NASCAR: No New Manufacturers Unless They Change the Engine

What’s Happening?

NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition, Elton Sawyer, joined the Dale Jr Download on Wednesday, and he said what it would take for a new manufacturer to join the sport. NASCAR would have to change the entire engine.

• NASCAR has stayed away from changing its engine formula too much in recent years. Whereas most other series are venturing toward hybrid engines or other types of powerplants, NASCAR has stuck with the pushrod V8 engine for now.
• NASCAR has had the goal of adding a new manufacturer for years now. That was one of the major hopes of the Next-Gen car. NASCAR has not added a manufacturer since Toyota joined in 2008, and NASCAR lost Dodge after the 2012 season.
• Fans are hoping to see a new manufacturer as well, but, they are less enthusiastic about moving to alternate engines. However, one thing likely has to give.

What Sawyer Had to Say

We need a platform that will invite some new oems to come and participate. They love the Next-Gen car. The one thing that they’re not going to do is they’re not going to build a V8 push rod engine. So, we have to continue to develop and look at different platforms and options that will be inviting to those OEMs

Elton Sawyer

If NASCAR wants a new manufacturer, they must develop a brand-new engine. Luckily, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Sawyer both noted earlier in the podcast, the Next-Gen car was designed to be receptive to new technologies.

This raises the question, what types of technologies are available? Adam Stern recently reported that NASCAR was looking at developing a hybrid, so, that could be an option. Dale Earahrdt Jr. asked Elton Sawyer directly what type of engine these manufacturers were looking for.

They’re turbocharged, so we’ve got to be prepared from the sanctioning body, very similar to our sister company at IMSA and how does balance of performance work.

Elton Sawyer

Turbocharged engines are what most modern motorsports are either using or working towards, specifically hybrid-powered turbocharged engines. Formula One uses turbocharged hybrid engines, and IndyCar is in the process of switching to turbocharged hybrid engines. IMSA varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but, some teams in IMSA do use these types of engines.

As Sawyer notes, that’s a complete diversion from NASCAR’s history. It would completely change how NASCAR officiates the sport, but, they will have to do it to bring in a new OEM.

For 75-plus years, we’ve raced the same type of engines…So, from an officiating standpoint that’s been fairly easy to police. When you venture into the balance of performance and torque sensors and horsepower and torque at the rear tire, that’s a different way to police your sport. But, we’re going to have to figure out how that look be able to get new OEMs to come in.

Elton Sawyer

Without getting too caught up in the technical aspects of this, this is a complete shift in the engine architecture of a NASCAR Stock Car. It would take a lot of time to develop, so, this isn’t something that will happen in 2025. However, if NASCAR wants a new manufacturer like, say, Honda, to join in 2026 or 2027, then maybe.

NASCAR needs to make major changes to woo a new manufacturer into the Cup Series. However, based on Sawyer’s comments, NASCAR seems to be exploring those changes.