DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR officials have confirmed that the wheels on the Next Gen Cup Series car will utilize a single, center-locking lug nut in 2021.

The new 18-inch forged aluminum wheel design debuted Monday during the Next Gen car’s on-track test at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. The current steel wheels used in the NASCAR Cup Series are 15 inches.

“One of our main goals with the Next Gen car is to provide a vehicle that better replicates what our OEM partners sell in the showroom – both in looks and relevant technology,” said John Probst, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development. “Moving to an 18 inch forged aluminum wheel helps do just that.

“Once the decision was made to go that direction, we tested different lug nut options. With the loads on the larger wheels, we had to make sure that the wheel would remain securely fastened the car. The single lug, center lock design was the best way to accomplish this.”

Probst noted that while the single lug wheel will be a major departure from the current wheel design, he doesn’t expect the new design to change pit stops in a major way.

“The choreography of a pit stop won’t change,” Probst said. “You’ll still have the same over-the-wall crew members you have today, and rules related to when they can enter the pit box are still in effect.

“It will still be important for the tire changers to be quick off the wall to get to the far side of the car,” Probst continued. “Hand-eye coordination remains extremely important, you’re still trying to get the lug and tire on and off the car faster than 39 other teams. The overall way a pit stop looks will remain the same.

“In terms of timing, the torque is higher on the single lug, which means they have to leave the gun on longer. In our testing, we’ve found that it takes approximately half a second to properly tighten this new lug. Today, a good tire changer can remove five lugs in about .8 seconds. So, while pit stops may be a touch quicker next year, it won’t be a significant difference.”

Below is a look at the new wheel design that will be utilized in 2021.

NEWS: NASCAR moving to single lug-nut design for Next Gen car.

Details: https://t.co/pEZsqytsQr pic.twitter.com/rF8vGqbMKx

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 2, 2020