NASCAR Being Forced to ‘Abandon’ Iconic V8 Engine as New OEM Threatens to BreakAll Deals

For the past couple of years, Honda has been in serious talks to enter NASCAR. The Japanese giant is no slouch in racing, having given world champions to Formula 1. But when it comes to NASCAR, the only hurdle it faces is the pushrod V8 engine that NASCAR currently uses, as opposed to the widely used Turbo-V6 engines in motorsports currently. While it hasn’t confirmed its intentions yet, experts from the industry believe that NASCAR may end up saying goodbye to the glorious V8s to earn Honda’s approval and interest.

NASCAR V8 engines face the ultimate test of relevance in the future

But what about the current NASCAR OEMs? Do they think the same? Just ask Toyota, the last manufacturer to join the sport. According to Toyota Racing Development’s Tyler Gibbs, the answer is a clear yes. He sounded an alarm on the waning relevance of the current generation engines of NASCAR.

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“I think NASCAR and the existing OEMs in NASCAR all understand that in order for new OEMs to come in, no one is going to make a pushrod cast-iron V8 block. It’s just not something they are going to do. It doesn’t fit into their line-up; it doesn’t fit into their relevancy formula. So, it’s unlikely that’s going to be something that new OEMs would do. So, if we want new OEMs in the sport, we probably have to have some mechanism that allows for that to happen.”

As mentioned by Mark Martin, who previously worked with them, TRD is full of engineers who are passionate about racing. So if they believe that NASCAR will only find its fourth manufacturer when it ditches the V8, then the rumors might very well be true.

Honda too reiterated its current stand on NASCAR and its plans on entering the sport as a champion manufacturer and motorsports OEM.

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“We do have two very well-developed V6 twin turbos, but it goes back to the relevance of the series,” Honda VP Kevin Fu said during Race Industry Week.

“The OEMs are always looking for what’s relevant to our story, right? What’s relevant to our products going into the future? But the series also has to look at what’s relevant to our fan base, and how does that work out? And the fans are always looking for excitement and noise and great, close racing. Those three things all have to fit together so it works.”

Earlier, Elton Sawyer, senior NASCAR VP, also commented on the probability of changing regulations to attract more manufacturers to the sport. For him, the only hurdle that they have is the simplicity of the V8 engine.

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We’ve got to be prepared from the sanctioning body, very similar to our sister company in IMSA, in how does balancing the performance work?” Sawyer said. “For 75 plus years, we’ve raced the same types of engines: naturally aspirated, carburetors, cubic inches … So from an officiating standpoint that’s been fairly easy to police.

“When you venture into the balance of performance and torque sensors and horsepower and torque at the rear tire that’s a different way to police your sport. But we’re going to have to figure out how that looks to be able to, again, be able to get new OEMs to come in.”

It does not sound good for the fans who love the sound of NASCAR’s V8. But ultimately, that’s how the sport works. In the end, NASCAR and its three national series will have to progress forward. For that, the abandonment of the V8 might end up being the only option, even though it is a difficult one, especially considering the fan sentiment.

V8 abandonment scare sparks immediate backlash

The fans clearly do not like the idea of NASCAR getting rid of the V8s. For them, it is the engine and the sport’s legacy that matters more, and not the addition of a new manufacturer. A fan argued that if RAM can bring back its V8s for the Truck series, then why can’t any other manufacturer do the same?

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“Now with a new administration, that’s the opposite do those change with manufacturers plus RAM got rid of their V8 and now they brought it back so what does that also mean for the future?”

The other fans were immediately hostile towards the other manufacturers’ attitude towards the sport and its regulations. “Build an engine to NASCAR standards or go race somewhere else. It’s that simple..”

In the end, NASCAR finds itself in an impasse once more. If they try to appease the fans, then they will face a lack of interest from other OEMs. Meanwhile, if they try to bring in a new OEM with changes to the engine, the fans may end up leaving the sport and drop their revenue even further. Until they can accommodate both parties, NASCAR will have to make a sacrifice.