Richard Petty recently discussed NASCAR's latest attempts to fix pack racing. The seven-time Cup champion expressed doubt over whether the new format changes will actually create a better show for the fans or just make things more complicated for the drivers.

On this week's episode of "Petty Race Recap" on YouTube, Petty addressed a fan question about NASCAR's stage changes for Talladega. Instead of a 60-60-68 lap split for the three stages, it will be 98-45-45.

Richard Petty is particularly concerned about how the new stage lengths will impact the flow of the race. He believes that if the field gets too spread out early on, the strategy for the rest of the day is essentially ruined.

"We don't know if changing the stages, if it'll make anything different, we think it will," said petty. "Having those long stages where everybody's got in line and just you know, slowed down two seconds. Nobody tried to pass anybody. I think it's going to be a little bit difficult because even after they run the long run and stuff, they still got two shorter segments."

The King pointed out that these long stretches could leave teams with no way to recover. If a driver loses the draft or falls off the lead lap during the opening segment, the clock simply runs out on them.

"So if you get behind in that part of the race, you're not going to be able to make up the difference later on," he added.

Legendary crew chief Dale Inman added to the conversation, acknowledging NASCAR's efforts to fix the racing. the longer 98-lap stage will force drivers to pit for tires and fuel and avoid seeing a fuel-saving race.

The Technical Struggle With the Next Gen Car

NASCAR's ongoing struggles with Next Gen cars are making drafting tracks more difficult for pack racing. The main issue is that these cars produce a massive amount of turbulent air. It makes it extremely difficult for drivers to pass.

Instead of the side-by-side action fans love, it often leads to everyone staying in a single line because the air is just too dirty to make a move. If a driver gets in a bad aero spot, a wreck can ensue even without contact.

Another problem is how the car feels to the drivers. The new design is much more rigid and doesn't offer the same stability as older models. This makes the cars unpredictable in a tight pack.

As the 2026 season continues, the challenge remains finding a way to keep the cars safe without sacrificing the excitement of pack racing.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Sanskriti Pastor

Edited by

Yask Kotak