Calls from fans and voices in the garage last year set the NASCAR wheels in motion for a rules shift in the Cup Series. Officials from NASCAR announced in October that engines for road courses and oval tracks under 1.5 miles would run at 750 horsepower, up from the 670 mark used under the prior setup for the sport’s top tier, starting with the 2026 season.
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The move aimed to place more control in the driver’s hands, with throttle use and tire care expected to play a larger role. The shift was also meant to open the door for more passing as drivers lift and return to power through corners. After the race at Phoenix Raceway, Christopher Bell said the change was very noticeable once the field took the green.
During a media session, Bell was asked whether the race looked and felt different behind the wheel compared with the fall event at the track. “Yeah I mean I thought it was great uh the horsepower is really really necessary i would love to you know keep bumping it up,” he responded.
“It just really puts it in the driver hands and the team hands.”
“You saw Blaney make it back up through there after his mishap a couple times. I ended up back in the field, and you know the cream is able to rise to the top, so it’s uh more horsepower is definitely a lot better,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver added.
“The cream is able to rise to the top.” –@CBellRacing spoke favorably of the increased horsepower at Phoenix and wants to keep bumping it up.
Presenting Partner: @MyPlaceHotels pic.twitter.com/P86rvYrzq7
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) March 9, 2026
Bell’s teammate, Chase Briscoe, whose race ended in 37th after a failure, echoed Bell’s view. Briscoe said the rise in power felt like a jolt once the cars hit the track.
“It’s a blast,” he said per NBC Sports, noting that the jump of 80 — although he said 70 in his interview — horsepower “feels like way more than that” and left the cars sliding “all over the place.” And he expects the same going to Darlington Raceway, where the drivers and teams will go with the same package.
Before the race weekend, Joey Logano also spoke about the shift, saying he noticed a change in the way the Next Gen car behaved when the boost in power worked in tandem with tires from Goodyear.
