The updated short-track package is going to make its debut during the Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Hours before the green flag waves, Denny Hamlin voiced his opinion on how this would affect the performance of cars. 

Speaking to Frontstretch during a pre-race media session, the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver expressed concern regarding the removal of bumper bar supports and uncertainty regarding how much impact the structure can withstand before sustaining damage.

“I think certainly you've got to be more careful. You know, I tried to get some information from the team, like, is it a 2 mph impact that's going to crush the front end? Is it a five or a ten? They seem to think it's going to be pretty fragile. So, I don't know. We'll see how long it lasts,” he said.

The damage bit is crucial, since the Next Gen cars rely on the front-end for air intake. If it were to get squashed or damaged during a minor collision, it could lead to engine cooling or intake performance issues.

Regarding the overall impact of these adjustments, Hamlin acknowledged in the interaction with Frontstretch that because these changes are the same for every team, they do not provide a competitive disadvantage to any single driver. 

In October 2025, it was announced that the horsepower for some road courses and short tracks would be set at 750hp, as opposed to the regular 670hp. 

Then, later in June this year, updates to the short-track package were announced, which included the removal of energy-absorbing foam in the front and rear bumpers, along with modifications to the front struts. 

Meanwhile, there is another rule change for Superspeedways which we will be seeing soon enough. 

Reduced horsepower for Daytona

Ahead of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona in August, NASCAR announced a major rule change, which will see the height of the rear spoiler reduced from 7 inches to 4 inches, while the horsepower will also be reduced from 510hp to 465hp. 

These changes are part of a new package NASCAR is trying out specifically for the Daytona International Speedway. Officials are expecting that this package will enable more passing opportunities and spread out the field instead of continuing with huge packs of cars. 

Hamlin appeared on the Inside The Race podcast, where he highlighted that the 7-inch spoiler benefits tracks like EchoPark Speedway, but since Daytona measures 2.5 miles in length, the smaller 4-inch spoiler will help recreate the Atlanta experience and allow more passing opportunities. 

“What we’re essentially trying to recreate is Atlanta at Daytona and Talladega. It happens organically at Atlanta, the space between the cars, because the cars themselves are grip-limited, and the fuel-mileage (racing) really doesn’t happen because you have to be on offense constantly. 

If you watch the pack, there is no saving. Guys are dicing it up the entire race. So this is what we’re aspiring to get to at some point. And it’s going to take chunks here and there. This is our first bite of the apple at this, so what I believe is that from the numbers that I’ve seen, it’s going to be roughly a 33% gain in the right direction.”

Read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason