If you think about it, getting something done in NASCAR is no different from how it might be done in everyday life: Just b y wearing someone down.

It happens in NASCAR when drivers and teams start beating the drum over and over about a situation they feel strongly about. Those with the biggest microphone, after all, know they can use it to get a point across and cause change. Take the Damaged Vehicle Policy as the most recent example, which NASCAR tweaked during the offseason after a 2024 in which drivers and crew chiefs repeatedly expressed frustration with how the procedure played out.

NASCAR finds itself in a similar situation again. The topic this time is horsepower.

The drivers want more horsepower; the drivers have always wanted more horsepower. But in the Next Gen era, when the industry continues to try and come up with ideas of what will help the car, particularly on short tracks, the drum is being pounded repeatedly about increasing horsepower.

At this point, why not? Why not give in, give people what they want, and see what happens?

“We’ve been saying it for years – we want more horsepower – and we’ve been told we’re waiting on other manufacturers to come in and they aren’t in,” Bubba Wallace said. “So, let’s do something. I think we have all the momentum on our side with our sport right now, and I think bringing in something exciting … I think they need to look at it from an exciting standpoint rather than a worrisome standpoint.”

Finally, and fortunately, the feeling from the other side (i.e., NASCAR) is changing. For the longest time, the idea of increasing horsepower was a non-starter, and the sport went through years where horsepower was decreased. Lest we forget the decision to go to 550. And so, the message to fans was always, don’t get your hopes up. Even the drivers felt it was a long shot, or some had given up hope.

Except the talk has never gone away. The drum continued to be beaten.

So now NASCAR is acknowledging it’s not a hard no. In fact, it could potentially be implemented later this year.

“It’s on the table,” NASCAR senior vice president of competition, Elton Sawyer, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio last week. “We are working closely with all the stakeholders in the industry and the collaboration has been better than ever in our sport on all topics. This particular one, [we] had a team owner council meeting last week, came up and we discussed that. I know John Probst had a conversation with our engine builders to see what we could do, how that would look and what changes would need to be made.”

The current engine package is 670 horsepower, and any increase would not be extreme. It would not go back to the days of 900hp or the big 1,000 that drivers would love in a perfect world. It seems the 750 number is more likely.

No, it’s not a lot, but it’s something. Many would agree in this case, something is better than nothing.

“I think it’d be worth a shot if the engine manufacturers are willing to do it,” Chase Elliott said. “So, you’re going to have to get all of them to agree, which in my view, is going to be a difficult thing to do. But hopefully they can, and everybody’s willing to give it a shot somewhere just to see if it makes a difference. It might not do anything, but it might really help. And until you try, I don’t know that you really have an answer.”

Is cranking up the power all that’s needed to amp up excitement on short tracks, or is there more to consider? Sean Gardner/Getty Images

A very simple approach – wear them down until you get what you want – seems to work. Will it work on the racetrack? Hopefully, NASCAR gives the industry a chance to find out. But also remember that an increase in horsepower is one step but won’t be the cure-all for what ails the short track package.

“I definitely think it needs more,” Josh Berry said. “The question, I think, boils down to how much more does it need to move the needle? I don’t really have an answer to that. It probably needs to be pretty significant. What I would hate to happen is to go up 100 horsepower and it doesn’t really look that different and everyone goes, ‘Oh, that wasn’t it.’ It is a combination of a lot of things. It is the aero side of the car, it is horsepower, it’s the tires.

“Honestly, it’s technology. I raced a Pro Late Model on Thursday night and when I got out front my car drove a lot better than when I was tucked up behind someone’s bumper. It’s just technology and the fields are that close. It’s just physics and aero. It would definitely be a step in the right direction if they go in that direction. We will see what happens.”

NASCAR is being worn down to push the horsepower lever. It seems more likely than ever before it will happen, and cue the celebration when it does, followed by the magnifying glass on what it does on the racetrack. Then, get the drum ready because there will be something else that becomes worth repeating over and over.

