The contrast between Bristol and Watkins Glen was striking, but one moment at The Glen hasn’t gotten enough attention. Despite multiple crashes, including a hard collision between Brad Keselowski and William Byron, many damaged cars still managed to finish the race. Keselowski’s No. 6 car, though banged up, completed the race in 26th place.
The real story? The resilience of the NextGen cars. Despite the severity of the crash, Keselowski’s car held up, highlighting the durability of the new design. When photos of the wrecked yet intact NextGen car surfaced, fans were amazed. One thing became clear: these NextGen cars are built to last.
Brad Keselowski’s roll cage was damaged.
Inside every Cup Series car, a protective roll cage is designed to prevent the car from collapsing during a crash. The collision between Keselowski and Byron was so severe that it actually dented Keselowski’s roll cage. Even after taking that kind of hit, it held its shape and kept the driver safe inside. This is exactly what NASCAR has aimed for with the safety measures in the NextGen cars, and The Glen provided a clear example of it working.
When Byron and Keselowski collided, both drivers ended up against the wall. Byron’s car went airborne briefly, with its right front tire coming dangerously close to entering Keselowski’s car. It was a near-disaster, but the cars sustained only minor damage, and both drivers reversed out of the entanglement, continuing the race as if nothing had happened.
Last year, NASCAR made it a priority to enhance the NextGen cars after Kyle Larson’s crash at Talladega. Larson’s car went up the banking during a high-speed pack race, where Ryan Preece collided with it, severely damaging Larson’s roll cage and dislodging a piece of tubing. Having the roll cage fail in such situations wasn’t an option, so NASCAR focused on strengthening its design.
Photos of Keselowski’s roll cage surfaced on Reddit, where fans were impressed by how well the cars held up. On X (formerly Twitter), multiple images showed the damage to the roll cage, and fans on Reddit expressed their amazement at the outcome.
The original poster of the thread beat another fan to the reveal, stating, “Was just about to post this myself, glad someone else did, because these pictures are pretty damn amazing. A 3400-pound car hit the roll cage right at a potential point of failure and only created that small ding. Like the car or hate it, but it’s definitely very safe.”
Fans marveled at how a heavy car moving at high speed could hit the cage at such a vulnerable spot, only for the damage to be a small dent. While some fans aren’t fond of the NextGen cars, many agree they are undeniably safe.
“The physics of it is absolutely remarkable,” another fan commented. It was a recipe for disaster, but thanks to NASCAR’s safety efforts, both drivers walked away. The fan noted how Byron’s car nearly entered Keselowski’s window, yet the roll cage was strong enough to keep the danger out.
The physics they referred to include factors like aerodynamics, downforce, independent rear suspension, and Newton’s laws of motion.
The stepped front splitter, hood vents, and rear diffuser reduce side force and increase downforce.
Rear diffusers help following cars by boosting their downforce.
Independent rear suspension improves handling on varied surfaces.
The combined transmission and rear gears allow for potential future electrification.
Newton’s laws dictate the car’s motion, affecting acceleration and collisions.
One fan directly addressed NASCAR, praising them for their work. Their comment read, “Big credit to NASCAR. I’d be interested in seeing how the roll cage on the Gen 6 would’ve reacted compared to the Next Gen.” The fan also wondered how the last-gen cars would handle such a crash.
In response, another fan said, “It would have still withstood the hit but you probably would see a larger dent.” This fan felt that while NASCAR’s cars have been safe for some time, the Gen 6 cars would have taken more damage than the Gen 7 models.
