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The recent resurgence of higher horsepower configurations in NASCAR, particularly the 750-horsepower tapered spacer package making its return to short tracks this season, has ignited a fervent discussion among drivers and industry insiders regarding its potential application on intermediate tracks. While the enhanced power has been met with enthusiasm by some for its promise of increased driver influence and more dynamic racing, others express reservations about its impact on competition, potentially widening the performance gap between teams.
Joey Logano, a seasoned veteran and former Cup Series champion, voiced a strong opinion on the matter, equating the question of implementing the 750-horsepower package on intermediates to an obvious necessity. "I want more falloff," Logano stated with an air of conviction, directly linking increased power to improved racing spectacles. He elaborated on the current parity within the sport, noting that while chassis and suspension components are largely standardized, differences in bodywork and engine performance can create subtle but significant performance variations. "We have to throw in variables somewhere or we are just going to follow each other," Logano argued, highlighting the challenge of executing passes when competitors are running at near-identical speeds. He pointed out that a gap of a tenth or two of a second is often required to overtake, a margin that can be difficult to achieve without factors like engine power and tire degradation coming into play.
The recent Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, which utilized a higher horsepower, lower downforce configuration, offered a tangible, albeit debated, case study. The event saw an increase in lead changes and green flag passes, suggesting a positive impact on the flow of the race. However, the field did spread out more than some anticipated, leading to discussions about race quality despite improvements in navigating "dirty air." While the predicted level of tire falloff was not fully realized, teams and drivers actively managed their pace to optimize lap times, a strategy that can mitigate the effects of power and downforce imbalances.
This observed dynamic at Darlington fuels the argument for more power on intermediate tracks, as it introduces a crucial variable in a sport where such variables are increasingly scarce. Logano’s perspective aligns with the idea that greater horsepower can amplify driver skill and team strategy, leading to more compelling on-track battles.
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However, this viewpoint is not universally shared. Brad Keselowski, a former teammate of Logano and another Cup Series champion, presented a counterargument, suggesting that the current intermediate track package is arguably one of the most successful NASCAR has ever fielded. Keselowski questioned the necessity of altering a formula that has already proven effective on a majority of tracks. "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 acknowledged. He emphasized the situational nature of such changes, positing that a package beneficial for one track might be detrimental to another. "Like, I think this package (750-spacer, reduced downforce) would make the Brickyard 400 better and then I look at a race like Kansas, and I think it would make it worse, so I kind of hem and haw on this one," he explained, illustrating the nuanced considerations involved.
William Byron offered a candid perspective from the driver’s seat, acknowledging that increased horsepower on intermediates would likely benefit dominant teams like his own at Hendrick Motorsports. However, he conceded that this would not necessarily translate to a better product for the fans. "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 stated. He elaborated that a greater reliance on car handling when drivers are forced to lift off the throttle more frequently would lead to a wider spread in lap times, potentially resulting in fewer cars on the lead lap and reduced passing within the top ranks of the field. "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," Byron concluded, highlighting the dichotomy between driver preference and fan entertainment.
Chase Briscoe echoed these sentiments, expressing concern that increased speed would further exacerbate the existing performance disparities within the field. "If you start going faster, it probably makes the field even more spread out, I feel like," Briscoe commented. He articulated the "rich get richer" scenario, where teams with greater resources would likely leverage enhanced power to gain an even more significant advantage. "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?" Briscoe questioned, pointing to the close qualifying times as evidence of current parity. He suggested that adding more power would elevate the importance of setup and technical execution, potentially widening the gap between top-tier and lower-tier teams. "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," he admitted, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding the ultimate outcome.
Briscoe, while admitting a personal desire to experience unrestricted engines producing over 900 horsepower, ultimately sided with the more cautious approach advocated by Keselowski, recognizing the complexity of the issue. "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 confessed. "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."
The NASCAR Cup Series has a history of experimenting with different horsepower and downforce configurations to achieve optimal racing. In 2018, a perceived dominance by a few drivers, often referred to as "The Big Three," coupled with an intermediate track package that reduced dirty air but led to more spread-out racing, prompted the development of the NA18D rules package. This "550 package" aimed to keep cars bunched up and at full throttle, but it inadvertently created significant aerodynamic turbulence, hindering passing and diminishing the role of driver skill.
The current NextGen car represents a compromise, attempting to balance various performance metrics. Michael McDowell offered a perspective that, by his own admission, might be unpopular, questioning the very definition of "best racing." He referenced the example of spec Mazda Miata racing, which, despite being underpowered, often delivers highly competitive and engaging contests. "My opinion is probably very unpopular," McDowell began. He then posed the question, "what is some of the best racing," suggesting that the answer might not lie in raw horsepower. McDowell pointed out the paradox where the high downforce, low horsepower package, considered suboptimal by many drivers, was often lauded by fans for its exciting finishes. "So I think I need to know what we’re chasing," he stated. "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 conceded that driving with 900 horsepower engines was more enjoyable than the current 670-horsepower configuration, but he cautioned against overlooking the potential downsides. "It’s going to separate the field though too," McDowell warned. "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. 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 echoed this sentiment, expressing concerns that a reduction in downforce coupled with an increase in power would lead to a more strung-out field. He noted that while the current car mitigates some of the issues seen with older chassis, the core principle of increased horsepower potentially widening the competitive gap remains. "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 a more optimistic outlook, viewing the current direction as a positive step. "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." Bell’s perspective highlights a segment of the driver pool that believes further increases in horsepower are essential for the sport’s evolution and for enhancing the on-track product.
As NASCAR continues to evaluate its competition packages, the debate over increasing horsepower on intermediate tracks underscores the ongoing challenge of balancing driver influence, fan entertainment, and competitive parity. The recent implementation at Darlington offers a glimpse, but the long-term implications and the ultimate direction of these powerful machines remain a subject of keen interest and ongoing discussion within the Cup Series garage.
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