After nearly a decade of continuously sponsoring Mercedes-AMG Petronas, fashion juggernaut Tommy Hilfiger has confirmed that it will back Cadillac’s Formula 1 effort in 2026 (and beyond) as the team’s official apparel partner and lifestyle sponsor. It’s a bit of a coup for Cadillac, whose admittance to the series was staunchly opposed by Mercedes F1 owner and boss Toto Wolff.

No specifics of the deal were made public in Hilfiger’s announcement, but we were teased with the broader strokes of their multi-year arrangement. Not only will the Hilfiger brand adorn Cadillac’s race cars, but it will also provide official “fanwear collections” (swag), “immersive events and activations” (influencer parties) and “disruptive campaigns with the team and drivers” (nobody actually knows).

“Two icons. One vision. A bold new era of American motorsport,” Hilfiger said in an official announcement. “We’re proud to continue our Formula 1 story alongside TWG Motorsports and Cadillac. We share a vision to honor the heritage of F1 while pushing it forward — celebrating where we come from, and reimagining where we can go. As the sport’s presence around the globe continues to soar, there’s never been a better time to dream big, and show the world what an American team can bring to the grid.”

Hilfiger’s F1 ties date to the early ’90s. The brand first partnered with Lotus, and then later with Ferrari. Hilfiger took a 17-year hiatus from the series after the 2001 season and sponsored Mercedes continuously from its return in 2018 through the end of last season, when Mercedes and Adidas announced their new partnership for 2025.

In a roundabout way, this partnership will temporarily reunite Hilfiger with Ferrari. The latter will provide the engines for Cadillac’s early effort, buying time for General Motors to spin up its own development program, which it wants to have in place by 2030.

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EchoPark has secured the naming rights to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the next seven years in a multimillion-dollar agreement.

Contract:

• Deal to run until 2031
• EchoPark branding will appear on the track walls, in victory lane, and throughout the concourse area
• ‘EchoPark Speedway’ is already displayed on the tower above the grandstands

Context:

EchoPark Automotive is an arm of Sonic Automotive, whose chairman and chief executive is David Smith. David Smith is the brother of Marcus Smith, president and chief executive of Speedway Motorsports. Speedway Motorsports operates the track now known as EchoPark Speedway and, of course, both Speedway Motorsports and EchoPark Automotive were founded by David and Marcus’ father, Bruton Smith.

EchoPark is already the title sponsor of two races on the Cup Series schedule – the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas and the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway.

Comment:

“We’re thrilled to partner with an innovative, customer-focused company like EchoPark Automotive as the entitlement partner of our newly named EchoPark Speedway,” said Marcus Smith. “EchoPark Automotive is as committed to exceptional customer service as we are, and we know that together we’ll elevate our fan experience to a new level unmatched for Southern hospitality. This partnership will fuel great experiences for fans attending our speedway for years to come.”

“We have enjoyed serving guests in the Atlanta metro area since EchoPark Atlanta opened its doors in 2020,” said David Smith. “This partnership allows us to share the value of the exceptional EchoPark car-buying experience with more guests in Atlanta and the surrounding area who enjoy the excitement of Nascar racing at this iconic venue.”

Coming next:

Atlanta, which hosted the second Nascar Cup Series race of the season, will welcome another visit from the series on 28th June. This will be the first race broadcast within TNT’s new five-race package of media rights.

Go deeper:

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AXIOS) – The city of Charlotte is considering a $25 million redesign of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a project that aims to bolster its educational offerings and events.

Why it matters: In a presentation Monday to Charlotte City Council members, NASCAR Hall of Fame officials said the public investment would modernize the facility and create new classroom and event spaces to expand its programming.

• This would be the biggest renovation since the museum opened in 2010.

By the numbers: Construction costs are estimated between $12 million and $15 million, with the remaining funds spent on “soft costs,” such as design, permitting and furniture, according to the presentation.

• The $25 million project budget includes a 30% contingency since it’s still in the early design phase.

The big picture: The NASCAR Hall of Fame’s economic impact is $74.9 million, according to CRVA’s study.

• Last year was the museum’s second-highest attendance on record, with 201,840 visitors, up 9.2% from the year before.

