Instagram Facebook Youtube Tiktok Discord

NASCAR Reveals MAJOR Rule Changes for 2025; DVP and Playoff Waivers Changed

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - AUGUST 24: A general view of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 24, 2024 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

Kauy Ostlien

All Content
Royal T Grafix

Join the Conversation

Instagram Facebook Youtube Tiktok Discord

What’s Happening?

NASCAR is making major changes to its rule book ahead of the 2025 NASCAR season. These changes include Damaged Vehicle Policy rules, Playoff Waiver rules, and “Performance Obligation” rules. Here’s what you need to know.

Damaged Vehicle Policy (NASCAR Cup Series only)

NASCAR is changing its Damaged Vehicle Policy, or DVP rules entering the 2025 season.

The DVP, introduced in 2017, is a repair clock that limits teams to a short amount of time to repair their car and get it back on track. NASCAR is changing this policy for 2025. This change allows cars, only at the Cup Series level, to head to the garage for repairs.

Per NASCAR:

  • Vehicles placed on DVP may drive to the garage or be towed to the garage and will NOT be out of the race.
  • The 7-minute clock (8 at Atlanta) remains active for vehicles making repairs on pit road.
    • When the clock expires, the vehicle must go to the garage to continue work.
    • There is no clock for repairs made in the garage.
    • If a car leaves its pit box and the clock expires prior to the car hitting the pit-out yellow line, a penalty will be issued.
  • Vehicles unable to drive to pit road, whether because of damage or flat tires, will be towed to the garage.

Playoff Waivers

NASCAR is also changing its Playoff Waiver system. These waivers allowed a driver to continue their pursuit of the playoffs after missing a playoff race. Recent notables were Kyle Larson for missing the Coca-Cola 600 after racing in the Indianapolis 500 and Chase Elliott’s injury and suspension in 2023.

Fans have had issues with how NASCAR justifies awarding these waivers, and NASCAR has responded. The new system is not as liberal as in the past, as any driver, minus a few exceptions, granted a Playoff Waiver loses all Playoff Points.

Per NASCAR:

  • If a Playoff Waiver is granted for missing a race, the driver will forfeit all current and future Playoff Points (earned prior to the Playoffs), and will start the Playoffs with a maximum of 2,000 points.
    • Exceptions to the forfeit of Playoff points includes medical reason (driver medical, birth of a child, family emergency, etc.) and age restrictions.

OEM Penalties & Performance Obligation

Following the dramatic finish to the Martinsville Playoff race, in which NASCAR Officials were “pissed off” about OEM interference, NASCAR has created penalties for OEMs caught committing rule violations.

NASCAR has also changed the verbiage around the 100% rule following the outcome at Martinsville, which saw drivers slow down to help manufacturers’ drivers maintain or gain positions.

Per NASCAR:

OEM Penalties

  • Rules violations by an OEM may result in a loss of Manufacturers Points, and/or loss of wind tunnel hours, and/or loss of RCFD runs.
  • Penalties will be assessed for violation of the Vehicle Testing Policy, wind tunnel policy, event roster and Code of Conduct policy.

Performance Obligation

  • Verbiage around the 100% rule is replaced with a focus on “manipulating” the outcome of an event/championship.

Open Exemption Provisional

A notable addition is an Open Exemption Provisional. This provisional allows entry for a “world-class driver” into a NASCAR Cup Series race. Think of this as a Charter for notable drivers, giving NASCAR a one-off shot.

Owners will not earn points, playoff points, prize money, or any tiebreaker benefits from these OEP entries, and teams must request an OEP 90 days prior to the event. Multiple insiders have confirmed that IndyCar legend Hélio Castroneves is locked into the Daytona 500 with Trackhouse Racing via the OEP.

Per NASCAR:

  • Similar to a ‘promoter’s provisional’ used in short track and dirt racing, the Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) guarantees a starting position for world-class drivers who enter a NASCAR Cup Series race.
  • If the OEP is used, the driver/car owner will NOT be eligible for race points, playoff points, prize money, or any tiebreaker benefit of finishing position.
    • Non-OEP cars’ prize money, race and stage points (but not playoff points) will be adjusted upward by one position, starting from the finishing position of the OEP car and continuing for the remainder of the field.
    • If the provisional car wins a race and/or stage, that car will be credited with the race win (including trophy and All-Star eligibility), but the finish will NOT count towards playoff eligibility. The second-place finisher will inherit first-place points, but will NOT receive playoff points or playoff eligibility
  • Criteria for approval will be on a case-by-case basis, with prior racing resume a significant contributor. Full-time NASCAR drivers are not eligible.
    • A race team must request the provisional 90 days prior to an event.

