NASCAR announces return of higher HP, lower downforce for 2022 Cup season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NASCAR announced Tuesday the NextGen car will utilize a centered 4-inch rear spoiler and engines with 670 target horsepower at a majority of tracks in 2022.

The announcement was made after a meeting between officials, drivers, teams and the manufacturers after testing Dec. 15-17 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The package received majority support from all parties and was selected for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series season.

The package will debut Sunday, Feb. 6 during the Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (6 p.m. ET; TV: FOX; Radio: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, MRN). It will be run in 30 of the 36 NASCAR Cup Series races.

The package is a departure from the 550 target horsepower, 8-inch spoiler package the NASCAR Cup Series ran from 2019-2021 with the Gen6 car.

According to Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR wanted to create pack racing with the package. However, the target horsepower would’ve been too low for pack racing to be possible, outside of Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta, with the NextGen car.

The rules package has not been finalized for Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta. A 510-horsepower, high downforce package will be tested Jan. 5-6 at Atlanta and Jan. 11-12 at Daytona.

The NASCAR Cup Series ran a 725 target horsepower, 2.375-inch spoiler package from 2017 to 2018 and a 725 HP package with a 3.5-inch spoiler in 2016, with the Gen6 car.

SOURCES:
NASCAR
Racing-Reference.Info