NASCAR Drivers Debate Potential for Increased Horsepower on Intermediate Tracks

The recent return of a higher horsepower, lower downforce configuration to NASCAR Cup Series short tracks has ignited a conversation about its potential application on intermediate ovals. While the revised package has been credited with producing more dynamic racing on tighter circuits, drivers hold varied opinions on whether it would enhance or detract from the on-track product at tracks like Darlington, Kansas, and Charlotte.

Joey Logano, a prominent voice in the driver’s paddock, expressed a clear desire for more variables that create "falloff" – the degradation of tire performance over a run – on intermediate tracks. "I want more fall off," Logano stated with conviction. "More fall off puts on better racing, right? We all have the same cars, like for the most part. We have the same chassis, same suspension components and it’s how you put them together but we all start with the same box of parts." He elaborated that with the current car specifications, where chassis and suspension are largely standardized, the primary differentiators become the bodies and engines. "It’s just the bodies and engines that can be a little better or a little better or worse but outside of that, if you look at qualifying we are all running the same speed. We have got to throw in variables somewhere or we are just going to follow each other." Logano highlighted the challenge of making passes, noting, "We have to be a tenth to two-tenths faster to make passes these days, so how are you going to find that?"

This sentiment comes in the wake of the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, where the Cup Series utilized a higher horsepower and lower downforce setup. The event saw an increase in lead changes and green flag passes, though debate persists regarding overall race quality. While there were perceived gains in overcoming "dirty air" – the aerodynamic disruption cars create for those following – the field did spread out more than some anticipated. However, the predicted level of tire falloff was somewhat mitigated as teams and drivers strategically managed their tires throughout the race to optimize lap times without compromising their machinery or causing incidents.

Logano’s argument for increased horsepower on intermediate tracks centers on the introduction of a crucial variable in a discipline where such elements are increasingly scarce. Conversely, former teammate Brad Keselowski posited that the current intermediate track package is already among the most effective NASCAR has produced, questioning the need for alteration. "Um, you’re right, we do have a really good package right now, and there are a handful of tracks that you could argue would benefit from it, but a handful of tracks where I could argue it would make the racing worse," Keselowski remarked. "So, I guess it’s really situational to me." He offered a nuanced perspective, suggesting the 750 horsepower, reduced downforce package might improve the Brickyard 400 but could detract from races like Kansas. "So, I kind of hem and haw on this one."

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William Byron offered a candid assessment, acknowledging that a horsepower increase on intermediate tracks would likely benefit dominant teams like his employer, Hendrick Motorsports, but might not align with the desired product for fans seeking close competition. "Hendrick Motorsports would welcome it because it would give us more of an advantage over time, but I don’t think it would be the product you’d want to see in terms of closeness," Byron explained. He elaborated that a greater reliance on car handling when drivers are forced to lift more often would lead to increased separation. "If you have to get out of the gas more, it comes down to who can make their car handle better, and that would mean fewer cars on the lead lap and less passing in the top-five." Byron concluded, "It’s going to be more spread out, which would be great for racers, because we want to see who can develop the best car… so great as a driver, but I don’t know if that makes the product better."

Chase Briscoe echoed Byron’s concerns about increased separation. "If you start going faster, it probably makes the field even more spread out, I feel like," Briscoe commented. "Just the difference in the top teams and the bottom teams are going to be even more extreme. So maybe it just is one of those things where the rich kind of get richer, where right now, like we are not underpowered, but like we’re all relatively the same speed for the most part, right?" He pointed to qualifying speeds, noting minimal differences between the top competitors. "At least from 1st to 30th and in qualifying is only a couple tenths where I think as you add more power, like the setups, everything is just going to become more and more important. So, I don’t I don’t know. I could see it going either way. I think it could make it maybe a little bit better. Maybe it makes it worse."

Briscoe admitted a personal preference for driving unrestricted engines, which produce upwards of 900 horsepower, but conceded that the situation is complex. "You always want more but on the mile-and-a-halves, I don’t know what it would do, to be honest with you," Briscoe added. "I think some tracks, we could definitely use it, but there’s other tracks where maybe the product’s as good as it’s going get right now. So yeah, I don’t know which way it would go if I’m being honest."

This debate revisits a similar juncture in NASCAR’s history in 2018. At that time, fans expressed dissatisfaction with the perceived dominance of "The Big Three" drivers and an intermediate track package that, while reducing dirty air, led to more spread-out racing with fluctuating contenders. This ultimately prompted the introduction of the NA18D rules package, often referred to as the "550 package." This configuration aimed to keep cars tightly bunched and at full throttle, but it resulted in significant dirty air, hindering passing opportunities and diminishing the impact of individual driver skill.

The current NextGen car represents a compromise, according to Michael McDowell. "My opinion is probably very unpopular," McDowell began, posing the question of what constitutes the best racing. He cited underpowered spec Mazda Miata racing as an example of highly competitive on-track action. "We need to know what we’re asking for, right?" McDowell questioned. "So, the worst racing for the drivers was when we went to the high downforce, low horsepower package, but fans would tell you that was some of the best racing." He emphasized the need for clarity on objectives: "So I think I need to know what we’re chasing. Our mile and a half package has been good. The racing’s been good. The dirty air’s been good, right? Could it be better? Yeah, it could always be better. So, but we just have to be careful that we don’t ruin a good thing by chasing something that we all feel like would be more fun."

McDowell acknowledged that, from a driver’s perspective, experiencing 900 horsepower and then 750 is more engaging than the current 670 horsepower configuration. However, he cautioned about the potential consequences. "It’s going to separate the field though too," McDowell noted. "It will separate the field. You’ll have people win by 10-15 seconds. You’ll have blowouts and you’ll have big gaps between cars and I’m okay with that as a driver." He believes that in such scenarios, the superior car and team would prevail, rewarding merit. "I’m okay with that because the best car is going to win. The best team is going to win. The guy that earned his money that day is going to win. I’m just not sure it’s going to be as well-received as we’re painting this picture because it’s easy to go the wrong direction, which we’ve done before."

Austin Dillon shared a similar perspective, suggesting that a reduction in downforce coupled with an increase in horsepower would likely lead to a more strung-out field. "When you start to take away downforce, and you start to add power, I don’t think the number of passes will be the same," Dillon stated. "I think it gets strung out. I will say, with the old car, that the advantage of the car was probably bigger and probably made it even worse. So with this car, a horsepower increase would not be as bad, but I still think we have a good package and don’t mess that up when it comes to our mile and a half racing right now. I don’t always think more fall off equates to better racing."

Christopher Bell, however, expressed optimism regarding the current direction of the sport. "I love where we’re headed," Bell said. "I always think that we can use more, and I would love to get more horsepower, and hopefully this is an indication that we’re turning the right knob, and I think sky’s the limit. If we continue to add horsepower, I think we’re going to get right to where we need to be." His sentiment suggests a belief that increased power is the key to achieving the desired racing product.

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