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…
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