Denny Hamlin’s start to the 2026 season was tough until he headed to Phoenix and finished fifth, a commendable result. He admitted that he felt far more comfortable driving the car, with the sport allowing increased horsepower, something Hamlin said he could feel tenfold.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was impressed with how the cars were able to overtake much more easily than in earlier races at the track.
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For the 2026 season, NASCAR increased the horsepower from 670 HP to 750 HP for races on road courses and tracks less than 1.5 miles in length. Sunday’s race was the first short-track event on the calendar. Hamlin spoke about the driving experience on the Actions Detrimental podcast and explained why the added horsepower made such a big difference.
“I felt within my view that there was passing going on inside the top five,” Hamlin said. “And that’s really hard at that racetrack. Remember, the whole reason we’re moving away from Phoenix is the championship races. The racing is stale there. It’s not very good. I thought from what I could see, there were comers and goers.”
The 23XI Racing co-owner strongly believes that if a driver did his job right, had a good car, and his crew chief made the right calls, then he would most definitely race to the front. He wasn’t alone in this line of thought.
Hamlin’s teammate, Christopher Bell, had an extraordinary outing in the desert. He led 176 laps and finished as the runner-up. He, too, was impressed with the advantage of the extra horsepower.
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Bell praises NASCAR’s decision to increase horsepower
Bell was asked during a media session if the race looked and felt different when compared to earlier races. He admitted that it did and said that he would love it if NASCAR kept bumping it up a bit further.
“It just really puts it in the driver’s hands and the team’s hands,” he reasoned. “*You saw [Ryan] Blaney make it back up through there after his mishap a couple of times. I ended up back in the field, and you know… The cream is able to rise to the top. So, horsepower is definitely a lot better.”*
Others, including Chase Briscoeand race winner Joey Logano, felt the increase in power as well. They expect a similar experience when the field travels to the Darlington Raceway on March 22.
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