NASCAR Returns 2027 Clash to Daytona 8 Days Before Daytona 500

Q: Will the controversial Next Gen car receive the massive horsepower upgrades drivers are begging for before the 2027 Clash?

Probably not by the 2027 Clash, at least not in the “massive horsepower” form many drivers want. What appears more likely, based on current reporting and NASCAR’s recent pattern, is a smaller package adjustment rather than a major engine change. NASCAR is already expected to make aerodynamic tweaks for Daytona in August 2026, with Bob Pockrass reporting changes are likely closer to the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Those discussions have centered on downforce, drag, handling and pack passing, not a sweeping horsepower increase. That matches the wider debate around the Next Gen car. Critics including Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick have pushed for less downforce and, in some cases, more horsepower. But the strongest evidence so far points to NASCAR trying to improve racing through aero revisions rather than a major jump in power before early 2027. There is also some longer-term development underway. Chevrolet is rumored to be working on a new Cup body for 2027 or 2028, suggesting manufacturers and NASCAR may be looking at broader design changes over the next few seasons. If that timetable holds, bigger competition changes could come with a new body cycle rather than in time for the February 2027 Clash at Daytona. So the most evidence-based expectation is this: the Next Gen car may get meaningful aerodynamic changes before the 2027 Clash, but there is no solid indication yet that NASCAR is prepared to deliver the large horsepower upgrade drivers have been calling for.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 10

Feb. 13, 2027 will bring the Wheatley Vodka Clash back to Daytona on a Saturday night, with NASCAR shifting the exhibition to eight days before the Daytona 500.
That move restores a longer "Speedweeks" buildup after recent schedules left a two-week gap between the Clash and the 500, or compressed activity into just a few days.
The invitation-only race will be run on Daytona's oval, while eligibility rules have not yet been set.
The date also places the Clash on the eve of the Super Bowl, letting NASCAR use a weekend opened up by the 500 being pushed back a week in 2027.