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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

One by one, the horsepower fiasco is drawing in more contenders. On one side, veteran drivers like Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and Kyle Busch are clamoring for a horsepower hike. On the other, the NASCAR high command is left alone to defend their stance on maintaining horsepower levels. Now another driver has joined the debate: Brad Keselowski.

NASCAR officials have offered the same rebuttals to the drivers. Firstly, the engine budgets would shoot up, and secondly, more horsepower would negatively impact wooing new manufacturers into the sport. But for drivers, the showcasing of true motor skills is more important than bureaucratic concerns. In line with this, Keselowski cornered the executives with his own playful take.

Brad Keselowski says it is a matter of will for NASCAR officials

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Drivers are convinced that the upper rungs of NASCAR do not have it as hard as they do. Kyle Larson, the Las Vegas winner, claimed that rolling out increased horsepower policies should be a cakewalk. A hike from the current 670 hp level to 1000 hp can be easily undertaken in no more than a week. Brad Keselowski also concurs with Larson that the solution to the problem is at the tip of NASCAR’s fingers.

In a conversation with Bob Pockrass, Keselowski claimed that where there is a will, there is a way. It’s just that NASCAR is choosing not to exercise that will. He said, “I think this sport can do a lot of things if it wants to do it. Ultimately, it just has to decide if it wants to do it. You wanna do it, it’s simple, you don’t wanna do it, it’s hard.”

 

Then he drew an adorable parallel with his daughter, whose nightly antics he has to deal with daily. “It’s kinda like my daughter brushing her teeth. When she wants to do it, she does it in 30 secs. When she doesn’t wanna do it, it takes all night, so.” 

Yet Keselowski did yield to a more neutral take as well, admitting that there’s no quick fix to problems, saying, “No, there’s definitely no guarantee. The more things you have that make this difficult to do, the more you’re gonna see separation. Really what the conversation is, the drivers always wanted to have some level of separation…NASCAR is usually on the opposite side of it, like less separation, and you can have tighter fuel. There’s thoughts that are better from that perspective. So there’s a tug of war there for sure.” 

Brad Keselowski is an outspoken advocate for letting the best drivers do what they do best on the track. He said to Sportsnaut recently that the best-case scenario “is a car that can be run side-by-side and still require discipline to drive and that will put on the best racing and showcase the best drivers”.  

It turns out that there are more with this opinion in the Keselowski family.

Keselowski’s brother is also vying for higher horsepower

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The seventh-generation NASCAR Cup car is the latest upgrade, catering to the safety concerns of the drivers. Also, it is a spec car, a synonym for a vehicle built from the same single-source supplied parts. Hence this is also a reason why drivers are racking their brains about why NASCAR cannot allow a horsepower hike on the track. Brian Keselowski also joined the debate on X.

He tweeted: “Wish horsepower wasn’t such a bad word. Also i see some people mistaking torque for HP. More go really wouldn’t put a ton of strain on these parts.Besides,would that be a bad thing anyway?Cars are too bullet proof. Make it so the driver would decide if he wants to go hard or not”.

 

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As the horsepower debate rages on, we can only wait and see if the NASCAR executives shuffle in their seats to yield a little to drivers’ demands.

Read More: Brad Keselowski Makes Fun of His Controversial “Bump&Run” As He Takes Driving Lessons From His Daughter