Rick Hendrick has utilized the race-winning car engine of Kyle Larson effectively. Hendrick and Larson secured a playoff spot for the 2024 Championship two weeks ago in Las Vegas by winning the Pennzoli 400. The No:5 team dominated the race, sweeping all the stages and leading over 250 laps on their way to victory. No other driver was able to put up a significant challenge for the win, except in the final laps.
Larson had the best car at Vegas, and Hendrick Motorsports’ owner is now using the race-winning engine for a new project. He has instructed the HMS engine builders to create a 1000 HP engine using the No:5 Cup engine that won the race, which originally had around 650 HP. This upgraded engine will be installed in one of Hendrick’s personal cars. Larson revealed these details while discussing the need to increase the horsepower of Cup cars during the Dale Jr. Download podcast.
NASCAR introduced the new short-track package for the Next-Gen cars at Phoenix last Sunday. This package was expected to address the issues with passing and traffic that came with the 7th Gen car on short tracks. However, the changes were not as significant as anticipated, and drivers saw limited improvements.
This once again brought the focus back to the ongoing demand from teams and drivers to increase the horsepower. The main argument against this has been the cost and time constraints. Larson, however, believes that it won’t require much effort. He used the example of Rick Hendrick’s 1000 HP car to support his argument.
Joe Gibbs Racing veteran also made a similar point, stating that NASCAR simply needs to make a phone call to implement the engine change. If NASCAR cannot find another solution, listening to the drivers’ suggestions would be the best option.