Breaking down the major NASCAR rule changes for 2025

CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR announced a plethora of major rule changes ahead of the 2025 season, including changes to playoff waivers, the damaged vehicle policy and more.

Playoff waivers

If NASCAR grants a playoff waiver to a driver for missing a race, the driver will forfeit all current and future playoff points earned before the playoffs. As a result, that driver will start the playoffs with a maximum of 2,000 points. Exceptions apply to drivers seeking a waiver for a medical reason (e.g., injury, birth of a child, family emergency) and age restrictions.

If NASCAR grants or declines a playoff waiver request and loss of playoff points, the rulebook states it is “final and non-appealable.”

This rule comes in response to Kyle Larson applying for a waiver after opting to run the Indianapolis 500 instead of the Coca-Cola 600. Larson received the waiver, which he needed to remain playoff-eligible.

Larson started the playoffs as the No. 1 seed with 2,040 points. With the new rules, Larson would’ve started as the No. 16 seed with 2,000 points. However, he would’ve advanced all the way to the Round of 8 with a win in both the Round of 16 and the Round of 12 (if the races had all played out the same way).

Larson said he is committed to running the Coca-Cola 600 this year and will get out of the car in Indy, if need be, to run the 600.

Damaged vehicle policy (DVP)

Gone are the days of a driver falling out of a NASCAR Cup Series race because the DVP clock expired on them or their car was damaged enough to go to the garage. NASCAR will unconditionally allow damage repairs in the garage area for the first time since 2016.

Each team will still have seven minutes – and eight at Atlanta – to work on their car on pit road. While on pit road, a team can’t have an excess number of crew members servicing the car and/or the fueler doing anything besides adding fuel to the car. If that happens, NASCAR will assess a two-lap penalty.

If someone speeds on pit road or has a commitment line violation, NASCAR will add a 15-second penalty to the time spent on pit road. NASCAR stated they will issue a penalty if a car leaves its pit box and the clock expires prior to hitting the pit-out yellow line.

At the end of the allotted time, NASCAR will require a car to go to the garage to finish damage repairs. Once in the garage, teams can work on repairs for as long as they need while the racing is going on.

NASCAR confirmed to TRE that teams can choose to go straight to the garage.

When a car returns to the track from the garage, a driver will have one attempt to reach minimum speed. If they don’t reach minimum speed by the end of the third lap on the track, they’ll be out of the race.

Vehicles unable to drive back to pit road, either because of damage or flat tires, will be towed to the garage.

Old vs. new rulebook language on DVP

Old: “A vehicle that sustains damage from an accident or contact of any kind and must go behind the pit wall or to the garage area, whether under its own power or not, will not be permitted to return to the Race. Whether the vehicle entered the garage for damage repairs (or for other permissible reasons) will be determined by the Series Managing Director.”

These old rules still apply in the NASCAR Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series.

New: “As determined by NASCAR, vehicles that sustain damage during the Race from an accident or contact will be on the Damage Vehicle Policy. Repairs to damaged vehicles may be completed in the vehicles assigned pit box or in the designated garage repair area. Whether the vehicle entered the garage for damage repairs (or for other permissible reasons) will be determined by the Series Managing Director.”

Race manipulation and OEM penalties

When announcing penalties for what they described as the manipulation of the finish to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville and the Championship 4 lineup in November, the sanctioning body stated they would look at penalties for the sport’s three auto manufacturers (OEMs).

The rulebook now states rule violations by an OEM “may result in a loss of Manufacturers Points, and/or loss of wind tunnel hours, and/or loss of Reduced-Cost Facility Development runs.” According to the sanctioning body, they will assess the penalties for violation of the:

• Vehicle testing policy
• Wind tunnel policy
• Event roster
• Code of conduct policy

NASCAR replaced the verbiage around the “100% rule” with a focus on race or championship manipulation:

“Any Competitor(s) who takes action with the intent to Artificially Alter the finishing positions attempts to manipulate the outcome of the Event or encourages, persuades or induces others to Artificially Alter manipulate the finishing positions of the Event shall be subject to a penalty from NASCAR, as specified in Section 10 Violations and Disciplinary Action.“

NASCAR opened the door to suspending drivers for race manipulation. As of this season, teams will only be able to defer suspensions for technical infractions. All other suspensions, such as for an intentional wreck or cases of race manipulation, are “effective immediately.”

Open exemption provisional

The open exemption provisional will guarantee a starting position for “world-class drivers who enter a NASCAR Cup Series race.” NASCAR specified the criteria for approval will be on a case-by-case basis with a prior racing resume as “a significant contributor.” Full-time NASCAR drivers are not eligible, however, and teams must apply for the provisional at least 90 days before an event.

NASCAR confirmed to TRE that Helio Castroneves will receive an OEP to get into the Daytona 500. A spokesperson confirmed Trackhouse Racing applied for it and NASCAR granted it, putting the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner into his first Great American Race.

How will it work for Castroneves and Trackhouse? Here are the rules for an OEP:

If a team uses the “OEP,” the driver and 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,” a spokesperson said in a note on the rules bulletin issued Friday.

For example, if Castroneves won the Daytona 500 and/or a stage, he and his team would get the win, the trophy and All-Star eligibility. However, the finish wouldn’t count toward playoff eligibility.

The second-place finish would also get first-place points but wouldn’t get the playoff points or playoff eligibility. Third, fourth and fifth would get the equivalent of second, third and fourth-place points, on down to 40th getting 39th-place points (one point, the same as 36th-38th).

Rulebook section 7 states a race could feature 41 entries with an OEP:

“A 41st starting position may be added if a team utilizes an Open Exemption Provisional as long as the team has requested, and NASCAR has approved, the Open Exemption Provisional.” 

There is an exception to the rule for the Daytona 500, as stated in rulebook section 7.10.1:

“As a general rule, eligibility for starting grid positions for the Daytona 500 Event will be determined as follows:

• 40 vehicles will be assigned starting grid positions.
• All Charter Teams will be eligible for and assigned a starting grid position.
• The remaining starting grid positions will be assigned to Open Teams.”

However, NASCAR stated the field for the 500 could expand to 41 cars if Castroneves and Trackhouse use the OEP.

Other changes

NASCAR specified “failure to meet engine inspection requirements” under Level 2 penalties. L2 penalties are punishable with docking 75-120 championship points, 10-25 playoff points, a suspension of 4-6 races for up to two crew members and a $100,000-$250,000 fine.

This is in response to penalties handed to Denny Hamlin late in the regular season for Toyota’s failure to seal and submit his engine from the spring Bristol race after it was used to win that race.

NASCAR will assess fines against the team owner or organization, instead of the crew chief, for infractions.

Teams have two business days to send an appeal request, instead of three. If there is an expedited appeal, NASCAR clarified the appeals panel’s decision is considered final and can’t be appealed to the final appeal officer.

NASCAR specifies every car must have a cockpit environmental sensor with two NASCAR-provided thermocouples installed and plugged into it. The thermocouples track the temperature of the cockpit.

One thermocouple must be connected to the sensor. The other must be mounted “in the driver helmet air hose within 20 inches of the driver helmet connection.”

Driver heat has been a concern with the NextGen/Gen 7 car. NASCAR added slots to the rear windshield to help mitigate this issue and has been working with teams on other changes to help with the interior heat.

A driver can now get a NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie test, even if they have won two or more races or made the playoffs in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Restrictions still apply, however:

These updated rules would open the door for Christian Eckes to get a rookie test. Here are the rules on rookie tests in the Xfinity Series: