TC Daily Pit Stop: NASCAR to Increase Horsepower on Short Tracks, Road Courses for 2026 Cup Season; Logano Always Finds a Way
TC Daily Pit Stop: Wednesday, October 8, 2025
NASCAR to Increase Horsepower to 750 For Cup Races at Road Courses and Tracks Under 1.5 Miles
NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell appeared on the Dale Jr. Download this week and confirmed a long-rumored change: the NASCAR Cup Series will move to 750 horsepower at road courses and tracks under 1.5 miles in length starting in 2026. The decision comes after continued criticism of the racing product at short tracks since the debut of the Next Gen car in 2022. While some fans had hoped for an even bigger jump in power, O’Donnell explained that 750 HP was the maximum increase that wouldn’t financially overwhelm teams and manufacturers.
O’Donnell said that pushing beyond 750 horsepower would have created an estimated $40–50 million burden on the industry, and NASCAR wants to avoid massive swings in regulation as it courts new OEMs like Dodge and supports its current partners. The change also reflects input from fans, teams, and other stakeholders, all of whom have pushed for better on-track competition, especially at short tracks and road courses where passing has been at a premium in recent seasons.
To prepare for the change, NASCAR will hold an offseason test at North Wilkesboro Speedway with teams and Goodyear, focusing on finding the right tire compounds to pair with the increased horsepower. O’Donnell acknowledged fan frustration with the pace of change but emphasized NASCAR’s goal is long-term stability and competitive improvement: “We hear the fans… Yes, we want to try and see what will work here.”
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Where There’s A Will, Joey Logano Finds A Way (To Advance)
In the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, chaos is expected, and no one thrives in it quite like Joey Logano. Once again, when everything was on the line during the cutoff race at the Charlotte ROVAL, Logano emerged from the smoke with a Round of 8 berth in hand. He didn’t do it with speed. He did it with survival instincts, capitalizing on a last-lap clash between Ross Chastain and Denny Hamlin to slide into the final transfer spot.
Logano’s entire Playoff career has been built on moments like this. Last season, he turned a wild five-overtime win into a championship run. He’s survived on strategy, benefited from others’ mistakes, and made his own magic when it mattered most. Now, he’s back in familiar territory: overlooked, under-seeded, and armed with the type of tracks that could vault him right back into the Championship 4.
But can the No. 22 team pull off another improbable run? With Las Vegas, Talladega, and Martinsville on the horizon, all tracks where Logano has won before, the path is there. And if history tells us anything, it’s this: when the pressure is highest, Joey Logano doesn’t fade. He fights. Click below to dive into how the defending champ could shock the Playoffs once again.
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