NASCAR revises Open Exemption Provisional rules
NASCAR officials updated the Cup Series Rule Book on Wednesday, revising rules around the Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) berth to mandate a 41-car field when it is granted.
Competition officials released a bulletin Wednesday afternoon to Section 5.1.F under the “Entry Guidelines” heading, adding a sentence that states: “The Open Exemption Provisional will be applied only if more than 40 vehicles are qualifying for the Event. In that case, it will be applied regardless of the vehicle’s Qualifying position, and the starting field will be 41.”
If there are 40 or fewer cars on an event’s entry list, officials indicated that OEP rules will not be activated. Under that format, the OEP entry would be eligible for points and prize money — which would not otherwise be awarded to an OEP entry if used in a 41-car field.
Previously, the OEP rule stated that if a driver eligible for the provisional berth qualifies for the race, the field would remain at the typical 40-car maximum. Going forward, starting fields with an OEP in play will be 41 cars, regardless of the provisional entry’s qualifying outcome.
The Open Exemption Provisional was announced before the 2025 season, creating a guaranteed “promoter’s choice” provisional spot in the field for accomplished, world-class drivers, including those with compelling credentials from other forms of motorsports. Trackhouse Racing applied for the OEP for this year’s Daytona 500 within the required 90 days’ notice, and Hélio Castroneves — a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner — drove the team’s No. 91 Chevrolet to a 39th-place finish after starting last in the 41-car field.
Competition officials also added language to the rule, saying, “NASCAR has full discretion to deem certain Events ineligible for the OEP.”
This year’s Daytona 500 had the largest field since 2015, when the starting lineup was capped at 43 cars.
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