NASCAR horsepower debate: Manufacturers pushing investment into consumer V8 engines

It was a little more than a year ago that Elton Sawyer put a wet blanket on NASCAR horsepower increases in the Cup Series. However, things have started to change. The main argument from the Senior Vice President of Competition, back then, was that OEMs (manufacturers) didn’t want to invest in V8 engines.

“We need a platform that will invite some new OEMs to come and participate,” Sawyer explained to Dale Earnhardt Jr. in May 2024. “They love the Next Gen car. The one thing they’re not going to do, is they’re not going to build a V8, pushrod engine. So, we have to continue to develop and look at different platforms and options that will be inviting to those OEMs.”

That argument has more or less been echoed for years at this point. Since the Next Gen car was introduced, a spec-car platform that is meant to entice new OEMs to join the sport, that has been the refrain. Honda and Hyundai were rumored to be interested in testing the NASCAR waters with the current 670 horsepower package.

“The conversations that our folks, John Probst in [development] and that group have had, that’s [a V8 pushrod engine] a dealbreaker right there,” Sawyer further explained. “Where, when Toyota came in, they actually didn’t have that engine and developed it and built it for the trucks. So, kudos to them, that’s just not the world we live in today.”

Sawyer even talked about hybrid systems. That appeared to be the only way that horsepower would go up in the future for the Cup Series. Well… about that.

Dodge is bringing Hemi V8s back to lineup, Ram trucks

Since May 2024, there has been news of a “new” manufacturer coming to NASCAR. Dodge is set to return to the Truck Series in 2026 and then to the Cup Series in 2027 or 2028, depending on a few factors in the industry.

With the return of Dodge in the NASCAR national series as soon as next season, there is more good news. This August, Stellantis is resuming production on the Hemi V8 engine at the Dundee Engine Plant in Michigan. Not only the 6.4-liter that has been continued to be under the hoods of the Ram Heavy Duty trucks, but also in a 5.7-liter and 6.4-liter “392 Hemi,” as well as the 6.2-liter supercharged Hellcat V8.

That doesn’t sound like a manufacturer shying away from the V8 model. That sounds like Dodge is embracing the V8 engine and working to not only market it to consumers in its Ram trucks, but also in the Charger. Of course, Dodge is also set to put it into NASCAR race trucks and cars when the time comes for them to officially rejoin the sport.

There is another manufacturer who recently made a large investment in V8 engines. On the back of more NASCAR horsepower talk, this should have fans very excited about the possibility of an increase actually happening.

GM invests $888 million for V8 production in Buffalo

Another feather in the cap for drivers and fans who want to see more horsepower in NASCAR, Chevrolet’s parent company, General Motors, has made a major announcement this week. General Motors is investing $888 million to build the next generation of V8 engines in Buffalo, NY.

The new V8 engines will start to be produced in 2027. Both the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra are expected to have those engines under the hood. Right now, the Tonawanda plant in Buffalo is already producing this current generation of V8 engines. However, the investment will update the facility and bring in new tools and machinery to build the next generation.

You may be asking, ‘What does this have to do with NASCAR horsepower increases?’ Well, it has everything to do with it. NASCAR has always been about racing on Sunday, selling on Monday. Investments in V8 engines from current and future OEMs are a signal to Elton Sawyer. It’s a signal that bumping up the power on Sunday isn’t going to upset anyone. And in fact, it will likely help the dealerships on the sales floor.

Elton Sawyer signals NASCAR horsepower increase possible

So, back to Elton Sawyer. Earlier this week on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Sawyer made comments that lit up NASCAR social media. They were a complete deviation from his comments a year ago.

“It’s on the table,” Sawyer said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “We are working closely with all the stakeholders in the industry, and as I said, the collaboration has been better than ever in our sport on all topics. This particular one, had a team owner council meeting last week, came up and we discussed that. Working closely, I know [senior vice president of innovation and racing development] John Probst had a conversation with our engine builder to see what we could do, how that would look, and what changes would need to be made.”

Now, I don’t expect a move from 670 horsepower to 900+ horsepower. That would require a major reworking of the Next Gen car to make sure that it could handle the power. Make sure it still holds up on safety and performance. But we have heard time and again, bumping it up to 750 could be done relatively easily.

The same week GM makes this large investment in the next generation of V8 engines and just a couple of months out from the Dodge Hemi being back in production, NASCAR is starting to change its tune on horsepower. That shouldn’t be overlooked, and likely isn’ta coincidence.

With Dodge coming on as a fourth manufacturer again, it may take pressure off NASCAR to restrict these cars. If Honda and Hyundai aren’t willing to build a V8 engine, then that’s their problem. Because it appears NASCAR has found its fourth manufacturer. And they are more than happy to build V8 engines for race cars and for consumer vehicles.

NASCAR drivers, engine builders want more horsepower

Of course, the biggest proponents of adding horsepower are the NASCAR drivers themselves. Most, not all, but most want to see that bump to 750 HP. From there, they can decide if it is worth it to add even more power, and worth it to rework the Next Gen car.

Even this week, Hendrick VP of Powertrain, Scott Maxim, commented on the debate. He sees it as an easy increase, as long as it is to that 750 mark or around there.

“If it’s a moderate power increase, I think we have a pretty good understanding of the changes required, which would be pretty limited,” Maxim told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace would love to see an increase. He says it should be seen not only as a performance issue, but as an entertainment issue as well. With NASCAR capturing a new audience on Prime Video recently, he sees it as the perfect time.

“We’ve been saying it for years, we want more horsepower, and we’ve always been told we’re waiting on other manufacturers to come in and they ain’t in!” Wallace said. “So, let’s do something. Yeah, we need to think. We have all the momentum on our side with our sport right now, right? I think bringing something exciting, I think they need to look at it from an exciting standpoint than a worrying standpoint.”

There are NASCAR drivers who remain skeptics of the horsepower increase. At least the increase to 750. A few drivers, like Michael McDowell, don’t think it is enough. It is an “illusion” of an issue. But at this point, what is there to lose?

Industry stakeholders are committing to V8 engines

Ford isn’t giving up on V8 engines any time soon. GM/Chevrolet is investing almost $1 billion into new V8s. Dodge is bringing back the Hemi and V8 family of engines. Toyota is committed to motorsports in the long term.

At this point, chasing a manufacturer like Honda or Hyundai feels like a lost cause. They can join the sport if they want to join the sport. NASCAR can’t sacrifice its identity, which has always revolved around these V8 engines. If an OEM wants to compete in NASCAR, then they should be prepared to embrace the culture of the sport.

NASCAR needs to put more horsepower in these cars because nothing else has worked. Racing in general, not just in NASCAR, is plagued by issues with aero and dirty air. It is a consequence of all of the fine-tuned engineering and science that goes into motorsports. However, with stock cars, there seems to be a formula to at least make passing, for faster cars, easier. The cars have to be harder to handle for these drivers, who are the best in the world at what they do.

There isn’t just talk in the NASCAR world, there is real-world investment in V8 engines going on right now. If I’m Elton Sawyer and NASCAR, I bump these engines up to 750 horsepower immediately. Then, I look at how the car can be modified to accommodate an 800 to 850 horsepower package. The teams and engine builders aren’t intimidated. NASCAR execs shouldn’t be, either.