Richard Petty Calls Out NASCAR’s Horsepower Reluctance With a Hesitant Verdict on the All-Star Showdown

NASCAR has always been about that hard-core appeal, as much as the actual race. And not many things thrill the motorsport world as much as the power of those vehicles. But recently, the talk around horsepower generation, or the lack of it, has been a point of debate. While less power is desirable on high-banked drafting tracks to remain grounded, drivers and spectators alike have raised their voices for higher-than-670 horsepower engines. The most recent addition to the list is NASCAR legend Richard Petty.

It was the scuffle between Joey Logano‘s #22 and Bubba Wallace‘s #23 that caught Richard Petty’s attention. Slightly before the halfway mark, there was a moment where Logano was attempting to lap Wallace’s Toyota. However, he was unsuccessful in doing so.

Noticing this at the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro, The King’s racer mind was quick to pick up some insights. In an episode of Petty Race Recap, he said, “If you were there, it was somebody racing with somebody all the time. But the big deal was, they couldn’t get around, like guys running on the inside and outside.”

“It was lap after lap after lap, side by side. And it goes to prove that they need some horsepower where they could get by to these people.” But what in particular prompted this response from him?

Analyzing the situation, Petty further stated, “I know when the 22 come up to lap to 23, he couldn’t pass him. He ran fast enough to lap him and then he couldn’t get by him and that’s because the cars don’t have no go in ’em.” This, however, is far from the first time a NASCAR legend or present driver has raised this concern.

Many drivers hold a similar opinion as Richard Petty, including All-Star winner Joey Logano

Richard Petty’s own car clocked an impressive 400 horsepower. And to think that he used to race more than 3 decades ago, all the complaints suddenly start to make sense. Echoing the same sentiment, the man of the hour, Joey Logano, suggested more power for the cars’ engines.

Talking to FOX’s Bob Pokrass, Petty said, “I don’t who leads the low horsepower band, but I promise you it’s not the drivers. I think every one of us wants to have more power.”

Richard Petty had pretty solid reasoning to back himself too. According to him, increased horsepower “increases tire wear, makes the track wider, and it’s more bad**s!” Alongside Logano, 23XI Racing boss Denny Hamlin agreed to the fact that an increase in horsepower might help. Later, a similar opinion was shared by Kyle Larson. Notably, Larson is in contention for the double, getting his name in the NASCAR books forever.

All in all, it’s pretty clear that the people behind the steering wheel want more power, and it has been denied. This is limiting options for drivers and taking away a toll on the ‘cool’ factor.