NASCAR has met with Cup Series crew chiefs ahead of the Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Roval. The result is that teams have a better understanding of how officials will police the DVP (Damaged Vehicle Policy) for the rest of the season.
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According to a report from NASCAR, if the car has one or more flat tires and damage that appears repairable, the car will be towed to the pit box. Teams will have the opportunity to try to fix the car within the seven-minute time allowed by the DVP.
If, however, the car is not clearly repairable, the team will be done for the day.
The playoffs have featured multiple instances of drivers and crew chiefs expressing confusion about the policy. Ryan Blaney and Josh Berry both made comments about being unable to get a tow back to their teams' pit stalls after being involved in on-track incidents.
Blaney was unable to continue in the race at Watkins Glen after contact in a multi-car incident broke the No. 12 Ford's steering. Berry was unable to continue in the race at Kansas after his No. 4 Ford sustained damage and blew tires in an incident.
NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director Brad Moran said that the Berry incident didn't look or feel right, but he noted that the DNF was the correct application of the rule. He added that NASCAR would review the rule after the season.
The situation took an interesting turn, however, at Talladega. A 28-car crash unfolded during the final stage. Several cars were unable to continue in the race due to extensive damage.
Others were able to continue after track crews towed their cars back to their pit stalls. This included the cars of Berry and Chase Elliott, which both sustained extensive damage in the record-breaking crash.
Having these cars involved in the crash but towed back to the pit stall created confusion in the garage. For example, Christopher Bell's crew chief, Adam Stevens, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that he didn't have any clue what the rule was going forward.
Now that this meeting has taken place, Stevens and the other crew chiefs should be better prepared for the rest of the races this season and any incidents that may occur.
