Denny Hamlin on why NASCAR hasn't increased horsepower in its Next Gen cars yet: “Ask Jim France that”

Joe Gibbs Racing driver and 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin recently spoke about one of NASCAR's omnipresent issues that every driver seems to speak of. Ever since the introduction of the Next Gen Cup Series car, the need for aero packages, and tire tweaks to improve racing on certain types of tracks has arisen.

Hamlin recently spoke on why NASCAR has resorted to aero packages to improve racing incrementally and not increased horsepower which could make things much easier for both the governing body and the drivers.

Denny Hamlin said during a press conference, via Bryan Nolen on X:

"You're going to have to ask Jim France [NASCAR CEO] that.

The current crop of Cup Series engines generates around 670HP. However, the aerodynamic nature of the seventh-generation Cup Series cars limits their top speeds with high levels of downforce.

This, in turn, means drivers following other cars at tracks such as Martinsville and the upcoming Phoenix Raceway lose grip, thus making overtaking difficult. It remains to be seen if NASCAR ultimately listens to its drivers and gives in to the demands of more horsepower by the drivers.

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Denny Hamlin clinches pole for NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix

The 2024 Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway this Sunday will see Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin start in first position after the #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver managed to blitz the field on Saturday.

The 23XI Racing co-owner clinched the Busch Light Pole Award along with three other Toyota-manufactured cars in the top six lineup. Hamlin will be accompanied by teammate Ty Gibbs on the front row, with Legacy Motor Club's Erik Jones in P4 and Tyler Reddick further back in P6.

Hamlin added to his tally of pole awards this weekend taking the number to 41 while clinching the 150th pole for Toyota as a manufacturer in the sport.

The 43-year-old driver elaborated on his prospects going into the race on Sunday and said, via ESPN:

"We shouldn't be a fifth to 10th place car tomorrow, we should be better than that. There were definitely cars better than us, but give my team some time to think about it overnight. We'll have some dialogue, think about things and how we're going to adjust."

The Shriners Children's 500 goes live from Phoenix Raceway on Sunday at 3:30 pm ET.