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.

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.

NASCAR race weekend was the biggest event last year at the Newton Municipal Airport, and staff are eager for its return this coming August. The Iowa Corn 350 was the first NASCAR Cup Series to be held at Iowa Speedway, and it drew in a considerable amount of traffic to the local racetrack, as well as the nearby airport.

Ethan Nasalroad, president of Johnson Aviation, spoke of the experience at the airport this past summer during a recent presentation with the city council.

“This was huge for Newton. This was huge for Iowa. As a fixed-base operator, to be able to handle a Cup race, that was really a big deal for us as well. We look forward to seeing them again next year,” Nasalroad said before correcting himself. “Well, in a couple months I should say.”

NASCAR races saw 47 aircraft at the airport over a period of three days, and the IndyCar Race Weekend drew 54 aircraft.

Johnson Aviation hopes to see as much traffic this year as it saw in 2024. The races at Iowa Speedway continue to drive traffic to the city-owned airport. Data shared by Nasalroad shows that in addition to the race traffic, the airport sees a steady amount of aerial applicators using the facility.

Upcoming improvement projects at the airport not only show the facility is growing, it’s getting a lot of use. Bids for the apron expansion came in more than $400,000 less than the engineer anticipated, meaning the city’s share — which is already considerably low — is even lower than anticipated.

The current space constrains the airport, which is seeing continued growth in large part because of the races scheduled at the Iowa Speedway. Planes are not getting smaller either. Oftentimes, visiting planes have to use tenant ramp space or utilize unconventional parking to fit all of the aircraft.

Hangar space is also depleting.

“We’re as busy and we’re as full as we can be out there,” Nasalroad said.

By October this year, Johnson Aviation will be celebrating 75 years in business.

The #64 Ford Mustang GT3 roared to glory on the streets of Detroit in the hands of Mike Rockenfeller and Sebastian Priaulx. The fourth round of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, which took place in Ford’s hometown, delivered the second victory of the season so far for the Ford Multimatic Motorsports team.

It was Priaulx who started the race in the #64 Mustang and he made a great start from pole position, holding onto the lead and pushing hard to create a buffer to the pack behind him. He handed the Mustang over after 30 minutes to Rockenfeller who then delivered a masterclass in street racing, taking the chequered flag in first place, securing the first win for the #64 Mustang.

“To win in Detroit is a dream come true,” said Rockenfeller. “It was a perfect weekend, where we started strong and didn’t make any mistakes to the finish. Finally, we got this top spot. It was not an easy race because the competition is high here in IMSA. We had to be perfect in our driving, which makes this win especially rewarding. Thank you to Ford Performance, the Ford family and to Multimatic Motorsports for such a great day.”

A little bit of rubbing is always expected on a street circuit but this race had a brutal amount of contact. One of the victims of that was the #65 Mustang of Daytona winners Chris Mies and Fred Vervisch. Mies took a hit from both sides from the pair of BMWs early on in the race and was forced to pit very early for damage repair. Then, once Vervisch was installed behind the wheel, he took a huge hit from the #48 BMW, when its driver made a move under braking that was never going to stick. The #65 Mustang ultimately had to retire with just two laps to go.

“It was my first time here, and I really liked it,” said Vervisch. “We had two great cars, and we both did a great job starting one and two. Unfortunately, we had some contact from other drivers. But nevertheless, for this team to win in Ford territory is great. It’s a great season so far for Ford.”

This result means that Ford regains the lead in the GTD PRO manufacturer standings, the #64 crew move up to third in the driver’s standings with the #65 drivers in fifth place. Six races remain in the 2025 IMSA season.

Ryan Blaney qualified for the 2025 Cup Series playoffs with a victory at Nashville Superspeedway, leading a race-high 139 of 300 laps on the 1.333-mile concrete oval.

It’s the 14th victory for the No. 12 Ford driver and his first since 14 races ago at Martinsville Speedway last November.

