After one day of NASCAR testing at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for this new rules package, one thing is clear, the racing is going to be drastically different in 2019 compared to in the past.

Because of that, its created some controversy in their fan base.

Some like these changes. The cars were growing too hard to pass in which created high speed parades at some venues. When you hear drivers get mad at others for racing them “hard” when in all reality they were trying to pass them, which in turn caused a wreck, that sums up everything wrong with the previous aero package.

The cars shouldn’t crash when trying to pass one another.

But, when the cars are spread out a bit and there’s plenty of lanes to pass, it’s the way racing should look. The playoff race at Vegas last year was thrilling to watch. So was the race at Chicagoland in July. Atlanta is also another track that gives drivers multiple lanes to pass too. Those are prime examples of how NASCAR racing is supposed to look.

Other tracks are the complete opposite. Charlotte, Kentucky, Indianapolis, Pocono and others to name a few lack action and passing. That’s now how stock car racing is supposed to be.

So, NASCAR went to the extreme in giving teams so much downforce and so little tire fall off that cars are running in packs. That’s exactly what this package is supposed to do too.

Fans though are divided on it though.

Kyle Busch said that the skill set is gone now. In the past, having to lift in the corners and how hard you could roll the throttle separated the men from the boys. Some of the reasons drivers were crashing when running side-by-side wasn’t the package itself, it was the lack of skill by the drivers.

Now, the drivers are wide open on the throttle because of the Goodyear tires that are holding up well due to the lower speeds and more grip levels from higher downforce and that is making it hard to breakaway from other cars.

While passing throughout the field will certainly grow, passing up front for the lead could remain difficult. That in turn could work because the cars with good track position can remain there because they’ve earned it.

Again, what NASCAR wants.

The fans that don’t like it think this is manufactured racing. This is more like restrictor plate racing where luck is far more important than skill. All the cars are essentially the same and there’s not a whole lot you can do to change that. Shouldn’t the cars in NASCAR’s premiere series be difficult to drive?

While the cars being innovative, fast and hard to drive worked well in the past, it wasn’t working anymore. In all reality, the fans that are against this package are in the minority in terms of what NASCAR is trying to accomplish.

See, from the 90s and into the 2000s, NASCAR was booming. Grandstands were being added and filled by spectators just as quickly. TV ratings were soaring.

In the last decade, the fan base has dwindled in embarrassing fashion. While NASCAR still has millions of followers, they’ve also lost millions of followers too. In order to stop the bleeding, they needed to make a change.

The biggest complaint was the on track product. Fans these days don’t want to watch what fans in yesteryear watched. They want close racing and excitement.

I applaud NASCAR for making the change. They’re trying. But, is it enough? Is this the right change? That’s why 2019 is going to shape NASCAR’s future for the good or the bad.