NASCAR’s recent rules revision around the one surrounding part-time drivers from other series competing in the sport has ticked off the sport’s fanbase including Bubba Wallace’s spotter at 23XI Racing, Freddie Kraft. The new rule gives drivers like Helio Castroneves, a 4-time Indy 500 winner and upcoming Daytona 500 hopeful, a guaranteed spot in the race regardless of their qualifying efforts.
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Known as the Open Exemption Provisional or OEP, it allows drivers with significant racing resumes to file for the same 90 days before an event they wish to participate in, with NASCAR holding the right to grant them the OEP. Trackhouse Racing has successfully managed to obtain this for Castroneves, who they will be fielding in the 2025 Daytona 500, to which Kraft reacted on X and wrote:
“I might be slightly hungover and my eyes might not be working great so let me just ask the crowd for confirmation We’re giving Helio a guaranteed spot, but not Jimmie Johnson?”
NASCAR fans also reacted to the rules tweak as several poured their hearts out in the comments. “NASCAR looking a little desperate trying to bring driver’s from other series up,” wrote one fan. “NASCAR is becoming a joke!” chimed in another, mincing no words about the governance’s practices and what they thought of them.
NASCAR fans will likely watch the Daytona 500 without Johnson. Indycar fans will likely not watch it without Helio.
— KO__ (@K_O___21) January 10, 2025
“Confirmed, NASCAR…one step forward, two steps backwards,” wrote yet another, hinting clearly at how fans interpreted the OEP and drivers such as Helio Castroneves being favored over Cup Series drivers and team owners such as 7-time champion Jimmie Johnson. “New rule says a world class racer. I guess Jimmy isn’t one of them,” sarcastically commented one fan.
What other changes have NASCAR made?
The revised bulletin ahead of the 2025 racing season also includes major tweaks to the sport’s Damaged Vehicle Policy, better known as DVP. Now teams have an infinite amount of time to repair their cars on pit road.
However, after 7 minutes in their respective pit boxes, cars must move to the team’s respective garages where repairs can continue without any timer to compete against. If a car has to be towed off the track, teams can work on them in their garages as well, essentially allowing them to get back in the race if they can repair their machines.
One of the most notable: DVP policy is getting an overhaul. No more DVP clock, at least in terms of eliminating a car from the race. Cars now CAN go back to the garage to fix crash damage and then return to the race. If they’re on pit road, they can work until the 7-min clock is…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) January 10, 2025
This change comes most likely after Ryan Blaney and Josh Berry’s incidents from last year at Watkins Glen and Kansas after both were eliminated from their respective races after suffering damage.
The governance also came under scrutiny for the erstwhile DVP rules back then, which they seem to have improved for 2025. It remains to be seen how these tweaks play out once racing gets underway.
