NASCAR releases Rule Book bulletin with several updates for 2025

Yesterday at 02:18 PM

NASCAR today released a rule book bulletin with several sporting updates for the 2025 season. Below are the most noteworthy changes, with further detail:

Open Exemption Provisional

• 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.

Damaged Vehicle Policy (NASCAR Cup Series only)

• 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

• 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.

Practice & Qualifying

• New practice and qualifying procedures, which were announced in December, were formally added to the rule book.

Performance Obligation

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

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.

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.

— NASCAR —