Ross Chastain minces no words as he talks about adding more horsepower in Next Gen NASCAR cars

Ross Chastain brushed off a question about his thoughts on increasing the horsepower in Next Gen NASCAR cars. In a pre-race interview at the Nashville Superspeedway, Chastain had a straightforward answer, saying that he doesn't care.

Increasing the horsepower from 670 to reportedly 750 hp would allow some cars to pull away from the field, making it easier for drivers to make a pass. On the downside, the on-track action could be anticlimactic in some races, as drivers would form big gaps from each other.

As for last week's race winner, Ross Chastain, 32, doesn't mind how much power NASCAR enforces. The #1 Trackhouse Racing driver said that he will always try to drive the car to victory, regardless of the mandated horsepower or setup.

“Don't care,” Chastain said (via Dalton Hopkins on X). “I drive the car. I don't know what we need, what we should do, and I just don't put any thought into it. Whatever the power the car has on track, I'll feel, and I'll react to it.” [0:14]

“They (NASCAR) could accomplish the feat of more horsepower... they could adapt a new tire. They could change the suspension. They could do so many things. But, sure, let's talk about it, okay, whatever, it's like I'm just going to go try and win the race, so don't care,” he added. [0:41]

While the potential increase in horsepower in the Next-Gen cars continues to be discussed, Chastain gears up for the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville. He enters the 300-lap race as a former track winner, particularly in the 2023 Ally 400, which secured his spot in the playoffs.

The Nashville race kicks off on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video. It will be the media company's second of five broadcast gigs this season following its inaugural coverage in the Coca-Cola 600, where Chastain earned his sixth career victory.

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“It really doesn't make sense”: Ross Chastain on historic comeback at Charlotte

Following his win at the Coca-Cola 600 last week, Ross Chastain was amused by the results. He drove a backup car from 40th due to a penalty to first place after passing William Byron, who led for 283 of 400 laps and swept all the stages.

The #1 Chevrolet pilot became the first driver to win from last since Bobby Allison at the Richmond Fairgrounds in 1969. The comeback also gave him his first crown jewel win.

In a post-race interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the six-time Cup race winner said:

“To stand here in victory lane now, with this big ring, this Busch Light (beer), a big slice of watermelon that I just ate...it's unbelievable. It really doesn't make sense that we were able to drive up and pass two cars that were way better than us all night.” [0:32]

Ross Chastain took the checkered flag ahead of William Byron and Chase Briscoe, the 600-mile race's pole-sitter.

A.J. Allmendinger and Brad Keselowski secured their best finish of the year in fourth and fifth, respectively. Completing the top 10 were Chase Elliott, Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell, Ryan Preece and Noah Gragson.