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The horsepower debate in NASCAR is something that has been raging on for the longest time. One of the biggest drawbacks brought into the limelight throughout the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season is the lack of power in cars and how it has affected short-track racing. Several drivers and insiders have called for higher horsepower and now even ChatGPT has joined the debate.

Recently, NASCAR tested out a new short-track package in Phoenix. People might have expected the package to see more horsepower but that was not the case. The cars may run well with the upgrades but NASCAR’s reluctance to even test higher horsepower has annoyed fans and experts.

ChatGPT suggests tricks that may help with the viewership problem

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Higher horsepower might not be the solution to all of NASCAR’s problems but it is certainly a huge step in the right direction, as per a lot of current and former drivers. There was a time when the cars used to run at 900 hp. Such power has become unimaginable these days at the highest level of the sport.

When prompted, ChatGPT listed several advantages of higher horsepower, most of which have already been discussed on several NASCAR-related podcasts and shows by now. One advantage that the organizers may find lucrative is the last point – media and broadcast appeal. At a time when the sport’s viewership is declining, it might just do the trick.

Dale Earnhardt Jr and Denny Hamlin are two drivers who have repeatedly called for higher horsepower, requests that seem to have fallen on deaf ears. While Junior had a more respectful tone, Hamlin slammed NASCAR for not putting the driver’s needs first just to save money.

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“Stop asking NASCAR for more [horsepower], they’re not going to give it to you. This is not the direction NASCAR wants to go. From the top down, they don’t want more horsepower because it costs more money. (…) If anything, they will go the other way, and make the engines even less powerful because they want them to run even more races,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said.

Fans are on the drivers’ side and much like Denny Hamlin, they too have slammed NASCAR’s reluctance when it comes to higher horsepower. When the ChatGPT list was tweeted out, they doubled down on their criticism.

Fans slam NASCAR officials as they hail AI’s vision

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There were several digs taken at Steve Phelps. The president of NASCAR said earlier that higher horsepower was too expensive and that it was not the answer. Fans were having none of it as they suggested that ChatGPT was smarter than he was.
“when chatgpt is spitting more facts than steve phelps,” one fan commented.

“Print it and mail it to @stevephelps,” wrote another.

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It was not just Steve Phelps who was being slammed. One user made the comparison of the entirety of the NASCAR staff to the AI. “ChatGPT is smarter than all the NASCAR staff combined,” they tweeted.

Some fans agreed with ChatGPT’s vision with one fan even invoking a Star Wars pun, commenting, “This is the way.”

Another user wrote, “ChatGPT for president.”

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It’s clear which side of the fence the fans are on but one question remains. When will NASCAR finally give in to the pressure and increase horsepower? Only time will tell.

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