Sawyer: Increase in Short Track Horsepower is "2026 Initiative"

The persistent calling for more horsepower to be put into the NASCAR Cup Series vehicles have been heard, and at least when it comes to the short tracks, NASCAR is planning to deliver an adequate response. However, that won’t come until 2026 says Elton Sawyer (NASCAR’s SVP of Competition).

Speaking with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) on Tuesday, Sawyer says that discussions are progressing and going quite well between the stakeholders that would be impacted by a potential increase in horsepower on the short tracks.

“It’s something that is an ongoing discussion with our industry stakeholders,” Sawyer said on Tuesday, “Our folks at Toyota, Ford, and Chevy, as well as our engine builders and our race teams. I feel like we’re having positive conversations. There is still a lot that goes into that, obviously it’s a 2026 initiative to get that across the line, so we still continue to have very positive conversations around that.”

Sawyer, in further expanding on the discussions being had, says that one of the biggest parts of the talks, right now, is figuring which racetracks will fall under the engine package that will get the horsepower boost, specifically referring to the short tracks.

While racetracks like Martinsville Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway are obviously short tracks, and would definitely get the benefit of a higher horsepower package, Sawyer threw out two racetracks in particular that discussions are circling around at the moment – those being New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Dover Motor Speedway.

Sawyer says that even though New Hampshire measures at over one-mile in length, it races like it is a short track, whereas Dover Motor Speedway is the exact opposite, in that it races like an intermediate track despite being a one-mile oval.

Those determinations will play a major role in deciding how often the engine package with increased horsepower hits the racetrack in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2026, and beyond. In speaking about NASCAR’s plans, Sawyer explained that it wouldn’t be plausible for this to all happen this year, with only 13 races left in the season.

“I don’t see that happening,” Sawyer said when asked about the possibility of getting some extra horsepower to end the season. “Just as I went through there, all the reasons and getting everyone together and being able to get all those boxed checked, and making sure we do it right.”

“We still have to make sure that that’s first and foremost, that it is the right thing, which we believe it is,” he added. “We’ve got a lot of feedback from a lot of different stakeholders; some have stronger opinions than others. So, you have to weight that, as well.”

It’s been since Memorial Day Weekend, just days after the Coca-Cola 600, since NASCAR made indications that they were seriously looking at increasing the amount of horsepower for the NASCAR Cup Series vehicles.

At this point in time, it’s unclear what the new horsepower number would look like, but Doug Yates, CEO of Roush-Yates Engines, says that an increase to 750 horsepower “wouldn’t be much of a change”. What NASCAR elects to do, though, is yet to be seen.

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