NASCAR Changes Controversial Rule Just Four Races into 2025 Season
What’s Happening? Four races into the 2025 Cup Series season, NASCAR is revising the new Open Exemption Provisional (OEP). The OEP…
In the season debut episode of the Sour Power Hour Podcast, Out Of The Groove’s Eric Estepp gave his take on the ongoing debate over NASCAR’s approval process. Estepp believes that NASCAR first opened themselves up for criticism when allowing Hélio Castroneves to run the Daytona 500.
Co-hosts Eric Estepp of the Out Of The Groove YouTube Channel and NASCAR Xfinity Series veteran Brennan Poole of The Power Hour Podcast are back for a new season with a new, yet familiar, title sponsor. Toxic Waste Hazardously Sour Candy will present the newly renamed Sour Power Hour Podcast throughout the 2025 NASCAR season.
Toxic Waste is not only a longtime partner of OOTG and the Daily Downforce but also a consistent Primary sponsor for Brennan Poole in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The brand will also return to the track with Poole for three races this season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Chicago Street Circuit, and the fall Martinsville race.
One key storyline of this episode was NASCAR’s ongoing controversy surrounding its approval process. This debate began in January and has continued into March. Currently, five different drivers’ statuses in NASCAR have been the hot-button issue amongst fans early on in the season.
These drivers include approved drivers four-time Indianapolis 500 Champion Hélio Castroneves, IMSA veteran Katherine Legge, and former NASCAR regular Casey Mears. Two drivers who missed out on approval are Tommy Joe Martins, an Xfinity Series veteran and team owner, and retired NASCAR regular Mike Wallace.
Estepp claims that NASCAR is not following the standard they set with four-time Indianapolis 500 Champion Hélio Castroneves, who made his NASCAR debut in the 2025 Daytona 500. This debut was mired in controversy as Castroneves utilized the new Open Exemption Provisional to enter the race after missing the field on speed and crashing out of his duel race.
When discussing the approval process’ controversial year with co-host Brennan Poole, Estepp stated:
“NASCAR opened themselves up to criticism based really on how they handled Hélio Castroneves in my opinion. Obviously, the Hélio thing went fine, he wrecked a lot at Daytona, but I don’t think any of the wrecks were his fault, he was fine. He held his line, he didn’t cause a scene, it wasn’t a mess. It was good. But still, it set a precedent that I don’t feel NASCAR is now consistently following.”
What’s Happening? Four races into the 2025 Cup Series season, NASCAR is revising the new Open Exemption Provisional (OEP). The OEP…
While NASCAR allowed Castroneves to race, it denied longtime veteran Mike Wallace a spot in the 500 with Garage 66. Wallace’s brother Kenny claimed it was due to Mike’s “inactivity” since retiring.
Despite this reasoning, NASCAR officials approved Legge for a short-track debut at Phoenix after minimal ARCA and Xfinity Series experience. NASCAR has most recently approved Casey Mears, who has not been in a NASCAR racecar since 2019, to race at Martinsville.
NASCAR has cited reasons such as racing style; for example, Wallace wanted to return to racing at a 2.5-mile superspeedway, while Mears and Legge raced and are racing at short tracks. However, fans have not been as gracious with these seemingly inconsistent decisions.
What’s Happening? On Monday, NASCAR veteran Mike Wallace announced that NASCAR had told him he was not allowed to enter the…
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