Other Notables Items

NASCAR also introduced smaller changes, such as the previously announced unified Practice & Qualifying format and a new suspension deferral policy.

Per NASCAR:

Practice & Qualifying

Suspension Deferral

  • All suspensions that are a result of a technical penalty can be deferred without appeal for the next race following the issuance of a penalty.
    • All other suspensions are effective immediately.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinions on Discord or X, and don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Share this:

Join the Conversation

Instagram Facebook Youtube Tiktok Discord
DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 06: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on April 06, 2025 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Lionel Racing Reveals First Wave of 2026 NASCAR Authentics Diecast

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

Lionel Racing finally confirmed the first wave of 2026 NASCAR Authentics 1:64 scale diecast for Monday morning, with the line of retail-exclusive diecast featuring a new look for the new year.

  • This line will include six throwback paint schemes from NASCAR’s 2025 throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway. Though they did not release one in 2025, this move restarts an annual tradition of Lionel releasing at least one wave of cars carrying the colors of that prior season’s throwback designs.
  • Included in this wave of cars are Austin Cindric, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, William Byron, and Sammy Smith. Alongside these paint schemes’ debuts in the Authentics line is a new design for the packaging of the 2026 line of NASCAR Authentics.
  • Last season was somewhat turbulent for Lionel as, alongside issues with tariffs, the brand only released three waves of NASCAR Autentics, one wave of NASCAR Autentics Winners Circle diecast, and two waves of Haulers.
  • Lionel announcing the first wave of 2026 early on in the new year is perhaps a sign that 2026 could return this line to its regular release schedule. The post from Lionel Racing also confirmed that the brand will announce another wave by the end of the week, further hinting at a recommitment to the Authentics line.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

SPARTA, KY - JUNE 26: Chase Pistone, driver of the #9 NTS Motorsports Chevrolet, talks with his crew during practice for the NASCAR Camping World Series UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway on June 26, 2014 in Sparta, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Chase Pistone, NASCAR Trucks and Nationwide Series Driver, Passes Away

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

Chase Pistone, a former competitor on the short track racing circuit in addition to NASCAR’s National Series, has passed away. Pistone, now a successful Legends Car owner, was 42.

  • Chase’s brothers Nick and Tom Pistone confirmed the North Carolina natives’ passing to LegendsNation.com. The cause of Pistone’s passing is unknown. The family asked that media share the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline number, which is 988.
  • Pistone, the grandson of NASCAR legend “Tiger” Tom Pistone, made his way to NASCAR after competing on short tracks in Legends cars and Late Models. He would make his jump to NASCAR via the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2005, racing for Green Light Racing at Martinsville Speedway.
  • Pistone would continue his NASCAR pursuits in 2006, racing in ARCA and the NASCAR Busch Series. Unfortunately, these two starts, at Martinsville with the Busch Series and Iowa with ARCA, would be his last for nearly a decade.
  • Pistone returned to NASCAR in 2014, racing in a combined eight NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series races. During this season, his final in NASCAR, the then 30-year-old scored his best National Series finish, ninth place in the Truck Series annual trip to Gateway.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

8 Takeaways From NASCAR At COTA

by Bryan Aguiar

Three races in, the 2026 season is finally starting to show its hand. COTA shifted narratives, exposed weaknesses, and raised new questions about contenders, pretenders, and everything in between.

  • Has Shane van Gisbergen officially been proven mortal after getting outraced late at Circuit of the Americas?
  • Is 19-year-old Connor Zilisch already ahead of schedule after slicing through the field multiple times?
  • With three straight wins, is Tyler Reddick basically a lock for the postseason this early?
  • And how concerned should the 48 team be after a rough weekend for Alex Bowman?

From substitute drivers being forced into action to points gaps growing faster than expected, COTA delivered more than just a road course chess match. There were momentum swings, reputation hits, and at least one young driver stacking up enemies before stacking up results.

Watch Also:

NASCAR Could Change with These NFL Changes…