Martin Truex Jr. not impressed with new short track package: 'Exactly the same as the fall'

After 50 minutes of practice, things aren’t looking great for the new short track package from NASCAR. Martin Truex Jr. couldn’t tell the difference. In other words, in traffic, dirty air takes all your passing ability away.

Martin Truex Jr. more or less echoed the same sentiments as his Toyota teammate Tyler Reddick. There is little to no difference in the way the cars handle in traffic, according to Reddick, it’s actually worse now.

While Truex didn’t go as far as to say it was worse, he couldn’t feel any difference out on the track. That’s not a good sign for NASCAR or Sunday’s race.

“It’s the ability to turn better than somebody when you’re behind them and get under them like the way we used to race,” Truex Jr. said, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “What I’ve noticed in practice was, you know I got within a car length or so and plowed out from behind who the guy was when I caught him. Doesn’t seem a whole lot different yet but again, tomorrow more cars on the track it will be a little different data point and we’ll see if it’s any different.”

When asked about the shifting in the corners, something drivers are able to do as a defensive maneuver, Martin Truex Jr. stuck with the same assessment.

“It’s basically exactly the same as the fall for me so far.”

So, it looks like we might be in for a frustrating day of racing on Sunday.

Martin Truex Jr. not impressed with short track package

Now, with remarks from Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick, and a handful of others echoing the same sentiment – I think we can agree. This short track package is just not going to cut it, at least not at Phoenix.

This is where the discussion on this gets a bit mixed up. Is it more on Phoenix being a poor track for Next Gen racing and the overall package? One more than the other? It’s hard to tell until we see this package at other tracks.

For now, we can pretty much look forward to tough passing situations and a lot of frustration from drivers. There is nothing worse than knowing your car is faster than the driver ahead of you, that you are hitting your marks better, but you just can’t pass.

I would not bet on it, but I think we are in for another Phoenix race that disappoints overall. Martin Truex Jr.’s assessment of the situation tells me about all I need to know. Fans should hope for the best, prepare for the boring.