Joey Logano said an Xfinity car would fix the passing problem
On Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Brickyard 400 is a crown jewel event.
The race was the first on the 2.5-mile oval at Indy since 2020. But, overall, the race was a massive disappointment.
Indianapolis Race Results: July 26, 2026 (NASCAR Cup Series)
Passing, specifically a pass for the lead appears to be impossible. Drivers had a chance on a restart, but that was their only chance. Outside of that, it wasn’t going to happen.
This is certainly a result of the Next Gen car which made its debut in 2022. The O’Reilly Series had no problems racing a day earlier on the same track. As noted by Joey Logano.
Joey Logano wasn’t happy…
Joey Logano clearly had a faster car in the final laps of the race. However, he was unable to make a pass for the win as the leader ran in clean air.
“Probably an Xfinity car… or whatever they’re called now,” Joey Logano told Jeff Gluck on what he needed to make a pass. “This things… we can’t do it. We can’t get close enough to make a move. You get stuck. Multiple groove track is necessary. This one doesn’t have that.”
“It’s forever going to be a Crown Jewel in my mind. It’s forever a special race, and something you always want to say you have a shot at winning. It hurts when you don’t do it. I can tell you that much.”
Denny Hamlin echoed those thoughts
“Passing at Indy has been difficult for decades, but it ain’t been impossible,” Hamlin stated via the Actions Detrimental podcast.
“Right now it is impossible unless someone has to miss the corner. This is a car problem, not an Indy problem.”
Hamlin has the solution…
“I don’t think there’s been a pass for the lead in the entire Next Gen era at Indianapolis. I’d love to work with the competition committee to come up with a solution. We need to get the rear of the cars up and the front down. That’s how you improve the racing at Indy.”
What is the cost of the NASCAR Next Gen racecar?
Carson Hocevar comments
Hocevar also reflected with a different perspective after the race at Indy…
“Sitting here watching the 2000 Talladega race. It’s insane we as a sport produce the product we give to fans and wonder why fans have lost interest. This race is beautiful. The sights, the sounds, the cars, the production, the commentators,” Carson Hocevar stated via social media.
“It’s clear as day why the sport is where it’s at and not where it once was. The entertainment value of this race is so much better and so visually more appealing.”
“Casual fans just wanna be entertained. They don’t care about aero, engine packages, downforce, drag, tire wear.”
He added, “They truly don’t care. They just wanna be visually entertained and feel like they’re not wasting their time watching something that’s not prestigious.”
“We’re on the ventilator and asleep at the wheel of what the real problems are. Back in the day you can see the innovation year to year of the broadcast quality and them trying to always improve. Now it’s just cutting stuff to improve the bottom line and wondering why people lose interest or are no longer impressed.”
“There’s nothing new. Eventually they’ve seen it all or it’s a shell of what it once was and there’s no point of tuning in.”
Carson Hocevar gives Corey Heim the finger (Video)
Joey Logano on the lack of passing
Links
Joey Logano | Carson Hocevar | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | NASCAR
