Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series’ drivers are preparing for the races at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend.  This will be the first flat-track event with the new Gen 6 cars.  Many pundits have deemed the Daytona 500 to be a lackluster show of the new cars’ capabilities, as drivers seemed to err on the side of caution.

These new models are NASCAR’s attempt to find a happy balance between the drivers’ safety and race cars that more closely resemble street cars.  They are a far cry from the COT models and consistently hailed as a return to ‘old school racing’ when modified street cars were used.  If this was before your time, then check out this video from Muscle Car FilmsYouTube channel and see how far the sport has come and how far it’s yet to go.