Who doesn’t like more speed? With the Next-Gen car struggling on short tracks, plenty of solutions have been proposed to NASCAR to improve the quality of races. From testing softer tire compounds to using different splitters and diffusers, the sanctioning body seems to be running out of options. Every avenue that has been tested so far hasn’t proven to be a reliable solution to the growing problem. However, one option continues to be unexplored: increasing the horsepower.

With drivers struggling to make passes at the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the short-track debate was inevitably reignited. A reputed NASCAR insider is backing Denny Hamlin’s suggestion of increasing the horsepower, which may prove to be a long-term solution to the short-track problem.

Insider believes that NASCAR is running out of options

A few years ago, if you asked NASCAR fans about their favorite tracks to watch races at, they might have answered with Bristol Motor Speedway or Martinsville. Both short tracks provided plenty of entertainment in the Generation 6 cars, with little to separate the drivers, which resulted in drama for the onlookers. In other words, the races were everything that made NASCAR exciting for all stakeholders, whether drivers, teams, or fans. However, after the Next Gen car was introduced in 2022, the answer would have changed to an intermediate track such as Kansas Speedway or Charlotte.

Why was there a sudden shift in fans’ preferences after the Next Gen was introduced? The answer is simple, yet complicated. Short tracks are where the cars are forced to run at their lowest speed, which means changing the aerodynamics of the car makes little difference at venues less than 1 mile in length. Fans usually correlate drivers being able to make passes with better quality racing, but the short-track package has traditionally struggled with limited tire wear and identical performance from cars on different teams, which has made races boring for onlookers.

Just 10 years ago, the Cup Series engines produced up to 900 horsepower, a significant difference from the 670 bhp of the Next-Gen cars. Could that be the difference-maker in improving NASCAR’s short-track package? Denny Hamlin seems to think so, going on to say, “I think any horsepower you can add will make the racing better. It’s hard to pass because we’re all in the gas so much and so you have to get us out of the gas either through the tire or the horsepower. It’s that combination that makes passing so difficult.”

Echoing that sentiment, NASCAR insider Toby Christie also believes that the Next-Gen cars need to be 1000 bhp to improve short-track racing. While that might solve some of the ongoing problems, it might not be the only solution. The Generation 6 cars had just 80 more horsepower than the Next-Gen vehicles but still produced enjoyable races on short tracks.

The new cars feature wider and harder tires, which means there is less falloff in comparison to the older cars. The chassis is more robust, which makes contact during races and has a minimal impact on grid positions. The Next-Gen car’s five-speed sequential gearbox is also a lot more forgiving when drivers make mistakes, meaning there are fewer repercussions for drivers on the racetrack. Considering these factors, would increasing the horsepower truly make a difference in improving the short-track package? Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try.

Jeff Gluck doesn’t want NASCAR to accept short track package’s fate

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In many ways, short tracks are the very roots of NASCAR, even before stock car racing evolved into a national sport. Naturally, the sport cannot have tracks that represent its very soul put on a poor show in front of the fans. Despite plenty of solutions being implemented and failing to improve the quality of racing, NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck believes that the sanctioning body simply cannot accept the fate of the format while the Next-Gen car continues to be at the forefront.

Speaking about his expectations from NASCAR, Gluck candidly said, “Here’s my thing, you can say what the solutions are, or whatever, but ultimately what I want to see is that NASCAR just cannot settle for this as the short-track product. This cannot be what is acceptable in any way. The history of NASCAR short track racing is way too rich and way too meaningful to the sport, to just go, ‘This car just doesn’t race that well there'”

After the final Round of 16 playoff race at Bristol Motor Speedway, it will be interesting to see how NASCAR will change its approach to short-track races going forward. Goodyear’s soft tires didn’t give the falloff that was expected, even though it was the same compound that was used to great effect during the spring race at the track. With no solutions on the horizon and more questions than answers, what will NASCAR do next? Will they give their Next-Gen cars a much-needed horsepower increase? Time will tell.