The call for more horsepower in NASCAR is growing louder across fan forums and pit boxes, but a top Hendrick Motorsports insider is dousing the flames.
As NASCAR explores adding power to improve short-track racing, Hendrick Motorsport 's powertrain director Scott Maxim says it's not as simple as flipping a switch. Momentum for more horsepower has picked up in 2025 with drivers like Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson advocating for it.
NASCAR's managing director of communications Mike Forde recently said on the Hauler Talk podcast that they are working on bringing back 750 horsepower to select tracks.
The current Gen 7 cars run around 670 horsepower on most tracks. A jump to 750 horsepower would require changes to the tapered spacer. That's the piece NASCAR uses to regulate airflow and control horsepower. But anything above 750 would get much more technical and expensive.
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But Maxim recently told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio it's not that easy. "750 would be an 80 horsepower increase over where we are currently at," he said. "you know, there's a lot of folks involved. We have four engine suppliers, we have three manufacturers and we have NASCAR. So it will take a lot of collective effort."
"If it's a moderate power increase, we have a pretty good understanding of the changes required," Maxim added. "If we were to have a higher horsepower target than that, then that would require some more extensive changes. But we'd have to be given clarity on the direction."
And clarity seems to be in short supply. While Maxim's comments leave room for small changes, the bigger picture is less rosy. Doug Yates of Roush Yates Engines said earlier this year that going back to 900 hp would shorten engine life and increase costs. "That would be a big project," he said. "You'd need a new engine every race."
Also, NASCAR officials are skeptical. VP Elton Sawyer recently said increased horsepower could scare off new manufacturers by increasing costs and NASCAR's John Probst noted there's no evidence more power equals better racing.
In the end, the dream of high-horsepower stock cars may be just that, a dream. While the technology exists, getting everyone on the same page with execution, safety and cost is a tall order. For now, Scott Maxim's comments suggest the future is about small tweaks not a full-on return to the past.
And for Hendrick Motorsports whose drivers like Larson and Byron are already winning with the current package, the need for raw horsepower may not be as great as it is for others.
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