The NASCAR season quickly approaches, and with it comes changes to the Rule Book that the teams will have to learn.
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The sanctioning body confirmed on Jan. 10 seven updates in the form of a Rules Bulletin. These included the Damaged Vehicle Policy, Suspension Deferrals, OEM Penalties, Performance Obligations, Playoff Waivers, the Open Exemption Provisional, and the previously announced changes to Practice and Qualifying Procedures.
The most notable of these changes is the Open Exemption Provisional which guarantees four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves a spot in the Daytona 500.
Open Exemption Provisional
NASCAR explained this rule by referencing the "promoter's provisional" used in short track and dirt racing. Essentially, the Open Exemption Provision guarantees a spot in the starting lineup for "world-class drivers" who enter a Cup Series race.
If a driver fitting this description does not beat out other open entries on speed, they can use this to secure their spot on the grid. However, this Open Exemption Provisional does come with some restrictions.
For example, NASCAR says that the driver/car owner will not be eligible for race points, playoff points, prize money, or any tiebreaker benefit of finishing position if they use the OEP.
"Non-OEP cars' prize money, race, and stage points (but not playoff points) will be adjusted upward by one position, starting from the finishing position of the OEP car and continuing for the remainder of the field.
"If the provisional car wins a race and/or stage, that car will be credited with the race win (including trophy and All-Star eligibility), but the finish will NOT count towards playoff eligibility. The second-place finisher will inherit first-place points, but will NOT receive playoff points or playoff eligibility."
Full-time NASCAR drivers are not eligible for the OEP, which teams must request 90 days in advance. NASCAR will approve the requests on a case-by-case basis while focusing heavily on the respective driver's racing resume.
Damaged Vehicle Policy
Last season, multiple drivers exited races early due to NASCAR's Damaged Vehicle Policy. Ryan Blaney and Josh Berry were two examples. They were unable to drive their cars to pit road for repairs after crashes, so the track crews just towed them off of the track. This ended their races as they did not have an opportunity to make repairs and return.
In 2025, however, teams involved in incidents can be towed back to the garage after NASCAR puts them on the DVP. They will not be out of the race, so they can return to the track after making repairs.
The DVP clock will return. Teams will have seven minutes to repair cars on pit road (eight at Atlanta). If the clock expires while they are working, they must go to the garage to finish. In previous seasons, the DVP clock expiring simply eliminated cars from the race.
NASCAR stated in its rules bulletin that any cars unable to drive back to pit road due to damage or flat tires will be towed to the garage instead of the pit stall.
One additional update to the DVP rule is that NASCAR can issue a penalty in certain situations. If a car leaves its pit box after repairs but fails to hit the pit-out line before the DVP clock expires, the team will receive a penalty.
Playoff Waivers
NASCAR has issued playoff waivers to drivers for a wide variety of reasons. Some needed them due to injuries sustained on the track while others needed them for injuries sustained away from it.
Drivers have also received waivers after NASCAR suspended them. Kyle Larson received a waiver last season after he missed the start of the Coca-Cola 600 to compete in the rain-delayed Indy 500.
NASCAR will still give playoff waivers to drivers who miss a race, but some will receive a penalty based on the reason for the absence. According to the Rule Book update, "the driver will forfeit all current and future Playoff Points (earned prior to the Playoffs) and will start the Playoffs with a maximum of 2,000 points."
NASCAR will give exceptions to drivers who miss a race for medical reasons or due to age. The medical reasons can include the birth of a child or a family emergency among other things.
Performance Obligations
The 100% Rule is something often discussed in NASCAR. Should drivers be penalized for not trying to win every single race? The answer is "yes" according to the Jan. 10 update.
NASCAR has updated the verbiage around the 100% Rule to focus on manipulating the outcome of a race or the championship.
This was something that surfaced at Martinsville Speedway in the playoffs. Multiple Chevrolet drivers formed a blockade behind William Byron so he wouldn't lose any more spots and fall out of the Championship 4. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace let Christopher Bell pass him and gain the extra point he needed.
NASCAR responded by issuing significant penalties to the teams involved. This included 23XI Racing, Richard Childress Racing, and Trackhouse Racing.
"I've been around a long time, but Bill France used to say 'Being pissed off is not a plan,'" Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's Chief Operating Officer, said at Phoenix Raceway in November.
"What I saw in Martinsville pissed me off, and it pissed everyone off at NASCAR, because we all know better, and we know what happened."
OEM Penalties
NASCAR stated in the bulletin that OEMs (Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota) can now receive penalties for specific infractions. This includes the violation of the Vehicle Testing Policy, wind tunnel policy, event roster, and Code of Conduct policy.
NASCAR acknowledged after the Martinsville incident that it didn't have the means to punish the OEMs involved in the race manipulation. Now it does.
The penalties can include the loss of Manufacturers Points, and/or loss of wind tunnel hours, and/or loss of RCFD runs.
Suspension Deferral
The final update mentioned by NASCAR focused on suspensions. If the suspension is the result of a technical violation, it can be deferred without appeal for the next race. All other suspensions will go into effect immediately after NASCAR issues them.
