Largely as a result of introduction and debut of the Subsequent Gen automobile within the Cup Collection this season, NASCAR has seen the addition of recent race groups, reminiscent of Trackhouse Racing and 23XI Racing in current seasons.
The Cup schedule has additionally seen quite a few modifications, most lately with the inaugural race at World Broad Expertise Raceway at Gateway final weekend, which featured a sold-out crowd and an entertaining race.
“Two phrases. We’re going to be daring and revolutionary,” Phelps stated Thursday at a media perform in San Francisco forward of this weekend’s race at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. “I believe we’ve carried out that, whether or not you’re speaking about scheduling innovation – take into consideration going to the L.A. Coliseum and operating a (preseason) exhibition race.
“We by no means would have carried out that, proper? First time any of us heard that, they introduced it to me, I’m like, ‘Can we try this?’ It was necessary. So we’re going to be daring. We’re going to be revolutionary.
“We’ll maintain mashing the gasoline, if you’ll. That’s been the success of NASCAR over the past two and a half years, is doing issues which are surprising, going to locations which are surprising.”
Extra modifications to come back
Whereas Phelps made no particular bulletins on Thursday, he indicated the 2023 Cup Collection schedule would additionally options some modifications.
“We’re actually excited what the long run holds. I believe extra schedule innovation is in our future. What that appears like, I don’t know,” he stated. “Definitely no bulletins in the present day.
“However we’re poised to have the ability to proceed the success we’ve had for our media companions, our sponsors, and most significantly from our followers. The winners in all of this, frankly, have been the followers.
“It’s actually simply this terrific racing that these guys are placing on with the Subsequent Gen automobile.”
Phelps stays particularly buoyed by each the efficiency of the Subsequent Gen automobile on the observe but additionally the way it has remodeled the game’s longtime enterprise mannequin.
“I’d say on the automobile itself, it’s extra inventory than it’s been in 20 years. The soiled secret is the automobile that we raced final yr wasn’t inventory in any respect, proper?” Phelps stated. “It was a manufactured automobile by 5 totally different organizations that race in NASCAR, which is why you wanted to have an affiliation.
“Trackhouse Racing wanted to have an affiliation with Richard Childress Racing. They don’t must have that affiliation (now) apart from what they get from an engine perspective. However the remainder of the automobile has all been RFP’d.
“There’s 47 totally different elements to the automobile that the race groups then put collectively. To me, the automobile is simply so necessary each from a enterprise mannequin standpoint because it pertains to the groups, but additionally the relevance that the OEMs get, then the styling is simply incredible.”