Yes, but: When the Hall of Fame first opened, boosters projected the museum would attract 800,000 visitors a year.

Between the lines: Funds for the revamp would come from the city’s tourism and hospitality taxes, specifically the NASCAR Hall of Fame bucket. That fund — a 2% tax on hotels — generates over $20 million a year and may only be spent on the Hall of Fame and Crown Ballroom at the Convention Center, as restricted by state statute.

• That revenue bucket differs from the prepared food and beverage tax, which the city tapped into for $650 million to support the Panthers’ stadium renovations.

What’s inside: Officials from the Hall of Fame and CRVA presented a building redesign to Charlotte City Council members on Monday. They say it will improve security and flow and create the new classroom space by:

• Moving the gift shop to a studio vacated by NASCAR, near the entrance.
• Turning the current gift shop into multi-purpose classrooms.
• Converting an existing meeting room into a new cafe.
• Creating a new, 2,900-square-foot enclosed event space.
• Relocating the security desk to improve observation and installing new screening equipment.

What’s next: Charlotte City Council is expected to vote in the coming months.

This story from Axios Charlotte was published as part of a partnership.

Watch WBTV’s local news coverage below.

Copyright 2024 WBTV. All rights reserved.

Whether it’s a racecar slicing through air or a boat charting open waters, both must move efficiently through fluid, travel from start to finish and endure extreme conditions. This leads to a surprising number of parallels between marine and motorsport.

In fact, these industries are so similar that technology from racing has been transferred to vessels since 2014 ^[1]. Famous Formula 1 engineer, Adrian Newey, partnered with Sir Ben Ainslie to leverage the simulation, modelling, fluid dynamics and composite techniques learned in motorsport for the 35th America’s Cup campaign. It’s no coincidence that other top Formula 1 teams including Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren have followed suit and are now all involved in high performance marine projects such as the America’s Cup and the E1 Series.

However, this technology crossover has become even more prevalent over the last few years as the maritime industry shifts towards electrification – a strategy motorsport has been tackling since 2009 ^[2].

The importance of efficiency in marine electric powertrains

Hybrid and electric propulsion systems are gradually being adopted in work boats, leisure craft, ferries and rescue boats. This transition is being driven by the threat of regulations, the need to reduce emissions, the performance potential of new battery technologies and the cost benefits of electricity over fuels.

Discover the role electrification will play in marine

Like all electric powertrains, battery range is a concern, particularly in maritime where regeneration is unavailable and recovering from a depleted battery at sea is far more complex than pulling over at the side of a racetrack.

Consequently, powertrain efficiency is a top priority in marine, an area that aligns closely with motorsport, where maximising every joule of energy can be the difference between winning and losing a race. 

‘One of the challenges with electric boats is there is very little regen – there are no hills to coast down, and as soon as you come off throttle, the boat is already slowing down due to the drag of the hull,’ highlights Peter Trueman, Market Head Off-Highway and Marine at Ricardo. ‘This shifts the focus of the key battery requirement from power density to energy density, making the efficiency innovations in series such as Formula E and Le Mans, where the batteries have to last the entire race, most interesting to marine.’

‘This efficiency is not just about managing the conditions of the battery to keep it in its optimum range to maximise energy output,’ adds Trueman. ‘But also ensuring this energy is used in the most efficient way possible. Every component including the electric motors and the transmission, all need to be optimised to minimise losses and contribute to achieving an overall efficient powertrain package.’

Developing a transmission for Formula E

Reducing drag and lightweighting

The hunt for efficiency does not stop with the powertrain, as there are many other areas of a vessel that can be refined to reduce energy consumption. Arguably the most significant is minimising hydrodynamic drag.

‘Water is around 830 times denser than air ^[3] which means that, at the same speed, the drag force in water is hundreds of times greater than in air,’ explains Stuart Cooper, Market Head at Ricardo. ‘This amplified drag not only requires more power from the batteries to push through, but also creates large turbulent wakes. That’s why, just like in motorsport, boat builders are using CFD tools and wind tunnel equivalent towing tanks to streamline the design of hulls and propellers to be more hydrodynamic.’  

