Gordon & McReynolds Weigh In on 2019 NASCAR Rules Package

NASCAR on Tuesday announced the 2019 rules package that will govern MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES competition. The new package, reflecting in great part the one utilized in the 2018 NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE, is intended to foster more side-by-side racing. Below, FOX NASCAR analysts Larry McReynolds and four-time champion Jeff Gordon share their thoughts on what they expect the new rules package to bring.

“I think this will boost excitement and competition on the intermediate tracks. The intensity will be ramped up for the drivers, and a new skill set will be needed. This will create a whole new set of challenges for the drivers but still give the teams the opportunity to shine."

–Jeff Gordon

“In simplest form, NASCAR took the package that was run in the All-Star Race in May, fine-tuned it and gave it more horsepower, which it needed. When I went up to the FOX Sports booth to watch that first All-Star Race practice, I said, ‘I like what I see but the cars need a little more power.’ That’s essentially what NASCAR has done, which is great. There will be some drivers who don’t like it, but there were some who didn’t like when NASCAR moved to the lower downforce package. But as Bill France Jr. said many times, if the drivers don’t like it, it’s probably the best thing we can do for competition.

“But until we get to Atlanta, Auto Club Speedway, Las Vegas and other tracks, we won’t know for sure what the results will be. I truly liked what I heard and said today and was surprised by the fact the rules, for the most part, will be the same once we leave Daytona in 2019. Fans won’t be able to tell the difference between a car built for Talladega or Martinsville, and I like that. For the first time since 1988, when we go to Talladega in the spring, there will be no such thing as a restrictor plate. Supersonic speeds in excess of 200 miles-per-hour aren’t necessary to have good racing."

–Larry McReynolds