By: Ashley McCubbin

Following the completion of the NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader at Dover International Speedway a couple weeks ago, Cole Custer was the latest driver with an opportunity to get behind the wheel of the new car being developed for 2022.

in comparing the current package to where NASCAR is headed, Custer feels the biggest difference is the feel in the steering package.

“The biggest thing is definitely the steering for me, and then also probably the tires feel a little bit different, just how they slip and how much you can get away with getting the car loose,” he told POPULAR SPEED. “It seems like with how the steering is and how the tires are you can’t really get away and how the aero is also, you can’t get away with driving the car sideways as much.  It’s just little differences here and there, but probably the thing that stands out the most is the steering.”

While the current car uses a steering box, the new package will utilize a rack and pinion style package.

“Overall, it’s usually a little bit easier to steer,” he commented. “The wheel is a little bit lighter, less effort to give, but at the same time whenever you hit a bump or whenever it loads up and the front tires or anything kind of changes in the load, it makes it so the wheel wants to kind of rip out of your hands, so at first it wasn’t a big deal, but now that I’ve been doing it four days in a row, it’s starting rip the wheel out of my hands, so it’s getting a little bit tough.”

Custer went on to say the goal of the tests is to work the bugs out of the car with single runs, seeing where you want to be for a competitive lap time and what set-up wise it takes to go faster.

“Right now we’re just trying to knock out big picture things setup-wise, but, overall, I feel like it’s too early to tell how it’s gonna work in traffic,” he explained. “We’re too early in the going I feel like right now, so that’s gonna come a little bit later on.  There’s nothing that jumps out at me that’s totally bad or totally good, either.  It’s just a matter of trying to figure out what’s gonna make it good setup-wise and what’s gonna make it go faster.”

Based on the single car runs they were able to put together, Custer believes the sanctioning body is heading in the right direction.

“I think right now it’s a matter of they’re trying to figure out all the suspension kind of components and how that’s all gonna work out,” he commented. “I think that’s all good to bring in independent suspension and different transmissions and stuff that’s more up to date with the technology today.  I think that’s all good and I think it’s gonna come a little bit later on when we get multiple cars on the racetrack of how the aero is going to work.  Right now, I have no idea how the aero is gonna work in traffic because I’m here by myself.  That might come a little bit later on.”