Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Richard Petty is a legend of the sport. When he speaks up, people listen, and he hasn’t shied away from voicing his opinion on the current state of NASCAR.
Earlier this season, the Hall of Famer called out Fox’s TV coverage and even doubled down on his criticism saying the network’s broadcast “doesn’t show the real race.”
Petty is once again expressing his candid opinion. This time, it’s about the Next Gen car.
On his weekly race recap video, the NASCAR legend was quick to share his thoughts on Talladega, calling it more of a “happening” than a race.
“They happened to throw the green flag. Somebody threw the checkered flag and the No. 2 won the race. He just happened to be in front at that time,” he said.
Petty continued to rip into the Next Gen car’s racing product, saying, “The cars just drive in a line and they just run. And they run and they run. Looked like a pace lap every time.”
He speculated on what can be done to fix the car, although he doesn’t have a clear answer. “I don’t know if it’s the car’s fault, the rule’s fault, the driver’s fault, the engine’s fault, NASCAR’s fault, I don’t know,” Petty said.
No big wrecks, no wild finishes, but these two still have opinions. Watch the Petty Race Recap for Talladega, live now on YouTube! LINK: https://t.co/BPVhqaJPiWpic.twitter.com/V4mDxqws2q
— Richard Petty (@therichardpetty) April 29, 2025
“Would horsepower help anything? I don’t know,” he continued. “They got these cars so draggy that if a car’s leading the race and a car comes up behind him with a good run on him, all he does is pull over and he just stops that car.
“To me that’s not racing. You can go out here and stand on the side of the interstate and watch cars go down the road. That’s what it looked like. It looked like basically it was under a caution flag the entire time.”
Petty is hopeful the fall Talladega race will be more exciting, concluding, “Maybe NASCAR can figure out something to make it more interesting for the spectators.”
Related: Richard Petty Calls Out Fox’s Coverage and Says What Fans Have Been Saying for Years
Related: Richard Petty Doubles Down on FOX Criticism, Calls Darlington A ‘Pit Crew Race’
