CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR officials have announced the Next Gen Cup Series car that debuts in February will use a four-inch rear spoiler for downforce and engines that target 670-horsepower at intermediate race tracks in the coming season.
The higher horsepower and lower downforce rules package had already been announced for all short tracks and road courses, meaning the Next Gen car will now have the same spoiler height and engine horsepower for all races except superspeedway events.
Components for the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be determined following the test in January.
The rules package was finalized in competition meetings following a debriefing from last week’s two-day test at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“After hours of wind tunnel and on-track testing, as well as feedback from drivers and the larger industry, NASCAR will move to higher horsepower, lower downforce for each of its non-superspeedway NASCAR Cup Series events,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “We believe the setup featuring the 670 horsepower engine and four-inch spoiler will lead to strong, intense competition and put the racing squarely in the hands of the best drivers in the world.
“That was the goal we set for the industry as we developed the Next Gen car. We are confident in the direction we’re headed and very much look forward to the racing in 2022 and beyond.”
The initial Next Gen baseline started with a 550-horsepower target and centered eight-inch rear spoiler, which was then trimmed to a seven-inch rear spoiler as testing began.
At Charlotte last week, teams ran 30-lap sessions with three additional configurations: 670 target horsepower with a centered six-inch spoiler, 670-horsepower target with a six-inch spoiler offset to the passenger side and then the eventually confirmed 670-horsepower, four-inch rear spoiler set.