The new "Generation 6" NASCAR designs have garnered rave reviews from drivers and fans alike as the chance to see the new cars in action over the last week has made lots of racing fans happy.
The new cars look much more like the cars sold at dealerships, full of individual flair and design, opposed to the boxy standard used in NASCAR previously.
The design is a way for NASCAR to put the "stock" back in stock-car racing and making the cars stars once again, sportswriter Mark Long said.
''I wear a fire suit with a helmet and a full seat around me. You can't see me. What you are seeing is this car going around the race track and the sponsors and the car construction, styling, etc." defending Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski, told the Associated Press. "So that is what you see as a fan or as an ambassador of the sport. Absolutely it matters.''
The design of the NASCAR racers has come full circle. In the 1950s the race cars were nearly indistinguishable from regular production vehicles. By 2007, NASCAR's "Car of Tomorrow" made its debut after extensive research and development and became standard for the sport. The cars made inspections easier on NASCAR officials, but that shift to one standard made the cars look nearly identical from make to make, the AP reported.
Drivers and fans hated the Car of Tomorrow, but NASCAR officials cited the car's safety record amid the backlash, according to the AP.
''It was something that's never happened in history, where manufacturers were basically treated like mushrooms - kept in the dark and under a pile a crap by the organizing bodies,'' said Lee White, president and general manager of Toyota Racing Development, according the the report. ''Now it's an opportunity for the manufacturers to become front and center.''
Following pressure from Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota, NASCAR allowed the manufacturers to develop unique versions of the next generation NASCAR. The resulting Gen-6 cars are distinct, closely resembling the Chevrolet SS, the Ford Fusion and the Toyota Camry.
"This is stock-car racing," said Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America, according to the report. "Everything is supposed to be stock or at least as close as you can get to stock. NASCAR knew it. The manufacturers knew. The fans knew it. Everyone could feel things were off. We're trying to appeal to a whole new generation of people, and when the car's not relevant, it gets really hard because everyone starts aging. We did this as much for the sport as we did for the brand."
Even though the NASCAR drivers won't race for points until Sunday's Daytona 500 opens the racing season, the regard for the newly designed cars is warm.
"The previous car was the ugliest car of all time," driver Jamie McMurray said. "I thought it was horrible. I think this is the best looking car we've ever been in. ... It's cool that we have some brand identity. If you're a Chevy fan, you have something to pull for. Before, the cars just had different decals on them. They are actually different now, which is cool."
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