NASCAR Overhauls Damaged Vehicle Policy for 2025 Season

The revised rules aim to reduce disqualifications and empower teams with more control over repairs during races.

NASCAR has updated its Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP) for the 2025 season, allowing teams to repair cars in the garage without time constraints, a major shift from the previous seven-minute repair clock rule.
The changes come after widespread criticism during the 2024 season, where inconsistencies in enforcing the DVP led to controversies and disqualifications of key drivers like Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney.
Teams and insiders have praised the revisions, highlighting that the new rules give teams greater autonomy to decide whether to continue racing after repairs, potentially altering race strategies.
Additional updates for the 2025 season include stricter penalties for manufacturer manipulation and the introduction of the Open Exemption Provisional rule, allowing world-class drivers from other series to compete in select races without affecting standings.
The updated DVP currently applies only to the Cup Series, with NASCAR likely testing its implementation before extending it to other series in the future.