NASCAR makes Rule Book changes ahead of 2025 season

NASCAR issued changes to the Rule Book Friday to address several situations, including playoff waivers, the Damaged Vehicle Policy and penalties to manufacturers.

Here is what has changed:

Playoff Waivers

NASCAR states that if a playoff waiver is granted for missing a race, the driver will forfeit all current and future playoff points and will start the playoffs with a maximum of 2,000 points.

Exceptions to forfeiting playoff points would be if a driver misses a race for a medical emergency (NASCAR notes that includes medical issue for the driver, birth of a child, family emergency) and age restrictions.

Last year, Kyle Larson missed the Coca-Cola 600 because he remained in Indianapolis to compete in the rain-delayed Indy 500.

After much debate, NASCAR granted Larson a playoff waiver for missing the race. Waivers previously came with no penalties such as the loss of playoff points.

Larson will attempt to compete in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 this year. Car owner Rick Hendrick has already stated that Larson would be pulled from the Indianapolis 500 to start the Coca-Cola 600. This rule clarifies the penalty Larson would face if he fails to start the 600. A driver must start every race to be playoff eligible unless they have a waiver.

Damaged Vehicle Policy

After much controversy with the Damaged Vehicle Policy late last season, NASCAR has altered this policy for the Cup Series only.

Vehicles on the DVP may drive to the garage or be towed to the garage and will NOT be out of the race.

Previously, if a car on the DVP was towed to the garage or drove to the garage it was out of the race.

NASCAR also stated:

— 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.

NASCAR also stated that vehicles unable to drive to pit road, whether because of damage or flat tires, will be towed to the garage.

Penalties to manufacturers

NASCAR stated last year it would update the rule book ahead of this season to address penalties to manufacturers after the finish of the Martinsville finish was impacted by cars of the same manufacturer working together. At the time, NASCAR stated it did not have a way to penalize manufacturers.

That's changed.

NASCAR states in the rule rook that violations by manufacturers may result in the loss of manufacturers points, and/or loss of wind tunnel hours, and/or loss of RCFD runs.

NASCAR will assess such penalties for violation of the Vehicle Testing Policy, wind tunnel policy, event roster and Code of Conduct policy.

A new provisional

NASCAR has added a way for a provisional for an open car.

This guarantees a starting position for what NASCAR states are world-class drivers who enter a NASCAR Cup Series race.

If this provisional is used ...

— The driver/car owner will NOT be eligible for race points.

— The driver/car owner will NOT be eligible for playoff points.

— The driver/car owner will NOT be eligible for prize money.

— The driver/car owner will NOT be eligible for any tiebreaker benefit of their finishing position.

Cars in the finishing order below a vehicle that takes this provisional will have their finishing position adjusted upward one spot and also have their prize money, race points and stage points adjusted.

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 toward playoff eligibility. The second-place finisher will inherit first-place points, but will NOT receive playoff points or playoff eligibility

Performance obligation

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

Practice and qualifying

New practice and qualifying procedures, which were announced in December, were formally added to the rule book. Group practice goes from 20 to 25 minutes, single-round qualifying at all tracks but superspeedways, which will have a final round for 10 cars, and starting position is determined solely by qualifying results instead of row-by-row designation based on which qualifying group the car was in.

Suspension deferral

NASCAR states that 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.