Latest news with #HendrickMotorsports
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'Not That Simple': Hendricks Motorsports Insider Delivers Grim Update on NASCAR's Future
The call for more horsepower in NASCAR is growing louder across fan forums and pit boxes, but a top Hendrick Motorsports insider is dousing the flames. As NASCAR explores adding power to improve short-track racing, Hendrick Motorsport's powertrain director Scott Maxim says it's not as simple as flipping a switch. Momentum for more horsepower has picked up in 2025 with drivers like Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson advocating for it. Advertisement NASCAR's managing director of communications Mike Forde recently said on the Hauler Talk podcast that they are working on bringing back 750 horsepower to select tracks. The current Gen 7 cars run around 670 horsepower on most tracks. A jump to 750 horsepower would require changes to the tapered spacer. That's the piece NASCAR uses to regulate airflow and control horsepower. But anything above 750 would get much more technical and expensive. Also Read:: NASCAR Driver Reveals He Idolized Denny Hamlin Ahead of Veteran's 700th Start Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images But Maxim recently told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio it's not that easy. '750 would be an 80 horsepower increase over where we are currently at,' he said. 'you know, there's a lot of folks involved. We have four engine suppliers, we have three manufacturers and we have NASCAR. So it will take a lot of collective effort.' Advertisement 'If it's a moderate power increase, we have a pretty good understanding of the changes required,' Maxim added. 'If we were to have a higher horsepower target than that, then that would require some more extensive changes. But we'd have to be given clarity on the direction.' And clarity seems to be in short supply. While Maxim's comments leave room for small changes, the bigger picture is less rosy. Doug Yates of Roush Yates Engines said earlier this year that going back to 900 hp would shorten engine life and increase costs. 'That would be a big project,' he said. 'You'd need a new engine every race.' Also, NASCAR officials are skeptical. VP Elton Sawyer recently said increased horsepower could scare off new manufacturers by increasing costs and NASCAR's John Probst noted there's no evidence more power equals better racing. In the end, the dream of high-horsepower stock cars may be just that, a dream. While the technology exists, getting everyone on the same page with execution, safety and cost is a tall order. For now, Scott Maxim's comments suggest the future is about small tweaks not a full-on return to the past. Advertisement And for Hendrick Motorsports whose drivers like Larson and Byron are already winning with the current package, the need for raw horsepower may not be as great as it is for others. Also Read:: Jimmie Johnson joins hollywood agency, follows Tom Brady's playbook to build post-racing empire Related Headlines
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Who are the top NASCAR drivers in merchandise sales?
Kyle Larson didn't win the Indy 500 on Memorial Day. He didn't win the Coca-Cola 600 later that evening. In fact, he didn't finish either race. However, Larson is winning a race off the track. Larson is leading everyone when it comes to merchandise sales this race season. Hendrick Motorsports selling "Hendrick 1,100" merch for Larson's attempt at the double only boosted his lead. Here's the top 14 NASCAR drivers...
USA Today
a day ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
Who are the top NASCAR drivers in merchandise sales?
Who are the top NASCAR drivers in merchandise sales? Kyle Larson didn't win the Indy 500 on Memorial Day. He didn't win the Coca-Cola 600 later that evening. In fact, he didn't finish either race. However, Larson is winning a race off the track. Larson is leading everyone when it comes to merchandise sales this race season. Hendrick Motorsports selling "Hendrick 1,100" merch for Larson's attempt at the double only boosted his lead. Here's the top 14 NASCAR drivers... 14. Tyler Reddick 13. Denny Hamlin 12. Christopher Bell 11. Daniel Suarez 10. William Byron 9. Dale Earnhardt Sr. 8. Justin Allgaier 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 6. Joey Logano 5. Ryan Blaney 4. Ross Chastain 3. Kyle Busch 2. Chase Elliott 1. Kyle Larson
USA Today
3 days ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
Jimmie Johnson wants Kyle Larson to keep attempting 'The Double'
Jimmie Johnson wants Kyle Larson to keep attempting 'The Double' Kyle Larson's second attempt at "The Double" didn't go well. Larson crashed out of the 2025 Indianapolis 500, and even if he hadn't wrecked, the helicopter taking him to Charlotte Motor Speedway would have left before the end of the event due to a weather delay. Then, Larson hit the wall and spun from the lead in the Coca-Cola 600 before crashing out later in the night. It was a very disappointing day for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, and it might have represented his final chance at "The Double." However, Jimmie Johnson, who joined the NTT IndyCar Series after retiring from NASCAR, hopes that Larson can continue attempting "The Double" moving forward. "I love that [Kyle Larson]'s doing [The Double], and I hope that he sticks with it," Johnson said. "The uptick for motorsports worldwide is measurable. When people do The Double, it matters. And Kyle is a guy that can drive anything, as we know. We look at how he did last year. This year, sure, racing is racing. It's not always going to be easy. The big races require bigger moments, and there's a lot more going on. The guy just takes it in stride and goes through both events. Sure, he wishes he had different results, but I really hope it doesn't dissuade him from racing in those again." Larson is one of the best race car drivers in the world, and although his two attempts at "The Double" haven't gone well, Johnson hopes it won't discourage him from trying it again. The logistics of "The Double" are complicated, and despite the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion's approval, it would be understandable if Larson didn't want to try it again. More: Kyle Larson addresses a possible third attempt at "The Double"
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
NASCAR free agency: What we're hearing about Trackhouse, Connor Zilisch, Kaulig and more
