Earlier this week, NASCAR officials hinted at the possibility of increasing horsepower from 670HP to 750HP, at least for short tracks. And it could potentially happen before the end of the 2025 season.
“It’s on the table,” NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “We are working closely with all the stakeholders in the industry and the collaboration has been better than ever in our sport on all topics. This particular one, [we] had a team owner council meeting last week, came up and we discussed that. Working closely, I know John Probst [senior vice president of innovation and racing development] had a conversation with our engine builders to see what we could do, how that would look and what changes would need to be made.
These comments were echoed by NASCAR managing director of communications Mike Forde on the podcast ‘Hauler Talk, saying, “It was something we proactively brought up to have a further discussion of improving the short-track package. Obviously the drivers all embraced that topic and requested more and more horsepower.”
Forde confirmed that NASCAR is looking into it as they consider the feasibility of such a change. Just a decade ago, horsepower reached 900 horsepower, and it was gradually reduced until the highly controversial 550HP package was introduced in 2019. When the Next Gen car arrived in 2022, horsepower went back up to 670HP.
Drivers support horsepower increase
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images
This week, several drivers expressed a desire for this to happen as the racing at short tracks in recent years has been lackluster. They struggle to pass and drivers often complain about a lack of power.
“I definitely think it needs more,” said Josh Berry, who won at Las Vegas earlier this year. “The question, I think, boils down to how much more does it need to move the needle? I don’t really have an answer to that. It probably needs to be pretty significant. What I would hate to happen is to go up 100 horsepower and it doesn’t really look that different and everyone goes ‘oh that wasn’t it.’ It is a combination of a lot of things. It is the aero side of the car, it is horsepower, it’s the tires. Honestly, it’s technology.
“I raced a Pro Late Model on Thursday night and when I got out front my car drove a lot better than when I was tucked up behind someone’s bumper. It’s just technology and the field is that close. It’s just physics and aero. It would definitely be a step in the right direction if they go in that direction. We will see what happens.”
2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott was asked about a possible increase in horsepower as well.
“I’m not super in-tune with what those numbers are or like what’s being talked about as far, as how far they want to go with it,” said the Hendrick Motorsports driver. “I don’t know that I’m super educated on kind of what’s possible, what’s even true or not true. I think it’d be worth a shot, you know, if the engine manufacturers are willing to do it. And that’s probably going to be a question for them, truthfully, because they’re going to dictate how much power we can give the current packages that we have and still have the longevity and the reliability we expect to have because I think we have to run them three times. So, you know, I think without having a total overhaul, you’ve got to play within those walls, right? And I think the engine manufacturers are going to have to get on the same page and agree to a number, which is always difficult.
“Chevrolet might want one thing, Toyota might want something else, and Ford might want something different. And everybody kind of plays to their strengths as to what they think they have their leg up on, right? And that’s just a game.
“So you’re going to have to get all of them to agree, which in my view, is going to be a difficult thing to do. But hopefully they can, and everybody’s willing to give it a shot somewhere just to see if it makes a difference. It might not do anything, but it might really help. And until you try, I don’t know that you really have an answer,” Elliott said.
Ryan Preece, RFK Racing Ford; Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet; Justin Haley, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Photo by: Michael Bush – Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Count driver Ryan Preece among those who would like to see the change made, believing it would benefit his driving style. “There are things I do with the brake pedal or the throttle or brake bias – another tool on how to help your car exit the corner or when you’re setting up a pass being able to clear, having that extra horsepower, but at the end of the day if the rules are the same for everybody, you’ve just got to figure out how to do it better than everybody else.
“But, to answer (the) question on fans and what they want or what not, I’m just gonna use the 600 as an example. I went back and watched it and that race was a great race to watch. When I look at North Wilkesboro and how that race was, that was a good race to watch,” said Preece.
He continued: “That usually comes from varying strategies. I think it comes from a whole bunch of different things, so if we continue to make adjustments, I think we’re definitely gonna keep fans entertained, but I’m obviously somebody that is always gonna be of the ‘give me more horsepower’ and not just a little bit. It’s not a 30 or 70 horsepower increase, it’s like guys way back in the day were racing 900 horsepower and now we’re in 2025, so I’m not speaking for the engine builders. I’m speaking selfishly as a race car driver who wants the challenge.”
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