Image via jimmiejohnson/Instagram
There’s been a lot of talk lately about increasing horsepower in NASCAR, but Jimmie Johnson says more might actually be less. That’s shocking some fans since other drivers have said the opposite. But Johnson has a reason to be cutting against the grain on this one.
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Emotionally, more horsepower just seems like a no-brainer. With that bump, the cars would be faster and more entertaining to watch. Other drivers have talked about that very thing, like Kyle Busch who believes more power would be a good thing, but is skeptical the change would happen.
But with Elton Sawyer, Senior Vice President of Competition for NASCAR, saying a bump from 670-hp to 750-hp could happen, people are getting more excited for the possibility. Sawyer dropped that bomb on the debate while on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio recently, saying he talked with team owners about the potential move.
Others have been clamoring for 900-hp in the stock cars. But even 750-hp will require some big investments from teams, points out Jimmie Johnson. Not only would the engines have to be redesigned, the cooling systems would have to be upgraded and so would the aero packages.
Speaking on the Never Settle Podcast, Johnson acknowledged that drivers want more power so they can pass more, noting there’s less of that in the motorsport, which is frustrating for him and his colleagues.
But he brough up that more power combined with the softer tires means drivers will be destroying tires more than ever before. That then shakes up competition and provides more opportunities for pitting strategies.
However, the man understands the financial side of things, and that’s where he pours cold water on the pro-horsepower side of the debate. Not only will that cost a lot, all three NASCAR OEMs would have to agree on the changes to the cars.
That could be a huge sticking point. Just the back-and-forth negotiations, submitting designs, approvals, etc. would skyrocket costs. For the teams, bigger horsepower means more maintenance, which also is more money. As NASCAR is trying to expand and broaden its appeal, making the motorsport more expensive could hurt those efforts.
Image via jimmiejohnson/Instagram
