NASCAR has made a list of revisions to its rule book ahead of the 2025 Cup Series season. The most notable change is the addition of a new rule called the Open Exemption Provisional or OEP. This rule allows certain drivers from other series to race in Cup Series events without the need to qualify. This presents a tricky scenario when it comes to icons like Jimmie Johnson.
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The rule applies only to drivers from series outside NASCAR. Stock car racing legends like Johnson will still have to go through qualifying if they wish to race in a particular event. Former racer Kenny Wallace further explained this on his YouTube channel following protests from fans and insiders over the hypocriticism.
He said, “Jimmie Johnson’s a seven-time NASCAR champion. You know, he knows how to drive these cars, and as sad as it is to say, I think… Jimmie Johnson is a legend, but he’s just not going to draw the crowd that Helio Castroneves would. That’s my opinion … Now that’s a cold hard fact, and I know that’s hard to hear.” Castroneves is a four-time Indy 500 winner who will be driving in the upcoming Daytona 500.
He was initially expected to go through the same qualifying procedures as the rest of the field, but OEP now allows him to directly turn up for the main race. Moreover, as Wallace pointed out, the crowd that Castroneves would bring is simply too large to be turned down or be gambled with through a qualifying mandate.
The difficulties that Johnson had in qualifying for the 2024 Daytona 500
Johnson is a seven-time NASCAR champion. However, he is not the same driver that he once was, nor does he have the best machinery underneath him now. This was proven in the Bluegreen Vacations Daytona Duel in 2024 when he struggled against JJ Yeley and barely made the final entry list for the Daytona 500.
It was through the timely intervention of Ross Chastain that he was able to put Yeley off his balance in the final lap to secure the victory and qualify for the main race. He later talked about his thoughts during the qualifier, “I’m like, ‘I’m not going to make it. I’m not going to make the Daytona 500. I’m going to have to call all of our partners. I’m going to have to stand in the suite, shake hands during the 500, and not drive a car.'”
The fear was as real as it gets. Fortunately, he was still able to drive in ‘The Great American Race’ last year. This incident showcases why Castroneves and other icons from the racing would benefit from OEP, whereas someone like Johnson, despite his resume could struggle.
