NASCAR will increase horsepower to 750 for all tracks under 1.5 miles in length this season, as well as road courses, but that 80 HP increase may not go as far in improving the racing product as some fans may hope. 

On Wednesday, NASCAR Cup Series crew chief Miles Stanley, who calls the shots for driver Josh Berry and the No. 21 Wood Brothers team, explained to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio why the increase won’t matter all that much. 

Why horsepower increase isn’t the biggest factor

“It is not a huge change,” Stanley said. “I know there’s a lot of hype about it and it’s a big deal, but it doesn’t impact lap times all that much. It does change what the drivers manage throughout the run, which is a good thing. But it’s not a total game-changer. It’s not that big of a difference from where we were.” 

Berry and the No. 21 team got to participate in a Jan. 13 test at North Wilkesboro Speedway to experience the horsepower increase for the first time. 

“First run, Josh in the car: ‘if you didn’t tell me we had more horsepower, I wouldn’t be able to tell from racing this year to racing last year. It’s a nuanced little piece.”

Stanley added that different tire combinations from Goodyear that induce more tire wear will be more important to improving the short track racing product.

Quotes provided by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.Â