Next Gen testing to resume at Charlotte

NASCAR will get the Next Gen car back on track tomorrow in its first test of 2021.

Officials will hold what is being called a “brief test” at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday. The goal is to validate some adjustments and components made to the car following its last round of testing at Charlotte (on both the oval and the road cours) in November and the Daytona road course last month.

Chip Ganassi Racing driver and 2004 Cup Series champion Kurt Busch will drive. Busch was commended for his feedback when he and Martin Truex Jr. tested at Charlotte, NASCAR putting two Next Gen cars on track for the first time.

Chris Buescher drove the car at the Daytona test. NASCAR senior vice president of racing innovation John Probst indicated that returning to Charlotte might happen after that test.

“I think some of the stuff we found in the car is very promising for some of the other tracks we’re going to take it to,” said Probst. “So if anything, we may try to get on a local track up in the Charlotte area for a couple hours to verify that what we found here translates to some other track types.”