Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Longtime NASCAR Insider Demands Big Change After Bristol

Originally posted on The Spun | By Matt Hladik | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 4:52 PM ET

One of the more prominent NASCAR insiders has lodged a major complaint following Sunday's race at Bristol.

Kyle Larson was the main story of yesterday's Food City 500, as the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion led 411 of 500 laps en route to his second win of the 2025 season. Larson is currently fourth in the points standings after nine events, trailing William Byron, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell.

While Larson obviously deserves a ton of credit for his performance, insider Jeff Gluck of The Athletic was concerned over the lack of back-and-forth action that usually occurs on a short track.

On the latest episode of "The Teardown," Gluck theorized that the Next Gen cars, which were introduced on the Cup Series in 2022, have made for a less appealing product on the short tracks.

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - MARCH 21: Kyle Larson, driver of the #07 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 21, 2025 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)Chris Graythen/Getty Images

“I don’t think you can fix it with this car. This car is not designed for short-track racing,” Gluck stated, via On3. “They’ve tried a bunch of stuff. You can say, ‘Well, if they only added more horsepower. If they only did this.’ It’s this car. It’s the car. The car sucks on short-tracks. Sorry. … I don’t think it’s just the butt-kicking. I don’t think it’s about one guy leading a bunch of laps that I’m upset about. It’s that nothing happened in the race. You know, like — nothing really happened. Especially considering it’s Bristol, where the whole reputation here is about helmet throwing and aggressiveness and all the crazy stuff.

“… Something’s got to change. If everybody says it’s too hard to change or whatever, then just don’t go there, because that’s what you’re doing at this point. You’re just saying, I mean, because otherwise you’re saying, ‘I’m OK with putting out a crap product and trying to convince people to come out there and watch this,’ and because this is — what’s changing? What is on the horizon here that’s going to change? So if you’re trying to convince people to come out and just hope it gets better, good luck.”

If Gluck is correct, there's nothing NASCAR can do for the time being. It's not like they can change the car model midseason.

As for the upcoming schedule, the next major short track race will be the Cook Out 400 at Richmond in August. The next race on the docket overall is the Jack Link's 500 at Talladega on April 27.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: