NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell has confirmed the long-rumored increase to 750 horsepower for the NASCAR Cup Series at select tracks throughout the 2025 season.
After months of rumors, NASCAR will increase horsepower at select NASCAR Cup Series races in 2026. This increase will be from the current 670-HP range to 750-HP.
NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell announced this decision on Dale Earnhardt Jr’s podcast The Dale Jr Download, saying the change will be in effect for “every track under a mile and a half.” O’Donnell also claimed that they will test the new engine package with the car’s aero at North Wilkesboro Speedway in early December.
Per NASCAR the tracks that will have the 750 HP package includes:
Notably, an article posted on NASCAR.com mentions the potential for even “expanding to larger ovals ā superspeedway-style tracks excluded,” though it is unclear what this process might look like.
This decision to increase horsepower has been rumored for some time, with industry members like Roush Yates Engines CEO Doug Yates, saying 750 HP āwouldnāt be much of a changeā for engine builders.
Rumors carried on throughout the year, with NASCAR officials confirming they were looking into the increase, and RFK Racing owner/driver Brad Keselowski even claimed the sport was doing so on a recent episode of Corey LaJoieās podcast, Stacking Pennies.
Of course, this is a marginal increase, with former drivers like Kevin Harvick claiming that drivers “couldnāt even tell that they changed the horsepower” while testing it, this is a move in the right direction. Though it would be interesting to continue to increase the horsepower beyond the new benchmark, during this episode, O’Donnell stated that going beyond the 750 would cost the industry almost “$40 to $50 million.”
While NASCAR is implementing this change in hopes of improving the on-track performance of its short-track and road-course Next Gen car racing, specifically in regard to passing, this cost harkens back to NASCAR’s need to balance the financial costs associated with engine wear resulting from high horsepower outputs.
Nonetheless the sport has not been entirely held back by cost, with tire producer Goodyear introducing softer tires that have helped increase the action at some of these tracks throughout the later half of 2024 and into this season.
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