After a successful test last week at Martinsville, NASCAR’s Next Gen project will head to another historic race track as the sanctioning body continues to prepare for its future.
Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick will take over the duties for a two-day Next Gen tire test at Darlington Raceway starting on Tuesday.
This marks the first time that the Next Gen car will head to Darlington, which is on track for its expected 2022 debut. The P3 prototype will be utilized for the test according to a media release.
The Next Gen’s RR quarter panel probably: https://t.co/4k2ycI5Yo3 pic.twitter.com/DaDJRbNYo1
— Tyler Reddick (@TylerReddick) April 5, 2021
In addition to Darlington, NASCAR is expected to bring the Next Gen car to Texas and Bristol for additional tire tests with Goodyear. The sanctioning body also confirmed that more tests will be conducted following the Charlotte Roval weekend in October, with two additional tests to be determined following the conclusion of the 2020 season.
Reddick’s teammate, Austin Dillon, was the first driver to shakedown the car in October of 2019. The car, originally scheduled for a 2021 Daytona 500 debut, was pushed back one year thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The car spent more than two years in development, from concept to reality.
NASCAR’s three national series will head to Darlington from May 7-9.
