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By Lydia Mee

Sports Contributing Writer

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NASCAR has announced substantial rule changes for the 2025 season, aiming to tackle controversies that arose from last year.

An adjustment to address the concerns regarding interpretations of race manipulation was highlighted by Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. He posted the changes to social media, writing:

"Plus 100% rule no longer includes 100%. It is about manipulation."

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The controversies that fueled these updates were prominent during the 2024 season, particularly in the playoff race at Martinsville.

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During this race, incidents with drivers, such as William Byron and Christopher Bell, drew attention when Byron managed to advance while Bell was disqualified due to actions considered as manipulation.

These scenarios revealed the necessity for more explicit guidelines to define race manipulation, as the prior terminology left room for interpretation.

Another big change comes with the overhaul of the Damaged Vehicle Policy, which provides teams with increased flexibility in dealing with repairs of their cars.

The policy retains the seven-minute repair clock on pit road, but no longer penalizes teams with disqualification if they exceed this time. Instead, teams can now take their cars to the garage for further repairs.

If a car cannot reach pit road or the garage due to damage, it will be towed directly to the garage for repair. This change is a move to decrease the number of DNF cases, allowing more cars to remain in the race.

In another move aimed at maintaining race integrity, NASCAR has now empowered itself to penalize manufacturers like Chevrolet, Toyota, and Ford for their drivers' or teams' attempts at manipulating race outcomes.

NASCAR Rule Changes: Key Updates

As per NASCAR.com.

• Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) Rule:

  • Adds a provisional starting berth for select races, increasing the grid to a maximum of 41 cars.
  • Requires pre-approval by NASCAR based on racing history.
  • OEP entries are eligible for the race win, trophy, and All-Star Race eligibility but not for championship points, prize money, or playoff eligibility.

• Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP):

  • Starting in 2025, damaged cars can continue racing after repairs in the garage.
  • A seven-minute time limit (eight minutes for Atlanta) remains for pit-road repairs.
  • Repairs exceeding the time limit must take place in the garage, where no repair clock is running.
  • Cars unable to reach pit road due to damage or flat tires will be towed to the garage.

• Playoff Eligibility Waivers:

  • Drivers granted waivers may forfeit accumulated playoff points in the regular season.
  • Forfeiture applies if the waiver is granted after a suspension or if the driver skips a race.
  • Exceptions to forfeiture include medical absences, family emergencies, the birth of a child, or age restrictions.

• Penalties for OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers):

  • Penalties include loss of manufacturers' points, reduced wind-tunnel testing time, or fewer CFD test runs.
  • Infractions may involve violations of vehicle testing policies, wind-tunnel limits, event-roster protocols, or code of conduct.

• "100% Rule" Adjustment:

  • Revised language moves the focus from competitors who "artificially alter finishing positions" to those who "manipulate the outcome" of an event.

• Practice and Qualifying Procedures:

  • Updates to procedures introduced in December have been formally added to the rule book.

2025 NASCAR Cup Series Schedule

Regular Season

• Feb. 2: Winston-Salem (Clash) - 8 p.m., FOX
• Feb. 16: Daytona 500 - 2:30 p.m., FOX
• Feb. 23: Atlanta - 3 p.m., FOX
• Mar. 2: Austin - 3:30 p.m., FOX
• Mar. 9: Phoenix - 3:30 p.m., FS1
• Mar. 16: Las Vegas - 3:30 p.m., FS1
• Mar. 23: Homestead - 3 p.m., FS1
• Mar. 30: Martinsville - 3 p.m., FS1
• Apr. 6: Darlington - 3 p.m., FS1
• Apr. 13: Bristol - 3 p.m., FS1
• Apr. 20: Off (Easter)
• Apr. 27: Talladega - 3 p.m., FOX
• May 4: Texas - 3:30 p.m., FS1
• May 11: Kansas - 3 p.m., FS1
• May 18: North Wilkesboro (All-Star) - 8 p.m., FS1
• May 25: Charlotte - 6 p.m., Prime Video
• June 1: Nashville - 7 p.m., Prime Video
• June 8: Michigan - 2 p.m., Prime Video
• June 15: Mexico City - 3 p.m., Prime Video
• June 22: Pocono - 2 p.m., Prime Video
• June 28: Atlanta - 7 p.m., TNT
• July 6: Chicago street course - 2 p.m., TNT
• July 13: Sonoma - 3:30 p.m., TNT
• July 20: Dover - 2 p.m., TNT
• July 27: Indianapolis - 2 p.m., TNT
• Aug. 3: Iowa - 3:30 p.m., USA
• Aug. 10: Watkins Glen - 2 p.m., USA
• Aug. 16: Richmond - 7:30 p.m., USA
• Aug. 23: Daytona - 7:30 p.m., NBC

Playoffs

• Aug. 31: Darlington - 6 p.m., USA
• Sept. 7: St. Louis - 3 p.m., USA
• Sept. 13: Bristol - 7:30 p.m., USA
• Sept. 21: New Hampshire - 2 p.m., USA
• Sept. 28: Kansas - 3 p.m., USA
• Oct. 5: Charlotte road course - 3 p.m., USA
• Oct. 12: Las Vegas - 5:30 p.m., USA
• Oct. 19: Talladega - 2 p.m., NBC
• Oct. 26: Martinsville - 2 p.m., NBC
• Nov. 2: Phoenix - 3 p.m., NBC

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