The NASCAR Cup Series 2025 season is set to kick off with the Daytona 500 within a month. This year’s event will be special for Indy Car fans as four-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves will make his NASCAR debut. He will join Trackhouse Racing to wheel their iconic No.91 Chevrolet. This crossover has generated significant buzz, attracting attention from fans across the motorsports world.

However, a month before his debut, the 49-year-old is making headlines, but not for all the wrong reasons. Recently, NASCAR changed the rule for qualifying, which confirmed Castroneves’ participation as a 41st car in the race. While this move is aimed at boosting the Daytona 500’s appeal, it has ignited controversy, with many questioning its fairness. Now, NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi gives a blunt assessment of the boiling issue.

NASCAR insider questions favor to Helio Castroneves

In the latest episode of The Teardown Podcast, Jordan Bianchi was joined by Jeff Gluck to discuss the latest rule changes announced by NASCAR. During the discussion, Bianchi gave a blunt assessment of the issue related to Helio Castroneves. He believes the decision hurts NASCAR champions like Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson.

“I think it’s going to be weird that Helio Castroneves is in the Daytona 500, and theoretically, both Truex and Jimmy Johnson could miss the Daytona 500 this year because they’re gonna be in open cars… The two are recent NASCAR champions. Truex was a playoff driver last year, and he missed the race. So, I don’t think it’s good… I don’t feel like it’s an indictment on the driver, but I do look at this, and I step back, and the one word I keep coming back to is unnecessary, like I just didn’t feel like this was a, a thing that you needed to do.” Bianchi told Gluck on The Teardown Podcast.

This comment echoed the general sentiment among NASCAR fans who feel veterans like Jimmie Johnson are not being treated well. Johnson’s 2024 performance at Daytona fuels this sentiment. With an underperforming car, Johnson struggled a lot to make his way into the final 40. Fans and experts alike feel that NASCAR should have given OEP exemption to sports veterans instead of other motorsport stars.

The Open Exemption Provision (OEP) introduced by NASCAR allows a starting spot for the world-class drivers entering the NASCAR Cup Series for select races. However, any driver making use of this new rule they are considered ineligible for prize money and points earned. And one of the direct beneficiaries of this rule is Helio Castroneves.

Meanwhile, Bianchi drew parallels to Fernando Alonso’s failed attempt to qualify for the 2019 Indianapolis 500. He said that with direct entry, NASCAR is undermining itself. “I see both sides of this, and when I first heard this, I was like, really, is this necessary, and I immediately thought of Fernando Alonso at the Indianapolis 500… How the drama surrounding that of this Formula One champion coming over trying to qualify for this race and he didn’t do it. It was a huge storyline,” Bianchi told Gluck.

Notably, in 2019, two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso had attempted to qualify for the Indy500. Alonso competed in the Last Row Shootout but missed the grid by a slim margin. He was just 0.019 mph slower than Kyle Kaiser. This failure showed the fierce competition at the Indy 500. It also highlighted the challenges of adapting to a new racing discipline, even for a driver of Alonso’s level.

This failure not only broke Alonso’s Indy 500 dream but also cut short his dream to complete the Crown Jewel of racing. However, Bianchi believes that Alonso’s unsuccessful attempt placed Indy Car among the most competitive motorsports. With OEP’s implementation, many feel that NASCAR’s rule change unfairly elevates outsiders at the expense of its legends. However, some NASCAR veterans feel that this decision is correct. Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Kenny Wallace recently questioned Jimmie Johnson’s fan appeal.

Kenny Wallace debunks the OEP issue

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Amid the uproar, former racer and NASCAR commentator Kenny Wallace has come to Castroneves’ defense. Wallace, known for his candid insights, addressed the controversy on his YouTube channel. He acknowledged the frustrations of fans and insiders but argued that NASCAR’s decision aligns with its long-term goals.

“Well, Jimmy Johnson is a seven-time NASCAR champion. You know, he knows how to drive these cars, and as sad as it is to say, I think you know Jimmy Johnson is a legend, but he’s just not going to draw the crowd that Helio Castroneves would… Helio Castroneves is going to draw more attention than Jimmy Johnson,” Wallace said.

However, Wallace’s stance hasn’t quelled the backlash. Critics argue that prioritizing marketability over merit undermines NASCAR’s competitive spirit. They point to historical instances, like Richard Petty’s struggles in the 1980s, when NASCAR introduced provisional entries to ensure fan favorites remained in the spotlight. While such measures boosted ticket sales, they also sparked debates about fairness.

What do you think of NASCAR’s new rule? Let us know in the comments below.