On any given race weekend now, you’ll hear the rumble of voices in garages and paddocks raising the same question on the power of the car. In 2025, many drivers openly argue that the current 670-horsepower spec in the Cup Series’ Next Gen package is too tame to unlock passing and excitement, especially on short tracks and intermediate ovals. At Nashville, Joey Logano said, “It’s definitely cool…I want to do it. Like, not just the engine, but the drive train. It’s got to be beefed up more,” while Denny Hamlin acknowledged that even an 80-100 hp increase would be meaningful.

Behind the scenes, NASCAR has floated a shift: raising the horsepower envelope toward 750 hp in future configurations, particularly for the short-track package. Some insiders and drivers frame that as the minimum threshold to notice a real difference; anything less might feel cosmetic. That way, the braking zones deepen, off-throttle moments grow, and passing becomes a driver skill rather than aero wake management. But are drivers seeing any changes in tests so far?

At least Kevin Harvick doesn’t, yet. In his latest episode of the Happy Hour podcast with Fox reporter Bob Pockrass, Harvick said, “Everything that I’ve heard that they put it in and the driver couldn’t even tell, that they have changed the horsepower. It needs a ton of horsepower. It needs to be faster.” He continued, “When they lowered the horsepower, the price of the engines went up and the valve train has become so important… I don’t think we need to turn the engines 10,000 RPM, but I think that the cars need to go faster than they do today.” 

For instance, Tommy Baldwin, competition director at Rick Ware Racing, revealed that despite bumping power in test runs, the expected shift in racing dynamics didn’t make much of a difference to move the needle. To get perspective, we need to look back at the days before the Next Gen package.

In the Gen 6 era, for instance, top packages could push into the high 800s or even around 900 hp on select configurations. That era’s drivers speak fondly of sliding off corners, managing tire wear, and having off-throttle grip battles.

The reduction over time, first to 750 hp in 2015, then to 550 hp in 2019, and now 670 hp in the Next Gen car, was part of a broader shift toward parity, cost control, and safety. Many argue that those earlier packages demanded more skill, rewarded aggression, and fostered more overtaking opportunities. The contrast also highlights why incremental changes now feel so constrained because of the modern car’s design, aero stability, and tire footprint all push against brute force power alone.

For fans watching race day, the promise of horsepower changes has become something like a mirage. Many feel that as NASCAR dialed down power year after year, the product has lost some of its raw edge, with less tire smoke, fewer daring passes, and more single-file processions.

NASCAR fans fire back in heated horsepower debate

One fan opined, “I mean I’d still take it over not moving it up. If it makes passing 5% easier on a slick track, why not. But yeah go back to the 900-1000 HP and keep making tires softer.” Some argue that the status quo has dulled the sport, citing years of gradual horsepower reductions as part of why races now often feel processional. Others also point to instances when test runs with higher power or softer tires showed only incremental gains, and question why leadership hasn’t taken more aggressive steps already.

Another fan added, “Multiple drivers have already said this and I didn’t think this was new information. There was a whole thing last year sometime where a bunch of drivers, I believe Kes and Bell being at the forefront, said that we’d need upwards of 900-1,000 hp to really feel the difference and achieve the result everyone assumes more horsepower will bring.” 

In recent discussions, Christopher Bell acknowledged that more power would help the stronger cars slice through the field, but warned it wouldn’t magically produce pack racing on short tracks. While others argue that raising the output from the current 670 hp well past its supposed ideal threshold could restore the dynamic racing that they feel has eroded under the Next Gen formula.

Others added to that sentiment, saying, “Well yea. Look at the tires. Older generations were like racing on shopping cart wheels while these are like racing on tank treads. I say give em 2500 HP and make the back tire compound harder than me at age 14 watching the girls gone wild commercials.” The vast contact patch of the current Goodyear slicks dampens sliding, reduces throttle control battles, and limits the looseness once prized in stock-car racing. In 2024, at Bristol, when drivers faced unexpectedly high wear, Goodyear admitted to being “baffled” by the performance.

While another fan expressed agreement, saying, “I can’t help but feel like Goodyear wouldn’t be having to invent new compounds to soften the tire if there was just less rubber meeting the road. I don’t understand why they went with such a wide tire.” Motorsport engineers have long warned that if the tire width is increased too aggressively, it will risk flattening the tire’s temperature curve or creating diminishing returns in grip. Goodyear also introduced a softer right-side tire at the Cup Series race at Bristol in 2025, which accelerated wear and produced more passing, effectively validating that manipulating tire compounds can shake up the racing.

Others have been vocal about how the current horsepower ceiling feels underwhelming, as one said, “A step in the right direction is still a step in the right direction. One issue I’ve noticed when talking about the sport with non-fans is how embarrassing the HP number is. If they have any interest in racing at all they’ll inevitably ask about how powerful the cars are. “670 at most tracks. 550 at Daytona and Talladega”… “Oh,… I thought it was more?”” 

Many believe that restoring or even exceeding past horsepower levels would resonate more strongly with casual and hardcore followers alike, reigniting excitement beyond just the racing mechanics.

As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: NASCAR’s future thrills will be measured not just in speed, but in how fans feel every lap.