NASCAR Reveals MAJOR Rule Changes for 2025; DVP and Playoff Waivers Changed
What’s Happening? NASCAR is making major changes to its rule book ahead of the 2025 NASCAR season. These changes include Damaged…
NASCAR introduced a new rule called the Open Exemption Provisional. This provisional is part of the new 2025 NASCAR Charter Agreement and allows for a “world-class driver” to have automatic entry into a race. So, what do you need to know about this new rule, and how does it affect NASCAR in the immediate future?
In their introduction of the Open Exemption Provisional, NASCAR refers to it as “similar to a ‘promoter’s provisional’ used in short track and dirt racing.” This is clearly the case, as this provisional feels like a business decision for NASCAR.
Since the introduction of the NASCAR Next Gen car in 2022, all-stars from different forms of motorsports have appeared in more and more NASCAR races. While these drivers risk not qualifying for races in these open cars, they bring more national attention and recognition to a race than most drivers.
With the Open Exemption Provisional and based on NASCAR approval, these drivers are now automatically qualified for any NASCAR Cup Series race. This means that 41 car fields are realistic for the 2025 season, and perhaps even more than that in some races.
However, there is a catch. While these drivers automatically make the race, “the driver/car owner will NOT be eligible for race points, playoff points, prize money, or any tiebreaker benefit of finishing position.” This means that the driver gets the win and the trophy, but the team has no benefit in entering this car beyond the attention and sponsorship a driver would bring.
Furthermore, this rule affects the rest of the field and the playoffs. “The second-place finisher will inherit first-place points but will NOT receive playoff points or playoff eligibility.” This asterisks, of course, means the driver earns no benefit from the win aside from the record book and, notably, all-star race qualification.
Teams must request this provisional 90 days prior to race day. However, it appears that one team has already requested and been approved for this provision.
What’s Happening? NASCAR is making major changes to its rule book ahead of the 2025 NASCAR season. These changes include Damaged…
While NASCAR is monitoring who requests these provisions, there are worries about undeserving or unprepared drivers making races. However, much like four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Hèlio Castroneves, NASCAR could allow drivers using this provisional an opportunity to test.
NASCAR confirmed Castroneves will utilize this new provisional for his Daytona 500 effort with Project 91. While no other teams have announced they are using this for Daytona, we could see more famous names in NASCAR races down the road.
With the rebirth of Project 91, there’s no telling who Trackhouse Racing will bring to Cup this year, and this provisional only broadens that potential list of names.
Trackhouse is not the only team with an “all-star” car. 23XI Racing has its No. 50 car, which has seen Juan Pablo Montoya and Kamui Kobayashi make starts. Furthermore, Richard Childress Racing has its No. 33, recently driven by Supercars standouts Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown.
Because drivers no longer have to worry about wasting time heading to a race at the risk of not making it to Sunday, this expands the potential names past the point of part-timers and retired drivers and perhaps into full-time drivers, as they have a guaranteed start on the grid.
What’s Happening? Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Hélio Castroneves will have to race a stock car prior to his 2025 Daytona 500…
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Where do all the drivers stand after the first official points race in the standings table?
After winning the opening points race of the season at Daytona by leading one lap, Tyler Reddick made it to the top of the standings. Under the new rules, he managed to pull up 58 points. The 23XI Racing driver pocketed 55 for the win and added three more by finishing Stage 2 in P8. He may have squeezed out at least one more had he landed inside the top 10 in Stage 1, but after getting swept into a Lap 5 crash, Reddick limped the Stage 1 in P20, giving him no extra points.
Rounding out the top 10 are Brad Keselowski with 39 points in sixth despite a P5 finish, followed by his RFK Racing driver, Chris Buescher, in seventh with 39, Bubba Wallace in eighth with 37, Carson Hocevar in ninth with 36, and Ryan Blaney in 10th with 36.
Atlanta could be a springboard for Elliott, who owns an average finish of 11.4 across 14 starts there, with two wins, including one in last year’s fall race, plus three top fives and nine top 10s. The track could also pull Kyle Busch back into contention. Having already shown his speed at Daytona by winning the pole, he may potentially pull it off at the 1.54-mile track. The RCR driver sits P14 in the standings, but with an average finish of 8.8 at Atlanta since 2023 across six starts, the place might finally snap his 94-race drought.
Then again, Connor Zilisch has only one start at the track and came home P11 last year when he made his third Cup start there, making Atlanta a stage where he could stamp his mark.
Ryan Blaney will also have a better chance than anyone else to climb through a win or even points alone at Atlanta. The No. 12 Team Penske driver has one win there from 2021, but consistency has been his strong suit, with seven top fives and nine top 10s in 15 starts. And that puts him in a position to move the needle when the field rumbles into Atlanta.
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The Daytona 500 and Speedweeks may be over, but that doesn’t mean the chaos will cool off for the stars of NASCAR’s three National Series, as they roll into Hampton, Georgia, to the high banks of EchoPark Speedway for one of the schedule’s most unique race weekends.
Note: This article will be updated as more information about the weekend comes out.
One race weekend is in the books, and a 36-week march back to Florida is underway for the three NASCAR National Series. Whether you are going to be at the track or home, what does the forecast look like for the race weekend in Hampton, Georgia?
Before the Races (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
During the Truck Race (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
During the OAP Series Race (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
After the Race (8:00 PM – 11:00 PM)
Before the Race (11:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
During the Race (3:00 PM – 7:00 PM)
After the Race (7:00 PM – 10:00 PM)
NASCAR got lucky at EchoPark in 2025, and, as a matter of fact, everywhere else, but that doesn’t mean weather hasn’t affected the track’s races in the past with spot showers and major showers taking on race weekends. Take the summer of 2023, when the race took on a large rain shower that resulted in the race ending after just 185 laps, with race winner William Byron the leader at the time of caution.
Note: This article will be updated with a more accurate and detailed forecast as the race weekend nears.
