With the start of 2025 comes a fresh change. How many people have dreamt of wheeling NASCAR’s heavy stock cars? Possibly millions across the globe – and now they have a bright prospect. The sanctioning body recently implemented the ‘Open Exemption Provisional’ rule to relax restrictions to compete in a NASCAR race. But how relaxed is that rule, really?

With Brazilian speedster and 4-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves booked for the Daytona 500, this rule is under the spotlight. Most fans are questioning the flexible rule that axes integrity. The reason for their doubt? Former NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson does not have the luxury to compete without merit. However, an Xfinity Series veteran took NASCAR’s side.

NASCAR depriving racers of a crucial chance

Practice is crucial for motorsports athletes all around the world. During a standard Formula One Grand Prix event, two 1-hour practice sessions occupy Friday – Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2. Even Saturday holds an FP3. In IndyCar, one gets multiple chances to carve wheeling skills – Kyle Larson got a taste of that in 2024. The Hendrick Motorsports star spent a month practicing for the Indianapolis 500, and then days out at Phoenix Raceway. NASCAR’s new rule may give off the impression that any world-class driver can race in the sport. However, it is also depriving internationally renowned drivers of the chance to get behind a Next-Gen car wheel before the actual event.

That is what Kenny Wallace emphasized in a recent YouTube video. According to NASCAR’s new rule, if a “significant contributor” from another series fails to earn a starting spot, they would still get in. Wallace reiterated, “If you are a world-class driver, and you have won worldly events, you automatically get to start a NASCAR race.” Helio Castroneves, with his Indy 500 victories, 24 Hours of Daytona wins, and so many more laurels is the first to race under this rule. However, there is a caveat, as Wallace continued: “If you want to come and run in the NASCAR Cup Series…You go, ‘I’m going to go practice this new Next-Gen car with this new shifter and this new digital dashboard’…but you cannot practice.” 

However, NASCAR is trying its best to get Helio Castroneves up to speed. He is competing in an ARCA Menards Series race in Daytona and also will practice in simulation machines. This alternative practice, along with the fact that Castroneves is motorsports royalty, changes the situation. Wallace referred to how Cup Series jewels dominated a dirt race even without practice. “When Eldora held all those dirt races, those Cup drivers could drive. There’s a reason they are some of the best drivers in the world…Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth – they got up to speed really quick.” In the end, Wallace agreed with the sport trying to filter out only the cream of motorsports. “I’m going to agree with NASCAR in this…you are discouraging any driver that is world-class.”

However, the new rule attracted heavy criticism due to one glaring reason.

Favoring strangers over familiar faces?

Helio Castroneves is a 21st-century legendary racer in IndyCar, having achieved a feat that only three other people have done – winning the Indy 500 four times. However, Castroneves is not a veteran of NASCAR. And yet he is getting a free pass to run in the Daytona 500 race. This is happening while 7-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. are having to qualify for the same race. According to critics, this move undermines the sport’s competitive integrity. Denny Hamlin tweeted his response to the new rule: “Lol. Wow.” The sport’s executives have one objective – to gain more eyeballs from other sports. It does not want Lewis Hamilton or Daniel Ricciardo to come over and miss a race in qualifying.

This happened when two-time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso failed to qualify for the 2019 Daytona 500. However, world-renowned racers have taken NASCAR by surprise before. Less than two years ago, three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen came to NASCAR for the first time. He qualified third for the Chicago Street Race and took home his debut Cup race trophy under wet conditions. Some local drivers were taken aback by this prowess. Chase Elliott said, “He’s going to go home and tell all of his friends how bad we are.” Yet SVG earned that name – contrary to what NASCAR is promoting at present.

Evidently, the new rule has elicited mixed reactions from the community. With Helio Castroneves debuting in Daytona, let us see how well he performs under the lax rule.