When the NASCAR Next Gen car made its debut in the 2022 Cup Series season, the headlines focused on its radical redesign—independent rear suspension, 5-speed sequential manual, single body design for all tracks, composite body, and a supply-chain overhaul that reshaped the economics of the sport.However, behind the scenes, the first stone of this landmark transformation was planted years earlier through a collaboration between Legacy Motor Club (LMC) CEO Cal Wells III and race car engine-builder Doug Yates.On Friday, November 21, NASCAR journalist Matt Weaver shared the post on X, in which LMC CEO detailed the pivotal role he and Yates played in shaping the framework that ultimately became the Next Gen project. He mentioned that their early efforts, like those rooted in cost reduction, competitive parity, and long-term sustainability, provided NASCAR with the “conceptual design” that later evolved into the Cup Series.In the declaration shared by Weaver, LMC CEO Wells recounted that after their initial conversations with the sport, he and Yates began drafting a formal proposal with one core idea: “standardize as many parts of the Cup car as possible.” In collaboration with Yates, the LMC CEO formed a new joint venture specifically to develop and sell conceptual designs to NASCAR, and these designs formed the genesis of the Next Gen car.Here's what Cal Wells III said in his declaration:“Doug and I felt utilizing sole-source suppliers to provide parts at a lower cost for all teams racing in the Cup Series would result in team ownership becoming more financially sustainable. After buying conceptual designs of what is now referred to as the "Next Gen" car from a new company that Doug and I had formed together NASCAR moved forward to design the Next Gen car and then implement it across the Cup category.”“Ultimately NASCAR introduced the Next Gen car for the 2022 Cup Series season. The Next Gen car has made racing more competitive across all entries with teams both big and small and has also driven down the cost to compete in the Cup Series by approximately 40%.”Who has dominated the NASCAR Next Gen era?The end of the 2025 Cup Series season marks the fourth year of the Next Gen era with the Gen 7 car in the series.The 2025 champion, Kyle Larson, has dominated the Next Gen era with the most wins. He has won 16 races and dozen of runner-up finishes. Then, veteran Denny Hamlin is next in the list with 14 wins and 13 P2 finishes. However, William Byron has also won 14 races in the Next Gen era, but he has nine P2 finishes.Among teams, Hendrick Motorsports emerges as the leader, as they have won 40 races, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing with 33 wins and Team Penske with 23 wins.This year, Penske's dominant streak of three consecutive Cup championships was broken after Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney were eliminated from the Championship 4 contention. Whereas HMS and Larson emerged as the champions.