as a group) are doing, what they wish they were doing, and suggesting a way to get there." 

Yet another fan praised NASCAR’s move. They wrote, "Think thats a good call. I think it will remove some of the dive bombs from the race."

A fan criticized the move as he pointed out how the drivers will not be able to overtake each other during the race. They wrote, "So these cars can’t pass, and now the only way possible way you could pass is taken away."

Another fan echoed a similar sentiment as they wrote, "This is interesting because from what I've seen the one trying to complete a bump and run is already at a disadvantage, as the car being bumped gains momentum instead of losing it because of the stiff bodies and the mechanical grip of the Next Gen."

What did you think of the change? Let us know in the comments. 

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason