NASCAR Makes Significant Change To Rule For 2025 Season
03/12/2025 05:18 PM
NASCAR tweaked a controversial new rule on Wednesday.
As part of this year's charter, NASCAR introduced the Open Exemption Provisional. The rule allows NASCAR to designate an automatic 41st entry for "world-class drivers." Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves used the provision to compete in February's Daytona 500 after crashing in a qualifying race.
According to multiple reports, NASCAR changed the Open Exemption Provisional rule. When granted, the field will now have 41 entries regardless of whether the driver given the automatic spot qualifies.
The tweak ensures that another open driver won't get left out because of the OEP participant.
"If you ask for that open exemption provisional and you get it before the race weekend, you have no option to qualify and get the $$ for racing the event," Fox Sports insider Bob Pockrass explained.
The initial rule sparked some consternation from Cup Series drivers when introduced earlier this year. Denny Hamlin said it "reeks of desperation."
"It just feels like you're really trying to get any kind of headline you can to be relevant," Hamlin said. "I don't love it ... Be the big boys and force people to come in here and get their credentials and do it the natural way."
Tyler Reddick also expressed some skepticism over the provision.
"Aside from the Daytona 500, we don't get in a spot very often where drivers of that caliber are going home," Reddick said last month, via the Associated Press. "I don't know where to fall on this. On one hand, I would hate for a guy like Lewis Hamilton to come over here and attempt to start the 500 ... (and) something keeps him from running the race. We also don't just want to let them have a spot in the race — like, they have to earn it."
The Athletic's Jeff Gluck noted another adjustment from NASCAR, which "has full discretion to deem certain events ineligible for the OEP."
Related: Christopher Bell Had Major NASCAR Complaint After Sunday's Win
