Explained: NASCAR announces flurry of major rule changes

More changes are afoot in NASCAR as Friday, the series issued a rules bulletin for 2025, touching on several aspects of the sport that have been pain points for participants and fans, and some surprises as well. Here’s what’s been added, and what it means for everyone in the garage this upcoming season.

A guaranteed spot via the Open Exemption Provisional
NASCAR has introduced the Open Exemption Provisional or OEP, which will guarantee a starting position for “world-class drivers who enter a NASCAR Cup Series race.” Any driver utilizing this provision will not be eligible for points or prize money. Of note, if a driver in a race via the OEP wins, second-place will actually receive first-place points but not the playoff bonus points. This continues downward through the results with third earning second-place points and so on.

NASCAR confirmed that this change means four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves is now locked into the Daytona 500. He will make his Cup debut with Trackhouse Racing Team in the Project 91 entry. He can still race his way in on merit, but using the provisional would increase the 500 field to 41 cars.

Eligibility will be handled on a case-by-case basis, but each driver’s resume will be a major factor in NASCAR’s final decision. Recent examples of drivers who would have likely been eligible for the OEP are Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button, and Kamui Kobayashi. Full-time NASCAR drivers cannot use the OEP, and the provisional must be requested 90 days prior to an event.

Kimi Raikkonen, Trackhouse Racing, Onx Homes / iLOQ Chevrolet Camaro

Photo by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images

Damaged Vehicle Policy overhaul
A point of controversy on numerous occasions, NASCAR’s DVP, will be completely overhauled for the 2025 season. Previously, any damaged car that needed to be towed was immediately out of the race. This became an issue as fully drivable cars with flat tires were unable to move after simple spins, and needed to be towed back, putting them out of the race. Now, damaged cars can be towed to the garage and still return to the race later on. Per the wording of the rules bulletin, cars with flat tires will also be towed to the garage to be fixed as well.

The DVP clock remains in play for teams trying to make repairs on pit road. But unlike recent years, when the clock expires, the car isn’t eliminated from competition. The team must take it back to the garage where they can continue with further repairs.

Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing, Zone Chevrolet Camaro, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Menards/PEAK Ford Mustang, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta Chevrolet Camaro, crash

Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images

Playoff waiver adjustments
NASCAR’s playoff waivers have been issued for various reasons over the years. In nearly every case, the driver remained eligible for the playoffs no matter the reason behind the waiver request. A recent case of note was Kyle Larson, who missed the Coke 600 while making his Indy 500 debut in 2024. Now, NASCAR will punish those who seek playoff waivers beyond medical reasons. Exceptions also include the birth of a child, a family emergency, or age restrictions.

Should a driver miss a race in the way Larson did in 2024, they can still receive a waiver but will forfeit all of their playoff points. That means that they won’t be able to hold onto any playoff points accumulated up to that point in the season, nor will they be able to acquire any future playoff points. They will start the ten-race postseason with zero bonus points.

Justin Allgaier / Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, HendrickCars.com H1100 Chevrolet Camaro

Photo by: Ben Earp / NKP / Motorsport Images

Race manipulation crackdown and suspensions
Last year, a major controversy unfolded in the penultimate race of the year as manufacturers appeared to manipulate the outcome of the race in an effort to get their car into the Championship 4. This resulted in massive penalties for all of drivers and teams involved, but not the manufacturers themselves.

NASCAR will now take aim at the manufacturers themselves should a case of race manipulation like this arise again. They risk losing manufacturer points, wind tunnel hours, and even RCFD runs. NASCAR has also adjusted the rather vague 100% rule, which stated that competitors must compete at 100% of their ability with the goal of achieving the best possible finishing position. Now, the rule’s wording is focused more directly on manipulating the outcome of a championship event.

Additionally, NASCAR will allow the deferral of suspensions that are a result of a technical infractions without appealing. Previously, an appeal had to be placed before the deferral could happen. However, all other suspensions will be made effective immediately.

#24: William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro, #3: Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro

Photo by: John K Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images