- After ignoring it, NASCAR finally moves to address superspeedway fuel-saving.
- Talladega will be the test bed, with a full fix eyed for 2027 Preseason Thunder.
- Fans are split on NASCAR’s decision, each side with its own compelling reasons.
The NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen car has raised the bar on safety, but it has taken a toll on short-track action, pushing Goodyear to go back to the drawing board in search of a better show.
And then at drafting tracks, a pattern has taken root each time the series rolls into venues where pack racing rules the day. NASCAR fans, teams, and drivers have been taking aim at racing at Daytona and Talladega in the Next Gen era.
In recent years, voices from across the sport have sounded off on these races. The charge sheet reads the same. The field runs at 75% throttle or less to save fuel, races turn into wrecks near the finish, and drivers find little room to tilt the scales with skill.
For a long stretch, NASCAR brass waved off fuel-saving as a non-issue. But it looks like the tune has changed, with the sanctioning body ready to tackle a problem of its own making.
What is the fix NASCAR has proposed for fuel saving?
John Probst, speaking on the Hauler Talk podcast, put into words what fans and drivers such as Denny Hamlin have hammered home for years now. Superspeedway racing has become a fuel game, with drivers lifting instead of pushing.
In a bid to shake things up, NASCAR will experiment with a change at Talladega. The stage format will be turned on its head. In place of the usual setup with short stages early and a long run to the flag, the order flips.
For example, last year, Talladega ran 60 laps in Stage 1, 60 in Stage 2, and 68 in the final stage. This time, the opening stage will stretch to around 100 laps, giving teams a chance to work on strategy at the start. But then, the final two stages will fall to under 50 laps each, short enough to cut out fuel stops.
The aim is to have less coasting and more racing. Probst said, “Coming out of Daytona, we have been working hand-in-hand with a lot of our race teams, trying to largely break into two categories of things that we could do. One being the sporting-related things, like rules around pit stops or stage lengths or things of that nature. The other being in a technical bucket, which would mean car changes, spoiler, power levels and things of that nature.”
He added, “Generally, how a lot of our speedways were laid out, it was a short stage, a short stage and then a long stage to the end. Going into Talladega, we’re going to flip that. It could be interesting in that first stage, if there’s some teams that try to do it on one stop versus some that try to do it on two. We think that if there are some that do it on two, they may drag the group that would try to do it on one stop. So it’s got some potential for some pretty interesting strategies.”
NASCAR knows the move will only scratch the surface. Teams have long turned every gray area into an edge, and fuel saving will not vanish overnight. Probst stated that NASACR understands that teams will continue pursuing gains wherever they can. But for now, the sanctioning body will move to plug the leak while it lines up a longer-term fix.
That long-term fix will take the sport back in time. Daytona International Speedway will host the return of the “Preseason Thunder” test ahead of 2027.
The session will look at changes to cars, including horsepower levels and spoiler setups, to curb fuel saving, cut the role of conservation at superspeedways, and eventually prevent drivers from riding in fuel-saving mode at speed.
Everything about Preseason Thunder
In the 1990s and 2000s, teams made the trip to Daytona in January for test runs that spanned several days. SPEED Network aired sessions and highlights, offering a first look at the field before Speedweeks.
A 2008 ban on testing brought Preseason Thunder to a halt, though not for long. The event returned in 2012 as a fan fest, as the sport worked to stamp out the two-car draft that had lost favor with fans and long-time followers. It ran for two more years as the Gen 6 car came into play, with moments such as Rusty Wallace climbing back into the seat in 2014.
With the exception of 2022, when the current Cup car made its debut, tighter testing limits pushed Preseason Thunder into the past. But that phase now looks ready to reopen in 2027.
Fans react to fuel-saving experiment and return of Preseason Thunder
The fan base has weighed in on NASCAR’s move to test a fuel-saving fix and bring back Preseason Thunder, and the response runs the gamut. While a section of fans welcomed the return of the test session, others poked holes in the plan to alter stage lengths, questioning how much it would move the needle. Meanwhile, some lauded NASACR’s attempt to fix the fuel-saving strategy that has irked fans.
One fan cut to the chase, saying, “I don’t see how changing stage lengths is going to change the fuel mileage game. Teams are still going to do everything they can to minimize time on pit road.”
Another echoed the sentiment, adding, “They are addressing a symptom. The disease is the current car/package.”
Some pointed to stage cautions as the root of the issue. “This. Just get rid of stage cautions altogether at SS races. The cars don’t ever get spread out so there’s literally no reason for them besides commercials, but it’s not like they aren’t willing to have green flag commercials anyway,” a fan said, calling for a clean slate.
Still, not everyone is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. One fan read between the lines and backed the move, noting,
“There might be some Mickey Mouse of the drafting at the back of the pack to save fuel, but teams are now going to have to prioritize on track position since everyone can make it on fuel. The final stage not having a pit stop eliminates any saving during that stage, any savings will happen prior. We will at least have a quality 3rd stage race to the finish.”
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