Quickly, what do you think of when you think, NASCAR? The roar of engines, the rush of adrenaline, and the thrill of high-speed competition, to name a few? The excitement of NASCAR lies in the heart-pumping action, the strategy, and the skill that unfolds on the track. And that’s what the NASCAR fans, drivers, team owners, and industry members crave. However, the Next-Gen car has robbed fans of much of this joy.

In 2022, NASCAR introduced the Next-Gen car to bring parity into the Cup Series. While on paper, this experiment seemed like a step in the right direction, single-source parts have only made it harder to pass. The racing product has taken a serious hit, mainly on superspeedways and short tracks, as the draft on superspeedways is too important due to increased drag when moving out of the draft, and short tracks due to the sheer lack of passing and less tire wear. However, besides these issues, one problem sticks out more than most, and that’s the glaring lack of horsepower.

NASCAR veterans and fans alike have been screaming for an increase in horsepower ever since NASCAR has been cutting it down in the 21st century. In 2014, the car on the Cup Series grid produced 900 horsepower and thrilling racing. Since then, it has been on a downward spiral, going to 750 in 2015 and as low as 550 in 2019. The Next-Gen car saw a necessary increase to 670, but this still doesn’t seem enough. Now, a NASCAR engineer has shared his thoughts on the horsepower required to revive the racing product, and his comments have triggered the voices of passionate fans.

Doug Yates, the face behind the primary engine builder for Ford Performance teams in the NASCAR Cup Series, recently sat down for an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 on Wednesday. Having faced similar demands throughout the years, Yates talked about the details of the engine-building process and what an increase in horsepower would mean. “If we were to increase the power from 670 horsepower to about 750 horsepower, that probably wouldn’t be much of a change for us today. But, to go back to those 900 horsepower engines, that would be quite the project and would definitely decrease the life of the engine,” Yates said on the radio channel.

However, while Yates feels that 900 HP would be the ideal scenario to improve the product, costs are the roadblock NASCAR teams could face as a result. Yates added, “John Probst [NASCAR VP of Racing Development] and his team have a tough job. We wanna continue to make the racing better, specifically the short track racing. They want to be open-minded about this, but the balance is being open-minded and not driving the cost… I would like to see them be open-minded and try some things.”

While reaching 900 horsepower is possible, it would likely shorten the engine’s lifespan and create challenges for engine builders and the costs associated with manufacturing the engines. However, it wasn’t Yates’ rejection of the idea of increasing horsepower to 900 that sparked a series of similar reactions from NASCAR fans; rather, it was NASCAR’s reluctance to try new things out and attempt to fix a car that has been a problem for 4 years running.

NASCAR fans feel that much more than horsepower changes are needed

After listening to Yates’ comments, one fan on Reddit said, “I’ve actually heard Doug say he’d love to see 900 HP at short tracks.” While Doug Yates has often hyped up the idea about the same, he has often done that with the same reasoning as now. For instance, in 2023, in another appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Yates said that although it is possible to increase 750 HP to 900, it “would be a pretty long runway to get there and probably add a lot of expenses due to the life of the engine would be shorter.” So, even if Doug Yates’s efforts haven’t resulted in what fans want to see, at least he has been consistent in his reasoning.

One other fan said, “I don’t understand why they won’t do this for the all-star race. At least see what happens.” NASCAR, which continually seeks to enhance its All-Star Race, made several additions to the event this year. Among the changes is a ‘promoter’s caution’ that NASCAR may deploy before lap 220 of the 250-lap race; however, there was no mention or promise of increasing horsepower. While the controversial horsepower issue seems to be here to stay, it has certainly affected TV ratings this year. The average viewership has dropped by approximately 0.130 million (-3.781%) compared to last year.

One fan commented, who is likely just as tired as Chase Elliot and Kevin Harvick, replied, “Me simple man. Me want see car go fast.” An honest take from a fan that just wants to see drivers have more control over the outcome of the race. At the moment, it seems like the best drivers succumb to the horsepower limitations and opt for saving fuel instead of burning it for the win.

Looking outside of horsepower, one fan said, “The horsepower is easy, but what about reengineering the tires, brakes, transmission, driveshafts, on and on – From what I’ve read the other components are all rated for much more hp.” The idea makes sense, and it is reflected in the actual designs as well. For instance, NASCAR teams design tires that can withstand high speeds and strong forces, filling them with nitrogen to help control temperature and pressure during races. They also build driveshafts from durable materials and balance them to handle the high speeds and rotational forces in racing. So if these components are tweaked sufficiently to improve the quality of racing, maybe a lower HP increase would be enough?

Lastly, a fan agreed with Yates’s comments, saying, “Diminishing returns. 550 to 670 is a 21% HP increase, while 670 to 750 is only 11%. Don’t get me wrong I’d take 80 more HP in a heartbeat, but I don’t think it’d make a huge difference. The car would still have too much mechanical grip, the brakes would still be too good, and they’d likely still be shifting.” The fan (and Yates) aren’t entirely wrong. For instance, returning to 750 horsepower would require minimal changes. This is because the current engine is the same as the one that produced 750 horsepower; NASCAR simply uses a thick plate with holes to limit airflow. So the problems would persist while the cars go faster as they fail to pass each other.

What is your take on the horsepower conundrum? Let us know in the comments!