NASCAR Drivers' Calls for More Horsepower Is Falling on Deaf Ears

• NASCAR drivers say an increase from 670 to upwards of 1,000 horsepower would greatly improve the on-track product.

• NASCAR officials say boosting horsepower will be an expensive change that won’t dramatically improve competition and might even dissuade new manufacturers from wanting to enter the series.

• Driver Kyle Larson finds NASCAR's “we consider everything” line to improve the racing largely hypocritical.

The very public debate about horsepower raging between NASCAR officials and their Cup Series drivers has overshadowed almost everything else through the year’s first five races.

Sadly, there appears no easy resolution since both sides seem to be standing firm.

In this corner: drivers seeking more horsepower in their cars. They say an increase from 670 to upwards of 1,000 would greatly improve the on-track product and help the sport regain fans lost in recent years. Bristol, for example, once had consistent six-figure sellouts. It was about half-full for its recent 500-lap show.

In this corner: officials who say boosting horsepower will be an expensive change that won’t dramatically improve competition and might even dissuade new manufacturers—Honda, to be specific—from wanting to enter the series. Drivers question whether horsepower issues would keep a new manufacturer from coming in, as Toyota did in 2007.

That “coming in” reason doesn’t fly with 2021 champion Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports. “I feel they’ve always used the excuse of, ‘we’re trying to keep the horsepower to where other manufacturers might want to come in,’ ’’ he recently said on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s popular Dirty Mo Media podcast. “As long as I’ve been in the sport (10 years), it’s been the same three manufacturers. Maybe somebody else is coming and maybe they’re the ones pushing for the horsepower, but I’ve yet to see anybody new come in.”

NASCAR official Brad Moran addressed that very question during his recent appearance on Sirius XM Radio. He said any horsepower change would have a major ripple effect, including potentially scaring off new manufacturers. He also said he didn’t think the engine bill would be the same if horsepower were increased as some drivers want.

“Once we open up horsepower, all three manufacturers must be on board,” Moran explained. “As soon as you do, there’s going to be development and reliability issues, and you’re putting that cost back into the engine-builder’s category. The number we’re at is where we want to be to get new manufacturers interested. And if we start getting away from that number, it can create problems. But we’re always open to everything, and we consider everything.”

Larson finds that “we consider everything” line largely hypocritical. “At least try it,” this year’s Las Vegas winner said. “Just take us to—I don’t know—Richmond or wherever. Go test. Go to Martinsville. Go test and try it out.”