NASCAR conducted a test session at historic North Wilkesboro Speedway on Jan. 13 with all 15 of its chartered teams in the Cup Series teams to make adjustments to the new 750-horsepower engine package that will be utilized at short tracks and road courses during the 2026 season.
The rule change, which increases horsepower from 670 to 750 in all short track engines, will impact both of Bristol Motor Speedway’s NASCAR Cup Series races, the tradition-rich Food City 500 on Sunday afternoon, April 12 and the crown jewel Bass Pro Shops Night Race under the lights on Saturday, September 19.
During the daylong test teams worked on a variety of setup changes and configurations. Goodyear was also involved in the test to sample a variety of tire compounds as NASCAR continues to evaluate ways to improve short track racing with the Next Gen car.
“Short tracks are somewhere we needed to get better at, no matter what the package was,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the Hyak Motorsports No. 47 Chevrolet. “So, throwing in new horsepower and a different package may help us figure it out, or at least get us closer to everybody else. The more horsepower, the better, yes. If we can continue in that direction, I do think Goodyear is doing a good job of bringing us tires that wear out and continuing to evolve them. I think all of us drivers and teams are on board with that. Pairing that with NASCAR adding horsepower, I think everything is moving in the right direction to get us even better racing.”
The temperatures during the test hovered around 50 degrees in the afternoon, but teams also saw time on the track in the morning which is was much colder. The test was eventually extended for two hours and concluded at 7 p.m.
Drivers said the opportunity for a day-long test to gather tons of data and also for several drivers, get acquainted with new team members and a brand-new cockpit layout.
“This is big,” said Ross Chastain, driver of the No. 1 Chevy for Trackhouse Racing. “This is valuable. Justin Marks and Trackhouse spend a lot of money and I think they would spend a lot more if we had more days like this. Selfishly, we’re competitors and we just want to do good. The best way to get better at racing is to go drive the car… Repeating something, as human beings, if we keep doing it with intention – not just cruising around in the wrong get – it’s super valuable.”
Former Bristol Night Race winner Chris Buescher, who drives the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford, said the horsepower addition was especially noticeable after logging a bunch of laps.
“You probably don’t notice the power from the get-go,” Buescher explained, “but at the tail end of the runs, with some of the falloff and the struggles in the car, I think that’s where you realize, ‘ok, I had more underneath us at the beginning of this run and I may be paying the price at this point.’ There’s no downside to it.”
Elliott, the winner of the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol and a perennial fan-favorite in Tennessee’s high-banked half-mile at the controls of his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, is optimistic that the changes will be beneficial for all intended tracks.
“I don’t see the power hurting the entertainment factor of the race,” Elliott said. “Hopefully, it allows us to have to peddle the cars at some point throughout a run…there’s a good bit of (tire wear) falloff even for the temperatures we have today. I would have to imagine, we come back here in the summer months, certainly it will be warmer than it is today. You combine that with a lot more cars being on the track and I do think there will be wear. Obviously, more power will impact that as well. Hopefully, we keep inching up on making these long runs more of a challenge.”
The Tennessee Army National Guard 250 Truck Race (7:30 p.m., FS1 and PRN Radio) on Friday night, April 10, will kick off a full weekend of racing activities this spring at Bristol Motor Speedway. The weekend also will feature a 300-lap race in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on Saturday, April 11 (7:30 p.m., The CW and PRN Radio) and Bush’s Beans Qualifying for NASCAR Cup Series and O’Reilly Series teams. All the action will culminate with Sunday afternoon’s legendary Food City 500 NASCAR Cup Series race on April 12 (3 p.m., FS1 and PRN Radio).
In addition to cheering on their favorite drivers during the weekend in each of the trio of races, Bristol Motor Speedway fans will definitely want to take advantage of so many activities to make a complete weekend of family fun. There will be great video entertainment provided by Colossus TV, the world's largest center-hung video screen, premium VIP experiences, tailgating, on-site camping, concerts and other entertainment at the Food City Fan Zone Stage headlined by Trackside Live with Kenny Wallace and John Roberts, great food and beverages in the concession stands throughout the property, and so much more.
To purchase tickets to the Food City 500 weekend of races or any events at Bristol Motor Speedway, please visit the track’s website or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158. You can also purchase tickets at any neighborhood Food City store.
