We are at that point in the season again where everyone is asking, ‘Will NASCAR add horsepower to the Next Gen car?’ The answer so far each year since 2022 has been a resounding “No, and please stop asking!”
NASCAR has argued against a horsepower increase for years. They mainly claim that the 670 horsepower package is set up to attract new manufacturers to the sport. Well, Dodge is rumored to return in 2026 to the Truck Series with a Cup Series return set for soon after.
So, the new manufacturer has been found. That’s great news! Now, can we increase horsepower? This issue has been such a thorn in NASCAR’s side that it was a discussion when the Next Gen was being developed.
Mike Forde, NASCAR Managing Director of Racing Communications, talked about an upcoming all-drivers meeting at Kansas this weekend. It is a time for drivers to give input on the sport and, in particular, the car.
“Well, I’m sure that’s going to come up too [this weekend],” Forde said on Hauler Talk. “I’m sure that [horsepower] will come up this weekend, and that’s something that we’re going to look at seriously. You hear levels of 900, 1000 horsepower, whatever, I don’t know if that’s – that’s not on the table just because of the cost.
“But there’s some conversation of, can you go up to 750? That’s something that I’m sure we’ll discuss with the drivers, too. I don’t want to make any promises or get anyone’s hopes up, but that is, we seriously listen to the drivers and their feedback, and we’ll see what we can do there.”
NASCAR horsepower debate continues
So, let’s not get too excited about these words. Mike Forde is being very clear here, this is not a guarantee. He is saying that horsepower is a topic he expects drivers to bring up. If it is brought up, he says NASCAR will look at it seriously as they do with all driver input.
To me, that isn’t any different than what we’ve heard since 2023. NASCAR has hinted many times that horsepower could be a path to improving the Next Gen car. They have yet to touch that level, though. Instead, officials have opted for aero and tire changes over power.
NASCAR has also said a few times that manufacturers don’t want to make V8 combustion engines anymore. That might be true, but again, Dodge is coming back to the sport. There is also a rumor that Dodge is bringing the Hemi V8 back as an option available on the Charger. So, explain that.
Until Commissioner Steve Phelps comes out and says horsepower is increasing, I probably won’t believe it. These engines could be given 750 horsepower tomorrow and there wouldn’t be much for teams to change. It isn’t a huge ask, and it could at the very least give drivers more to work with on race day.
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