The Team Penske driver became the ninth driver to win and lock into the 10-race championship run in NASCAR’s premier series. With earlier victories by Austin Cindric (Talladega Superspeedway) and Joey Logano (Texas Motor Speedway), Team Penske has its trio of drivers in the playoffs (as well as Josh Berry, whose Wood Brothers Racing Ford has a technical alliance with Penske).

Quotes from the longest concrete track on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

Blaney captured his first victory at Nashville in his fifth start at the track in Lebanon, Tennessee. Nashville Superspeedway has featured five different winners since joining the Cup schedule in 2021. It’s the 10th track where Blaney has won in Cup.

Carson Hocevar finished second, tying a career-best finish from Atlanta Motor Speedway in February. Denny Hamlin finished third in his 700th career Cup start, followed by Logano and William Byron, who increased his lead in the regular-season championship standings.

Byron leads by 48 points over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, who railled for eighth to maintain his streak of being the only driver with top 10s in all five Cup Series races at Nashville.

Christopher Bell, who rebounded from a Lap 119 spin, is third in the regular-season points standings.

Finishing order at Nashville Superspeedway:

1. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford
2. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet
3. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota
4. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford
5. William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet
6. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota
7. Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota
8. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet
9. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota
10. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota
11. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Chevrolet
12. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Chevrolet
13. Zane Smith, No. 38 Ford
14. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford
15. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet
16. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Chevrolet
17. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota
18. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Ford
19. Cole Custer, No. 41 Ford
20. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Chevrolet
21. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Chevrolet
22. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Ford
23. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford
24. Riley Herbst, No. 35 Toyota
25. Shane Van Gisbergen, No. 88 Chevrolet
26. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Chevrolet
27. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Toyota
28. Ryan Preece, No. 60 Ford
29. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet
30. Josh Berry, No. 21 Ford
31. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota
32. Justin Haley, No. 7 Chevrolet
33. Cody Ware, No. 51 Ford
34. JJ Yeley, No. 44 Chevrolet
35. Chad Finchum, No. 66 Ford
36. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Chevrolet
37. Corey Heim, No. 67 Toyota
38. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Ford
39. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Chevrolet

Carson Hocevar charged through the field at Nashville after starting 26th, reaching as high as second at the end before seeing the checkered flag. He didn’t get there without some drama as Hocevar ended Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s day after some mid-race contact, drawing the ire of the fiery driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet.

Nonetheless, Hocevar’s march continued, climbing up to seventh by the end of the second stage. The No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet performed a successful undercut in the final round of green-flag pit stops, jumping all the way up to second place on track.

Advertisement

He started slicing away at margin held by eventual race winner Ryan Blaney, but he stalled out after encountering a wall of traffic. He ended the race with his second runner-up finish of the year after Atlanta, still searching for his first career win after 59 career starts.

“It just proves how strong this group is to go from the disappointment last week to having a really bad qualify draw, qualifying really bad and sticking through it and having a shot. A shot, like a straightaway,” said Hocevar.

He was referencing the Coca-Cola 600, where he was also capable of contending for the race win. Unfortunately, he suffered an engine failure on a mid-race restart while battling for the race lead.

“But just proud of this group, Ziegler Auto Group, everybody that puts [something] into this race car,” continued Hocevar. They deserve good finishes. I think our average with this car is like 38th (with that sponsor). So it’s a big upgrade.”

Advertisement

He thanked several other team members before continuing: “I was probably being a lot more vocal on the radio than I needed to be, but you’re just trying so hard and trying to find something that is just not there. One spot short again, which is — at least hopefully this is a step in the right direction.”

Read Also:

Ryan Blaney wins NASCAR Cup race at Nashville for Team Penske

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. frustrated with Carson Hocevar after Nashville wreck

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

AP Photo/Colin E. Braley

AP Photo/George Walker IV

AP Photo/George Walker IV

AP Photo/George Walker IV

AP Photo/George Walker IV

AP Photo/George Walker IV

AP Photo/George Walker IV

AP Photo/George Walker IV

AP Photo/George Walker IV

LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan Blaney and Team Penske have been fast with his No. 12 Ford Mustang this year only to have races slip away when it mattered most.

