NASCAR Plans Short Track Horsepower Increase for 2026 Season

NASCAR is actively discussing a planned increase in horsepower for the NextGen car at short tracks, aiming to implement changes by the 2026 season. Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, highlighted ongoing positive conversations with key stakeholders including engine manufacturers and race teams to finalize which tracks would receive the horsepower boost, with special attention on differentiating tracks that measure around one mile but race differently, such as New Hampshire and Dover. The proposed increase would raise horsepower from the current 670 to approximately 750, intended to improve the quality of racing and increase passing opportunities, particularly at short tracks where the current package has been criticized. Despite calls for more immediate changes, NASCAR officials emphasize the complexity of the process and the importance of getting the adjustments right, ruling out any horsepower increases for the remainder of the 2025 season. The initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance racing excitement while balancing costs and manufacturer interests. Meanwhile, unrelated to NASCAR, the EPA has proposed removing its authority to regulate vehicle greenhouse gas emissions, a move facing legal challenges and public scrutiny, but it does not alter existing Clean Air Act provisions.