Overview

• Brad Keselowski said on the Stacking Pennies podcast that he expects Cup engines to move from the current 670-hp spec to roughly 740–750 hp next year.
• NASCAR competition chief Elton Sawyer has described an active 2026 effort to add power on short tracks with ongoing discussions involving Toyota, Ford, Chevrolet, engine builders, and teams.
• Sawyer said tracks may be grouped by how they race rather than distance, citing Martinsville and Richmond as straightforward cases and noting evaluations for Loudon and Dover.
• No rule change has been finalized, and the current Next Gen package remains at 670 hp in specification, with drivers saying real-world output runs closer to 685–690.
• Keselowski reiterated frustrations with the car’s driving style and noted his post-2022 results, while other drivers such as Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano favor more power and fans on social media push for even higher figures near 850–900 hp.