NASCAR reportedly exploring a chance to race in San Francisco including racing at the Golden Gate Bridge

NASCAR is reportedly in early discussions about hosting a race in San Francisco, possibly featuring a segment that includes the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. It could possibly run on a route that would include parts of the Embarcadero and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The original report comes from a tweet by The Daily Downforce on X. According to the post,

“NASCAR officials are reportedly in early talks with San Francisco city and county leaders about the possibility of holding a street course race. This would include portions of the Embarcadero and the Golden Gate Bridge.”

NASCAR officials are reportedly in early talks with leaders from San Francisco city and county to explore the possibility of setting up a street race in the area. However, no official dates or concrete plans have been confirmed yet.

According to The Daily Downforce, NASCAR's interest in San Francisco is part of a broader push to hold more races in city centers. The Chicago Street Race has been a success despite poor weather in both years.

It drew large TV audiences and showed how street racing can bring the sport closer to fans. Running a race inside a city means easier access for spectators and more business for local shops and restaurants.

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"Increasing the horsepower on Cup cars is on the table" – NASCAR's Elton Sawyer

Discussions about changing the NASCAR Cup Series vehicle specs are heating up, with NASCAR's Senior Vice President of Competition, Elton Sawyer, confirming that increasing horsepower is being discussed internally every day.

Sawyer made the remarks during an appearance on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio’s The Morning Drive. It was reported by co-host Mike Bagley on his X account:

“NASCAR SVP of Competition Elton Sawyer just said on #TMDNASCAR… increasing the horsepower on Cup cars is on the table and is being discussed daily.”

Currently, NASCAR Cup cars run at 670 horsepower, a step down from the previous generation's 750 hp. Many drivers and commentators have called for that number to go up. Former Cup driver Kevin Harvick, speaking on his podcast Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, said:

“I still think it's got to have more than 1,000 horsepower.”

This sentiment was echoed by Joey Logano, a three-time Cup Series champion, who added:

“We want more power. It increases tire wear. It makes the track wider. And it’s more badass.”

However, not everyone in NASCAR leadership agrees. In 2024, Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst raised concerns about the cost and competitive impact of adding power:

“If you add the horsepower, you add the cost, then you see if it is better… as we add horsepower, they run further apart.”

Elton Sawyer is a former NASCAR driver himself, who, before this, worked as NASCAR’s Vice President of Officiating and Technical Inspection. He currently holds the position of Senior Vice President of Competition at NASCAR.