NASCAR looking at possibility of using the new ECU that starts this week to send severity of …

NASCAR is evaluating the implementation of new Electronic Control Unit (ECU) technology to provide race control with immediate notifications regarding the severity of on-track impacts.

The exploration of this technology follows a controversial decision not to deploy a caution flag during a crash involving Cody Ware at Watkins Glen.

Ware, driving the No. 51 car for Rick Ware Racing, struck the railing in Turn 7, leaving a significant dent in the barrier. Although the vehicle remained under power and drove down pit road for attempted repairs, the team ultimately chose to park the car.

The incident became a point of contention after the race because television coverage initially showed the resulting damage without providing replays of the collision. Later, in-car footage revealed the intensity of the impact and indicated that Ware had nearly careened off the railing and back into the path of oncoming traffic.

Brad Moran, NASCAR’s managing director for the Cup Series, addressed the decision-making process during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on May 13, 2026.

Moran stated that based on the information available to race control at the time, a caution would not have been issued because the No. 51 car drove away from the scene of the incident. He noted that NASCAR would only have thrown a caution if the vehicle had begun dropping debris.

To prevent similar gaps in information, NASCAR is working with its safety team to utilize a new ECU being introduced to the cars for the first time during the weekend of May 16, 2026. This new hardware possesses capabilities that could signal hard impacts directly to race control in the tower.

Moran detailed the current communication infrastructure used to monitor track conditions, which includes NASCAR corner workers stationed in Turn 1, through the esses, at the bus stop, and in Turn 6. These officials use official radios, while the track employs local corner workers on a separate radio system coordinated with an official in the tower.

The organization is using the Watkins Glen incident as a case study for potential safety upgrades. Moran emphasized the league’s ongoing commitment to driver protection, stating, We never stop working on safety, and adding that when such incidents occur, the organization reviews the event to determine what can change or what can be done differently.