For years now, hardcore NASCAR fans have been complaining about how the Next Gen car just doesn’t feel wild enough. When the 2022 car launched with a 670-horsepower ceiling at most tracks, many in the paddock complained. Throttle control, overtaking, and driver finesse took a backseat. The kind of raw, sideways racing that once defined short tracks and road courses began to feel tamed. Since then, social media and Reddit threads have bubbled with ideas and complaints, which NASCAR has heard now.

The tone is shifting positively. NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell has publicly acknowledged the pressure, speaking in the Dale Jr. Download that the sport is trying to “find the sweet spot” between power and cost. That word finally arrived this week, through a Reddit post that spread like wildfire.

“NEWS: The target horsepower for Cup Series events at road courses and ovals less than 1.5 miles will increase to 750 for 2026.” The news marked the sport’s biggest mechanical adjustment since the Next Gen car debuted. The increase will come from a larger tapered spacer that allows more airflow into the engine. This would boost output without costly redesigns.

O’Donnell said, “We hear the fans, we hear the industry. Yes, we want to try and see what will work here. If you went beyond 750 HP, we looked at almost $40-50 million cost to the industry. So if you look at our job is yeah you want to make a call right away, but you got to think about the out years.”

It’s not a blind push, and he went on to add how other things in the upcoming years also have to be considered, like Dodge and other OEMs coming in, and they didn’t want to be in a position where they would have to change it again within a short span. “This is about hitting the sweet spot,” O’Donnell said, explaining that the change strikes a balance between performance and reliability. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t risks.

Pushing engines harder raises concerns about durability under NASCAR’s two-race engine rule. As O’Donnell stated, pushing beyond 750 HP will have huge costs to handle with other additions. Critics also wonder whether an extra 80 HP will actually make a difference on track or simply be a headline grabber.

Still, for fans used to debating setups and passes in Reddit threads, this feels like a long-awaited return to nuance and driver control. Already, the online crowd is debating its implications.

Fans give their unfiltered opinion on the new NASCAR car

For one fan, the news immediately brought Darlington to mind. “It’s not everywhere, but the increase includes my favorite track, which is Darlington. The NextGen has been very good there except for really this year. So I’m hoping with the increase, maybe it will make it even better. So I like it.”

Darlington, known for punishing cars that lack balance, has historically favored mechanical grip over raw speed. This comment reflected optimism that more power could restore that old-school edge to a track already revered for testing driver skill.

Another user took a more technical stance, seeing NASCAR’s decision as smart track-specific tuning. Their take pointed to a long-running critique of the Next Gen era. “Nah this is a good move. The only tracks that this car really excels at is 1.5mi. I don’t think adding horsepower for super speedways would help anything. It was just short tracks and road courses that really needed it.”

The idea was that the cars performed too uniformly across different circuits. For this fan, limiting the change to short tracks and road courses would feel like the right balance between challenge and control.

Some fans zoomed in on the tactical implications, especially at road courses. Based on this development, some drivers were also given a speculative advantage. “It should make the corners at road courses work even better. Hocevar can pass even more people at once.”

The mention of Carson Hocevar nodded to his aggressive racing style. A power boost at corner exits could amplify those traits, giving drivers like him more room to showcase overtaking finesse.

Of course, not everyone took a strictly analytical route. One fan leaned into a humorous take on added HP. They warned of dominance from the series’ new road course star. “SVG can win by 20 seconds.” Behind the joke lay a real concern brewing among NASCAR viewers. Shane van Gisbergen’s command of road circuits could become even more pronounced under the new setup.

For years, fans have missed the unpredictability that once defined Bristol. This news could potentially change that. From one fan, there was the anticipation of spectacle, especially under the lights. “Bristol night race next season is about to be absolute chaos!! 😈” More horsepower could mean shorter tempers, faster restarts, and plenty of bent sheet metal. This would be a recipe for the kind of Saturday night drama fans crave.

All in all, fans’ reactions capture the collective mood of NASCAR’s fanbase. A lot of them bring in a blend of curiosity, hope, and expectation for chaos. Whether the 750-horsepower gamble delivers on those emotions remains to be seen. However, for now, the conversation considers all possibilities.