Rick Hendrick effectively utilized Kyle Larson’s race-winning engine. Hendrick and Larson secured a spot in the 2024 Championship playoffs two weeks ago in Las Vegas by winning the Pennzoli 400. The No. 5 team dominated the race, winning all stages and leading over 250 laps towards victory. No other driver was able to present a significant challenge for the win, except in the final laps.
Larson had the best car in Vegas, and the owner of Hendrick Motorsports is now using the race-winning engine for a new project. He instructed 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 power of Cup cars during the Dale Jr. Download podcast.
NASCAR introduced the new short track package for Next-Gen cars in Phoenix last Sunday. This package was expected to address the passing and traffic issues that arose with the 7th generation car on short tracks. However, the changes were not as significant as expected, and drivers saw limited improvements.
This once again brought the focus back to the ongoing demand from teams and drivers to increase power. The main argument against this has been cost and time constraints. Larson, however, believes it will not require much effort. He used Rick Hendrick’s 1000 HP car as an example to support his argument.
The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran also made a similar point, stating that NASCAR only 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.
