“Could we at least go back to the 750 horsepower, which is only 100 more than what we got now, which would at least be a step in the right direction?” Denny Hamlin shared in an interview. The veteran JGR driver has been a long-time advocate demanding a bump in the engine power to improve short track racing. Tracks like Bristol and Martinsville have lost their charm, and the only strategy that leads to a win is track position.Take Kyle Larson’s win at Bristol, for example. He was untouchable, leading 411 of 500 laps to bag a dominant victory. NASCAR tried bringing in the aero package and the new softer tires, but nothing changed. And whenever a driver like Hamlin used to bring up the horsepower debate, it was ignored. But not anymore. With North Wilkesboro proving out to be a success, they’ve finally turned a corner for good.Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, acknowledged that they are working towards increasing the engine power. “It’s on the table. We are working closely with all the stakeholders in the industry, and as I said, the collaboration has been better than ever in our sport on all topics.” It is expected that the current engine, which has 670 horsepower, could be bumped up to 750. And this might solve some of the issues with the on-track product. But, when veteran driver Michael McDowell was asked about this raging debate, he wasn’t entirely sold if an increase in horsepower would drastically change on-track performance.“No, I don’t think it helped the product, I think it’s just an illusion that some of the drivers and media are trying to paint. Yea I don’t think it’ll make a little difference on any of those things we just need to keep adding softer tires and having more tire wear and it’ll be fine but yea I don’t, I think it’s going to be a lot of work for not much of a result on that so yeah we’ll see that.” McDowell said ahead of the race in Nashville.To McDowell’s points, NASCAR didn’t really go all-in with their tire experiments. The option tire produced by Goodyear indicated that it could’ve changed racing. In fact they even rolled out the tire at Phoenix Raceway. Ryan Preece made the most of these tires as he rocketed through the field and charged from 33rd to 10th in just 11 laps, reaching third place and bagging extra points at the end of the first stage. But, all of a sudden, NASCAR made a U-turn, announcing that they won’t bring out the option tire for the entire 2025 season going forward.Well, it’s not just Hamlin who has been demanding a bump in power. Kevin Harvick, back in 2022 shared his take on this topic. “Once you put 1000 HP on short tracks, there would be no going back. Would fix all short track problems after about 5 laps; with where our engine shops are today we could run them multiple races.” Perhaps 900 horsepower or anything above would drastically improve racing and create that separation on the racetrack. And this is why Michael McDowell wasn’t sold on a slight increase of 80-100 HP on the current package.“I don’t think it’ll make a lick of difference”– @Mc_Driver doesn’t believe a horsepower increase will help the racing product pic.twitter.com/XZFGu3aB6k— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) May 31, 2025There’s also the element of cost-effectiveness and engine life that is attached to this horsepower equation. Doug Yates, CEO of Roush Yates Engines, weighed in on the matter last year. He stated that moving from 670 to 750 horsepower wouldn’t be much of a change, but going back to 900 horsepower engines would be a steep climb and might hamper the life of the engines. So, a small bump in engine output isn’t something that McDowell is excited about, and going by his theory, tires are where NASCAR can make huge gains.On the flip side of this story, Hamlin, who has secured a front-row start for the Nashville race, could be forced to make a tough call. And Joe Gibbs Racing has also placed a backup driver in Ryan Truex, if he misses the race on Sunday.Denny Hamlin is on a baby watchWhile the horsepower debate keeps the NASCAR garage buzzing, there’s a more personal story unfolding for Denny Hamlin, one of the loudest voices pushing for more power in the Next-Gen cars. On May 31, news broke that Hamlin might have to miss the Nashville Superspeedway race, not because of an injury, but for a much happier reason—he’s on “baby watch.”Hamlin and his longtime partner, Jordan Fish, are expecting their third child, a baby boy, with a due date that falls on June 1, the same day as the Cracker Barrel 400. It’s a moment of joy for the couple, who already have two daughters, Taylor and Molly, but the timing couldn’t be trickier for Hamlin as he balances family and racing at a pivotal point in the season.Hamlin, who’s already notched two wins this year and is set to make his 700th career Cup start, qualified on the front row alongside teammate Chase Briscoe for the Nashville race. But with the baby’s arrival looming, Joe Gibbs Racing has a backup plan in place, with Ryan Truex on standby to drive the No. 11 Toyota if needed. Truex, the younger brother of 2017 Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., hasn’t raced in the Cup Series since 2014, but he’s been a reliable part-time driver in the Xfinity Series, winning three races since 2023.If Hamlin can’t start the race, Truex will take over, though the car would have to drop to the rear of the field, and Truex would get credit for the start. NASCAR’s new 2025 playoff waiver policy is strict, but missing a race for a child’s birth counts as a valid medical reason, so Hamlin’s playoff points are safe either way.The post NASCAR Driver Shuts Down Denny Hamlin’s Biggest Next-Gen Complain With Bombshell “Illusion” Claim appeared first on EssentiallySports.