NASCAR's Silly Season — that time of year when drivers and teams are looking to solidify their plans for the next year and speculation about potential moves ramps up — can often be quiet at the onset, giving the feel that no notable major free agency moves will occur. And then, something out of nowhere drops, causing a ripple effect across the Cup Series landscape. Advertisement Quiet is how things presently stand for this year's version of Silly Season — 'very, very quiet,' according to one executive whose team is often in the middle of NASCAR's free-agency period. 'Crickets' is how another industry source described it. This time, though, the expectation from sources throughout the industry is that Silly Season will remain rather uneventful. That's primarily because four of NASCAR's biggest teams — Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing — essentially have their driver lineups locked in for 2026. Not much change is anticipated among many other teams either, for various reasons (drivers in the middle of contracts, sponsorship, performance, etc.). Still, there are things to keep an eye on into the summer, when many deals are brokered and contracts signed. Let's take a look at the drivers and teams to watch. The big domino this Silly Season is Trackhouse. The Justin Marks-owned team has four drivers under contract and only three spots on its Cup roster — one of which is taken, with Ross Chastain still under contract for multiple years and delivering exceptional performance. Jockeying for the other rides are Daniel Suárez, Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch. The former two are currently teammates with Chastain in Cup, while the latter is a promising rookie in NASCAR's second-tier Xfinity Series. Both van Gisbergen and Zilisch have term remaining on their respective contracts, with Suárez's contract up at the end of the season. And, ultimately, it may come down to just this factor — letting pending free agent Suárez, who sits 30th in points, walk to promote Zilisch. Of course, it may not be this straightforward. Suárez is well-liked within Trackhouse, has sponsorship, and is more proven on ovals than van Gisbergen, who, in just his first full Cup season, has largely struggled with this type of racing after years focusing exclusively on road courses. Trackhouse could decide that van Gisbergen, who is three spots behind Suárez in the points standings, has hit his ceiling as a NASCAR driver and opt to retain Suárez. All of that is predicated on Trackhouse promoting Zilisch. And this is no sure thing. He'll turn just 19 in July, and he's in his first full season competing at NASCAR's national level. Another year of development isn't necessarily a bad thing. And even if he stays in Xfinity full-time, Trackhouse would continue to provide Zilisch limited Cup starts with its fourth part-time entry. Advertisement 'We'll see what his future holds, but right now we have a mechanism in the company to put that extra car out,' Marks said. 'We just want him to get that experience. No expectations for results or anything like that. 'We have the opportunity to give him the learning experience, and we'll continue to do that. The Cup Series is a different sport than the Xfinity Series. It is just so, so difficult. The only way to learn is to go out there and do it.' Keeping Zilisch in Xfinity for another year also effectively allows Trackhouse to kick any major decisions down the road. This pathway would allow Suárez to keep his ride while also giving Marks more of a sample size to see whether van Gisbergen can adapt to ovals. Then, next year, Trackhouse could decide on whether to retain Suárez or van Gisbergen. Marks told The Athletic that no decisions have been made about Trackhouse's 2026 roster, and the team hasn't even started contemplating it. Something to keep in mind, though, there are three street/road courses in the upcoming seven races, giving van Gisbergen a strong chance to score a win. Should he cash in, it would go a long way to firming up his future with Trackhouse for next year. '(Road courses) are where everyone expects us to perform,' van Gisbergen said. '… It's been a big learning process the last couple of months. It'll be nice to have a break and turn right.' A superstar, championship-contending driver like Denny Hamlin being in a contract year would usually generate plenty of discourse on his future. Except in this case, there is a high probability he re-signs with Joe Gibbs Racing, where he's spent the entirety of his 20-year career. Hamlin said as much last week when asked where negotiations stood. 'Working on it,' Hamlin said. 'Should be something done somewhat soon.' Advertisement Seemingly, no Silly Season overview is complete without mentioning Kaulig Racing, whose driver lineup often is in flux from year to year. It came as no surprise, then, that AJ Allmendinger was uncertain about his status for next season — he has bounced between Kaulig's Cup and Xfinity programs in recent years — when asked by The Athletic. Allmendinger said he wasn't sure where things stood, but was happy to do whatever team owner Matt Kaulig and president Chris Rice thought best. But while Allmendinger may be unclear, Rice left no doubt which series Allmendinger will be competing in next year, saying that '100 percent' Allmendinger will remain as driver of Kaulig's No. 16 Cup entry. Keeping Allmendinger in Cup makes sense considering how much he's elevated the team's performance. He is currently ranked 18th in the standings, just 13 points behind the provisional cutoff to make the playoffs. Ask someone in the garage what they think of 23XI Racing reserve driver Corey Heim and the likely response is that he's both ready for and deserving of a full-time Cup ride. The soon-to-be 23-year-old has 15 Truck Series wins in 75 career starts and impressed in limited Cup starts. 'He's going to be a Sunday Cup guy,' said Hamlin, 23XI co-owner. 'There's no doubt in my mind about it. He's going to be with 23XI for the long haul.' But while Heim will likely be in Cup full-time someday, it won't be next year. Instead, he'll continue to race full-time outside of Cup (with spot Cup starts mixed in) while waiting for an opportunity to materialize. Currently, that opportunity isn't there. 23XI's 2026 lineup is set with Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst all under contract. That makes 2027 the earliest timeline for Heim to secure a full-time Cup ride. '(Heim is) doing everything (he's been) asked to,' Hamlin said. 'He's in the building multiple times per week, working on his craft, continuing to get better, waiting on the opportunity. And he knows he's got a long-term future with 23XI Racing, and he's happy with that. And he's happy with the development process that we have set out for him in the future. But, ultimately, there's only three cars, three charters that we're allowed to have, and so we have to figure out in the future where we go with that.' Other names to watch (listed alphabetically): Aric Almirola, Corey LaJoie, Jesse Love, Sam Mayer, Chandler Smith (Top photo of Connor Zilisch hugging Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
