How Long Do NASCAR Engines Last Over the Course of a Season?

It seems fairly obvious that one engine cannot last over a span of 36 NASCAR races. In previous years, NASCAR race car engines were just good enough to last over one race distance. This actually varied, depending on which speedway the Cup Series paddock visited. It is worth mentioning though, that the engines were usually dismantled after each race and rebuilt before the next one.

However, from the 2018 season onwards, the teams had to ensure that one engine lasted for multiple races. As a result, there was a cap of 13 short-block engines available for each Cup Series outfit. The component included the engine block, connecting rods and pistons, camshaft, and a crankshaft. In essence, one engine component should theoretically be used for two full-race weekends.

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What happens to the NASCAR Cup engines in between race weekends?

Of course, NASCAR takes its technical regulations very seriously. In order to stop teams from tinkering with the engine, the components are sealed between the points races. Of course, in the event that an engine blows up, as poor old Bubba Wallace found out at Sonoma, backup engines are needed. Interestingly, NASCAR has concocted a different set of regulations for backup engines.

Those engines are usually installed in a primary vehicle after a failure or a backup vehicle after a crash. The primary concern for any team is to avoid any engine problem or wrecking. Sometimes, the latter cannot be helped, but they can work hard to prevent the former from happening. As a result, teams undergo extensive testing to ensure that their engines are reliable.

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Once the engines are assembled, teams use a dynamometer to measure engine power output. The primary purpose of this is to check for abnormal wear and tear on the engine. Then, the engines go through more tests before they are finally given the green light.