Breaking the Rules Down: A Look Into NASCAR's 2025 Rules Package
Breaking the Rules Down: A Look Into NASCAR's 2025 Rules Package
By: Justin Seger
Yesterday, NASCAR released some annual provisions to its everchanging rulebook. Prior to the beginning on each season, NASCAR will provide provisions to the rulebook. These are usually aimed at making the sport more competitive for teams and entertaining for fans. Rules are ever changing in the sport and sometimes they go relatively unnoticed by the community. However, in today's article I am going to go over a few of the changes that might change the game for the 2025 season.
Race Manipulation/OEM Penalties
Perhaps the most notable change to NASCAR's rule book is the changing of the wording around what used to be known as the "100% Rule." Now, NASCAR has chosen to remove the "100%" wording in that rule and replace it with "manipulation". This is something that clearly needed to be worked on, especially following the results of NASCAR's penultimate race at Martinsville. The race saw manipulation in both the Chevrolet and Toyota camps as they each tried to get their respective contenders, William Byron and Christopher Bell, into the Championship 4. The controversy that followed left an uncomfortable situation for NASCAR and left the fans with a bad taste in their mouths.
Additionally, NASCAR has allowed penalties to manufacturers for violating NASCAR's rules. These penalties can include loss of manufacturer points, loss of wind tunnel hours, and loss of RCFD runs. This is aimed at stopping the encouragement from individual OEM's to manipulate the race results. Will this new rule have a lasting effect on how "team orders" work in NASCAR? Perhaps, but only time will tell. However, NASCAR's Round of 8 finale from 2024 proved that some action needed to be taken.
Open Exemption Provisionals
Something new coming to America's top motorsport is the Open Exemption Provisional, or OEP. Comparable to the "Promoter's Provisional" in short track/dirt racing, the OEP will allow entry into NASCAR Cup Series events for "World-Class drivers". The first example of this is Helio Castroneves who was announced to be attempting the Daytona 500 for Trackhouse Racing's "Project 91". Drivers who use the OEP will forfeit any points earning opportunity and prize money for the event they are participating in. However, if an OEP driver were to win they still earn the trophy and All-Star Race availability. In the case of an OEP driver that fails to qualify for an event, the event will have one extra spot guaranteed for their races. In the case of Castroneves, this would refer to how he does in his attempt to secure one of the four available open spots. This rule appears to be aimed at allowing the biggest names from across motorsports to compete at NASCAR's top level if they so choose.
DVP Clock
Some changes have been made to NASCAR's Damage Vehicle Policy in 2025. The DVP which is still set at 7 minutes at each track (8 at Atlanta), will now be the time in which repairs can be made on pit road. If repairs are not completed within that time, damaged vehicles must then go to the garage. However, unlike years past, they are not out of the race. Likewise, vehicles that are towed to the garage are no longer considered out of the race and can still be worked on in the garage. NASCAR faced some backlash on this last year from playoff drivers, including 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Ryan Blaney. It is valuable for drivers competing for points to be able to continue in the events. From a casual perspective, some might wonder why a driver more than 10 laps down is even continuing in the race. However, if other cars were to fall out of the race due to accident or issue, gaining those positions could mean gaining another point or two. In an playoff era of NASCAR, we have seen multiple times where one or two points can make the difference between continuing to fight for a championship and elimination.
Playoff Waiver Changes
NASCAR announced some changes to their granting of playoff waivers. For any driver who is granted a playoff waiver for reasons other than medical, age restrictions, or family emergencies they will forfeit any current or future playoff points earned and will start the playoffs off with a maximum of 2,000 points. The most recent example of this perhaps is the playoff waiver granted to Kyle Larson following his absence from the 2024 Coca-Cola 600. Now, Larson's reasons for missing the race came from his attempt at the Indianapolis 500 which was delayed due to rain. Additionally, Larson would have made the 600, had it not been cut short due to rain. So perhaps mother nature played a role in the creation of this rule. However, in the future, drivers will have a more difficult time working their way through the playoffs if a waiver is needed to get in. Playoff waivers will also be considered final in 2025, whether they are granted or denied. The appeal process of playoff waivers has been eliminated.
Suspension Deferrals/General Rule Changes
On the topic of appeals, NASCAR announced that penalties that result in suspensions for teams can be deferred one week without an appeal. This is restricted for suspensions given for "technical penalties". However, this will allow teams more time to find an interim or perhaps still have their starting lineup for "major" events depending on how the penalties fall. Additionally, NASCAR has reduced the appeal timeline to two business days (originally three). Penalties that once resulted in crew chief fines will now be directed directly to the team/organization. Finally, jackmen will now be allowed over the wall prior to the car entering the pit box if the series director deems the race to be in "wet" conditions.
Will these changes make lasting changes to the sport in 2025? Will we hardly notice their existence? It's truly hard to tell until cars hit the track in Daytona. However, NASCAR it is evident that NASCAR is constantly changing their landscape. Only time will tell if it creates a better racing product for the fans.
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