Not Sunday night.

Blaney ran away down the stretch for his first Cup Series victory of the year Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway, then he celebrated with a burnout in front of the roaring fans after what he called a rough year.

“I’m ready to go celebrate,” Blaney said.

The 2023 Cup champ had been racing well with five top-five finishes over the first half of this season. He finally got to victory lane for his 14th career victory and first since Martinsville in November after leading a race-high 139 laps.

“I never gave up hope that’s for sure,” Blaney said. “We’ve had great speed all year. It just hasn’t really been the best year for us as far as good fortune. But (No.) 12 boys are awesome. They stick with it no matter how it goes.”

He became the ninth different winner this season and the fifth driver to win in as many races at Nashville. He also gave Team Penske a second straight Cup win at Nashville’s 1.33-mile concrete track.

Blaney, who started 15th, quickly drove his way to the front as he won the second stage. He easily held off Carson Hocevar by 2.83 seconds. Hocevar matched his career-best finish at Atlanta in February after complaining during the race that his No. 77 Chevrolet was undriveable.

“Either I’m really dramatic or they’re really good on adjustments,” Hocevar said. “Probably a little bit of both, but, yeah, proud of this group proud of this car. A place that is really, really difficult to pass, we’re able to go 26th to second.”

Denny Hamlin finished third in his 700th career Cup Series race, matching the third-place finish by Jeff Gordon at Darlington in 2013 for the best finish in a driver’s 700th race. Joey Logano, who won here last year, was fourth and William Byron fifth.

Hamlin was hoping for one more caution that never came after seven cautions for 35 laps.

“Just couldn’t run with the 12 (Blaney) there in the super long run,” Hamlin said. “After 40 laps, I could maintain with him. But then after that, he just pulled away and stretched it on us.”

There was a sprint to the finish under green forcing teams and drivers to pick and choose went to pit. Blaney had led 107 laps when he went to the pits under green flag on lap 248. Hamlin took the lead before going to pit road on lap 256.

Crew chief Jonathan Hassler said they decided on Blaney’s fifth and final pit stop trying to make sure he could get back out into the cleanest air possible.

“It was really nice just to finish off a race,” Hassler said.

Brad Keselowski had the lead when he went to the pits on lap 269. Blaney took the lead for the final 31 laps.

Waiting on a call

Hamlin raced Sunday night hoping to take advantage of his starting spot spot beside pole-sitter Chase Briscoe. Whether Hamlin would chase his third win this season had been in question with his third child, a boy, due the same day.

Hamlin practiced and qualified well, so he drove his No. 11 Toyota even as Joe Gibbs Racing had Ryan Truex on standby in case Hamlin got the call that his fiancee was in labor. Hamlin won the first stage and survived the final stretch without water or fresh air.

Tyler Reddick beat his boss Hamlin, a co-owner of his 23XI Racing team, to new parent status, which Reddick announced on social media earlier Sunday.

His family welcomed their second son at 2:20 a.m. on May 25, then Reddick followed up hours later by finishing 26th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.

Early night

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn’t finish his first race this year. He was the first out when Hocevar tapped his No. 47 Chevrolet, spinning Stenhouse into the wall between Turns 3 and 4 for the second caution of the race on lap 106.

Punishment and more penalties possible?

AJ Allmendinger started at the back of the field and served a stop-and-go penalty after the green flag for an unapproved adjustment to the splitter during Saturday’s practice. His No. 16 Chevrolet was sent back to the garage and then the scanning station before practice and qualifying.

The No. 66 Ford of Chad Finchum failed inspection twice leading to engineer Austin Webb’s ejection. The Garage 66 team also lost pit stall selection.

Up next

NASCAR heads to Michigan International Speedway for the Cup Series on June 8.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Copyright
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.