NASCAR’s Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) continues to be a major topic of discussion weeks after its introduction. The rule allows drivers of ‘elite’ status to race in marquee events such as the Daytona 500 without qualifying. NTT IndyCar Series star Helio Castroneves is the first driver to benefit from this, and Ryan Blaney is clear about which side to take on the table.
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Castroneves spent the entirety of his racing career with Team Penske, the outfit Blaney drives for full-time in the Cup Series. Also, he was a key figure that the 2023 champion looked up to for a long time. These associations and the excitement of racing against one of his heroes cause Blaney to view the OEP in a positive light.
He said during a recent press conference, “I might be biased, but I love Helio, so I was psyched when it was like, ‘OK, he’s running the 500. Oh, and he’s locked in? That’s great for Helio.’ He was in Indy Cars when I was over there at Penske for a while before he moved on, so I love Helio, and I’m happy that I’m gonna be able to race against him.”
The upcoming Daytona 500 will go down on February 16. Drivers have taken different stances regarding this controversial ruling ahead of the race, and the reason for Blaney’s choice is surely interesting. However, he would likely have a different answer had it been any other driver in place of Castroneves.
Blaney’s teammate, Joey Logano, supports the influx of foreign drivers
Logano is the defending Cup Series champion. He doesn’t see anything wrong in NASCAR prioritizing drivers from other racing disciplines in stock car racing and explained to the press that integrating world-class drivers from other series in NASCAR only contributes to its growth and globalizes the fanbase.
He said about adding international drivers to the field, “Whether that’s from Indy Car or F1 or from the Supercar Series in Australia. We’ve seen that and it brings those fans that may not watch NASCAR racing and say, ‘Well, I’m gonna watch because this guy is in there. I want to see how he does against the NASCAR guys.’”
In 2023, Shane van Gisbergen came into NASCAR through Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 and is set to make his full-time debut in the Cup Series in 2025. He is by far the best example of what NASCAR’s current foreign policy can do. But then, allowing drivers to enter races is one thing, and giving them a free pass to directly race is another.
