Ever since Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. spilled their guts on their podcast about really needing more horsepower in the next-gen cars, everyone’s talking about it. Even Chase Elliott, who usually stays out of the drama, weighed in with his two cents. But then, the Bristol race happened, and it might just be the game changer for all those short-track headaches that came with the next-gen cars.

So, are we not fussing over horsepower anymore? Hard to say for sure, but the buzz from last weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway might be a silver lining not just for other short tracks but also for NASCAR’s tire partner.

The Bristol race was a blast for the drivers but could have turned into a nightmare for Goodyear

Things got dicey when the crashes started piling up from lap 25, with one caution after another thanks to the tires wearing down on the concrete like nobody’s business. Greg Stucker from Goodyear had to step in mid-race to shed some light on the situation and share how they were scrambling to sort it out. But when the dust settled, everyone, from the drivers to the fans, ended up loving how the race turned out.

It was a fresh challenge that was totally worth the hustle. Chase Elliott even mentioned in his post-race chat how much fun he had, saying it shook things up from the usual routine. As reported by Racer, he mentioned, “The one thing that makes me nervous when things like this happen – and I’m really glad it sounds like the response has been positive – because the worst thing that can happen is we all get out of the car and Goodyear gets scared to death because of what we’re going to say about the tire and what kind of publicity that gives them.”

“The next thing you know, we’re racing on bricks for the next 10 years because they’re scared to death of having something like that happen again because it had a bad reflection of it. And no one told us to get out and be happy – it was just a genuine thing. It was fun. A lot of the race was in your hands as a driver as to what you could do.”

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But this doesn’t mean we’re done talking about needing more horsepower. Even though the tires and concrete mix at Bristol did the trick, other tracks might still need a tweak in the horsepower department. And it sounds like Chase Elliott is on the same page with that thought.

Chase Elliott has thrown his hat into the ring on the horsepower debate that’s been heating up lately

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The horsepower conversation has everyone from drivers to fans weighing in, and Elliott’s take is especially interesting given his family’s deep roots in racing, as noted by FOX’s Bob Pockrass.

He shared, “In the grand scheme of what the races might look like, I think anytime you introduce off-throttle time is probably a good thing for drivers having the ability to be different. I think the more we’re pushed into the box being the same, the harder it’s going to be for guys to stand out or, you know, drive from the back of the field to the front of the field.”

But Elliott was quick to add a disclaimer that he’s no engine expert. From what he knows, the current setup with tapered spacers is dialing back efficiency to the extreme. Without those restrictions, the engines could be pushing out way more power than they are now.

On the topic of cost, he mentioned that, sure, beefing up the engines might mean new parts, but he’s convinced those parts wouldn’t break the bank more than the current ones, as long as they’re chosen wisely for durability under the added power.

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