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23XI, FRM attorney cites Kurt Busch in response to NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps touting Next Gen safety

Meby: Nick Geddes14 hours agoNickGeddesNews

NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps touted the safety of the Next Gen car during his Tuesday testimony in the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports versus NASCAR antitrust lawsuit trial. Phelps testified that the Next Gen car is the “safest car in all of motorsports.”

Phelps’ statement drew “audible gasps” in the Charlotte courtroom, according to Jenna Fryer of The Associated Press. 23XI co-owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin laughed. There was a reason for their laughter, as they recall the events of July 23, 2022. That afternoon at Pocono Raceway, then 23XI driver Kurt Busch crashed in qualifying. He suffered a severe concussion, one that forced him into retirement.

So, we go back to Phelps’ testimony that the Next Gen car is the “safest car in all of motorsports.” The plaintiffs’ attorney Jeffrey Kessler asked Phelps if he knew who Busch was and if the 2004 Cup Series champion retired due to a concussion. Phelps, per Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, acknowledged that but noted the car was designed to prevent fatalities. He added that NASCAR later increased crumple zones.

NASCAR’s Steve Phelps makes big statement during testimony

Since the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022, a number of drivers have suffered injuries while racing. Cody Ware was the most recent example in the Chicago Street Race. Erik Jones had a back injury in 2024. Noah Gragson missed a race in 2023 after a wreck. Alex Bowman missed a handful of races in 2022 after suffering a concussion in a wreck. Busch’s Hall of Fame career was cut short at Pocono.

Of course, there are examples of the Next Gen car holding up well in extreme wrecks. Ryan Preece and his flips show that the car can be safe and protect drivers in the worst situations.

Beyond safety, Phelps lauded the Next Gen car for improving the on-track product: “The racing is just better, so it has accomplished what I hoped it would accomplish.”

That’s a statement that might be controversial, as the superspeedway and short track product has been much criticized. That being said, intermediate races have largely been well-received by the NASCAR fanbase.