NASCAR has announced significant rule changes to the Cup Series superspeedway package ahead of the Aug. 29 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. The league will shorten the rear spoilers on Cup Series cars from seven to four inches and implement a horsepower reduction from 510 to 465. These adjustments are intended to decrease drag, a factor that has plagued Cup Series superspeedway racing since the introduction of the Next-Gen car in 2022. This issue has historically made it difficult to pass at both Daytona and Talladega, resulting in stagnant, two-wide racing.
Denny Hamlin Compares Daytona Drafting to Atlanta Racing Styles
The changes seek to make the racing product at Daytona more similar to the style seen at Atlanta, according to Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin. “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,” Hamlin said, per NASCAR.com. If you watch the pack, there is no saving. Guys are dicing it up the entire race.
Ford Mustang GT Engine Output Versus NASCAR Cup Series Specifications
While the Coyote V-8 in the current Ford Mustang GT produces around 480 horsepower in bone-stock form, the Mustang-branded cars racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona will operate with a target output of 465 hp. By reducing power and restricting standard engines, the series aims to balance out the reduction in spoiler size. Combined, these changes are expected to result in similar racing speeds while significantly altering the amount of downforce and drag produced by the vehicles. The goal is to move away from the effortless multi-lane pack racing and extensive fuel saving that have defined races at Daytona and Talladega since 2022.
Katherine Legge Returns to the Cup Series at Watkins Glen International
In other developments, British racing driver Katherine Legge is returning to the NASCAR Cup Series. Legge, 45, will pilot the No. 78 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports in the Go Bowling at The Glen on Sunday at Watkins Glen International. This appearance marks her first Cup Series start of the 2026 season and arrives during a busy stretch of racing that culminates in her fifth Indianapolis 500 start later this month. Legge will be the only woman in the Watkins Glen field, maintaining her status as the most recent female competitor to start a NASCAR Cup Series race. That distinction began with her debut season in 2025, when she became the first woman to start in the Cup Series since Danica Patrick competed in the 2018 Daytona 500.
Craig Stimmel Secures Seventeen New Sponsors for NASCAR Commercial Operations
Beyond the track, NASCAR is navigating a changing media and commercial landscape. The league currently draws roughly half the television audiences it attracted a decade ago, while Formula 1 has surged in popularity among American motorsports fans. In response, NASCAR has been retuning its consumer brand and sponsorship operations. The league expanded its commercial sales team by 25% and, over the last 12 months, welcomed 17 new sponsors to the winner’s circle, according to chief commercial officer Craig Stimmel. While some partners, such as O’Reilly Auto Parts, are endemic to the automotive/aftermarket category, others like Airbnb and the defense tech company Anduril hail from outside the industry.
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