‘There’s a lot of research at the minute going into optimising the hydrodynamics of vessels,’ confirms Trueman. ‘We’re starting to see hydro foiling making a comeback, a system where, as the boat picks up speed, submerged foils sitting beneath the vessel generate lift and lift the high drag hull out of the water, significantly improving the efficiency with which the boat moves over the water. This technology shares many of the fundamental principles found in racecar aerodynamics, it’s just a different fluid.’

Another tactic to cut the energy requirements of the battery pack is lightweighting. By utilising lightweight materials such as carbon fibre composites, the overall mass can be reduced which in turn means fewer cells onboard. This is another area where motorsport can transfer knowledge as the industry has been working with carbon fibre composites since the early 1980s ^[4] and today’s Formula 1 cars are now made up of over 85% composite components ^[5].

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The crossover of reliability between motorsport and marine

There are few environments that are as extreme as a motorsport race, where every component is pushed to its performance limit, sometimes for up to 24 hours. However, marine is one of them, with relentless cyclic loading, shock impacts and vibrations induced by waves combined with constant exposure to salt water, humidity and UV radiation for days at a time. While the threat of debris can damage propellors, shred drive belts and destroy gearboxes.

Despite these brutal conditions, vessels need to be extremely reliable to avoid being stranded in open water. ‘In racing, it’s great to be fast, but as the saying goes, to finish first, you must first finish,’ says Trueman. ‘It’s the same in marine because when you are out at sea, the last thing you want is a failure.’

‘Even back when electronically controlled engines were first introduced into the boating industry there were a myriad of issues around sufficiently isolating electrical connections due to saltwater and salt spray in the air,’ adds Trueman. ‘These problems need to be overcome by designing electric powertrains that are not only durable under normal operating conditions, but in extreme conditions as well.’

Transmission design requirements

This need for components to be energy efficient and reliable demands a precision engineering approach paired with high-quality manufacturing, which is particularly challenging when it comes to transmission design. Transmissions match the output torque of the motors to the input torque of the propeller in electric and hybrid powertrains, with hybrids often utilising power take in gearboxes to switch between the engine and motor depending on the drive mode.

‘The other difficulty is how the powertrain is mounted,’ says Trueman. ‘Prop shafts are usually low down in the hull, so to transfer the torque from the motor or flywheel to the propellor requires a complex arrangement of Z drive or vertical shafts with bevel gears. As the propellor is constantly turning under load, there is a high amount of torque going through the system, so these gears and shafts need to be robust enough to withstand these high torques, whilst minimising heat losses to improve efficiency.’

Achieving performance and reliability whilst maximising efficiency is embedded within the design of Ricardo’s transmissions. The latest Element epicyclic range, originally developed for automotive and motorsport, are well suited to the extreme conditions of marine. Furthermore, these slim cylindrical units are available in low, medium and high torque capacities as well as a wide range of reduction ratios, allowing boat builders to precisely match the speed of the motors operating at their most efficient rpm and propellers for a variety of load profiles.

Learn more about Element for Marine applications

‘In motorsport over recent years, performance has been redefined to focus more on efficiency rather than outright speed,’ concludes Cooper. ‘This efficiency is something Ricardo has been delivering on track for decades, together with a fail fast and iterate faster culture. Transferring this to other industries who are at the beginning of their electrification journey will help accelerate their ability to quickly solve the engineering challenges of adopting hybrid and electric powertrains.’ 

References

^[1] 2014. Adrian Newey gets to realise America’s Cup dream in tie-up with Sir Ben Ainslie [Online]. Motorsport.com
^[2] 2022. WATCH: A brief history of the evolution of Formula 1 engines [Online]. Formula 1.
^[3] Pressure and density of air [Online]. Institute of Physics.
^[4] 2023. Strap in, recycled carbon fibre is just the start [Online]. McLaren.
^[5] G.H., 2018. Tech Explained: Carbon Fibre Prepreg [Online]. Racecar Engineering.