NASCAR heads into the fourth Cup Series race of the season at Phoenix with a host of changes to its short track package from last year. However, Joe Gibbs Racing star Denny Hamlin remains dissatisfied with these modifications and is urging the sanctioning body to address a longstanding request from drivers and fans.
Speaking to the media ahead of Sunday’s race, Hamlin emphasized the need for cars to have more horsepower to enhance competitiveness on the track. He argued that the current horsepower level forces drivers to maintain maximum throttle most of the time, leaving little opportunity for overtaking.
He said, “You have to get us out of the gas, either through the tire or the horsepower. It’s that combination that makes passing so difficult. So the more you can get us out of the gas, which means if we have more horsepower, we have to let off sooner, which allows overtaking for the car that’s behind.”
While Hamlin acknowledged that even a modest increase of 50 HP might not drastically alter the dynamics, he expressed willingness to accept any elevation from the current level of 550 HP. The discussion surrounding horsepower remains a prominent issue on NASCAR’s agenda, and it is awaiting resolution.
