NASCAR’s Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) rule has become a central point of discussion, fueling considerable debate. With the Daytona 500 just a week away, the focus on these rules is intensifying, largely because a world-class IndyCar veteran has had a spot reserved for him in the Great American Race. As Denny Hamlin looked forward to the Bowman Gray Clash, he already described this situation as nothing more than just a ‘gimmick’ in simpler terms. Going ahead, a former NASCAR driver weighed more to this. 

IndyCar legend Helio Castroneves has a locked-in spot in the final race even if he doesn’t qualify. This is what the OEP does, and it has made Denny Hamlin considerably upset. Castroneves is an IndyCar legend, with four Indy500 wins and four runner-up finishes in the IndyCar series. His resume is great, no doubt, but Hamlin’s concerns stem from giving an easy pass to people who have never driven in NASCAR before. Kenny Wallace reflected on Hamlin’s comments and agreed with him, but also felt it wasn’t such a big deal as Castroneves brings something that NASCAR lacks.

Kenny Wallace agrees with Denny Hamlin, but looks at the bigger picture

Denny Hamlin said ahead of the 2025 Cook Out Clash, “I just think it reeks of desperation… Be the big boys and force people to come in here and get their credentials and do it the natural way.” Hamlin’s comments reflect the broader frustration of fans and while NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace agrees with him, he understands why NASCAR is making such moves, and it is a pretty simple reason, according to him.

Wallace feels that while Hamlin is right about the desperation, it is not necessarily a bad thing. “Getting back to Denny saying it’s desperation, well, call it what you want. Okay? But even if you say it’s desperation, then okay? Even if NASCAR said, ‘look, we’re a little desperate right now’… It’s publicity. It’s marketing.” 

Wallace feels that even though NASCAR is desperate, it is to get more eyes on their product, and that is just basic marketing. Someone like Castroneves, who hails from Brazil, a country with a population of over 200 million, has a huge local fanbase who would love to see him race in NASCAR. This not only puts more eyes on NASCAR’s premier race but opens the door to international expansion as the global fanbase increases. Castroneves is a superstar, and Wallace’s hot take is that the sport currently lacks one.

Kenny Wallace continued, “I agree with him [Hamlin], it is a gimmick. They [NASCAR] gotta light a bottle rocket… And I’ve always said we don’t have any superstar NASCAR drivers. Now if Chase Elliott can keep this up I mean, that’s the only thing that’s gonna turn NASCAR around. How many times has he won the Most Popular Driver?… So if we can keep Chase [Elliott] up there, that big fan base is gonna love NASCAR.” 

He emphasized the impact of popular drivers on NASCAR, driving viewership and fan engagement. A similar trend occurred when Dale Earnhardt Jr., a 12-time winner of NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award, retired from the Cup Series. This directly affected NASCAR with a loss of loyal fans’ attendance and a falling TV rating. Now, the question is whether a win by Chase Elliott, himself a 7-time Most Popular Driver, could again spark the same enthusiasm in fans. 

Meanwhile, Kenny Wallace’s co-host, Charlie Marlow, concurred with these sentiments, he felt that the OEP made sense, but the Daytona 500 was not the right place to use it, as popular drivers need to make the lesser-known races more popular. Charlie Marlow explained, “I feel like if you have other races maybe where you don’t have as much attention and promotion. And we’re talking non-playoff races maybe when you get through kind of, like, the, the ‘dog days of summer’. That’s where I feel like having a Max Verstappen or somebody like that can kind of bring some more attention, but you don’t need any extra attention for the Daytona 500.”

While attendance at the Daytona 500, “The Great American Race,” may have fluctuated from 200,000 to 150,000 in recent years, it still maintains a strong hold on fans’ interest, especially when compared to other racetracks that have seen significant declines over the decades. Therefore, if this move aimed at promotion, they could have used the opportunity more effectively. 

The questioning on OEP wasn’t limited to Denny Hamlin calling it out. Beyond him, Jeff Gordon also questioned whether the rule creates a “popularity contest,” wondering about the criteria for who gets in, and what happens to past champions like Jimmie Johnson. Still, there is no final answer to the question of who is correct or who is wrong. Few of them are supporting the NASCAR’s original roots, while few are going beyond appreciating the change. 

Who seems to support Helio Castroneves’s entry?

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Despite the guaranteed spot, the 49-year-old, world-class driver won’t be eligible for the championship points and the prize money if he doesn’t qualify through the Duels. The opportunity to race at the Daytona 500 is merely to show the world how Castroneves performs in a stock car in NASCAR’s biggest race.

While some just looked at it as a gimmick whereas, others shared a positive outlook. Team Penske’s #12, Ryan Blaney, shared both sides of it, “Personally, I’m happy for Helio because I love Helio. He was driving IndyCars when I got over to Penske, and he’s one of the nicest and greatest human beings you’ll ever meet. I was pumped to race with him at Daytona.” He said on the Door Bumper Clear.

“Don’t get greedy with this,” Blaney hinted towards NASCAR, “If we’re just giving out free spots to other folks who want to come in and run one-offs, you got to be able to get your work in and qualify for it,” He further said, “It sucks if qualifying gets rained out and you don’t make the show, but that’s just part of racing.” Blaney is of the view that no matter how good you are, you still have to earn your way into the sport’s most prestigious race.

Kyle Larson has also expressed some views on it, “I love to see drivers come out and try our series, our NASCARs. I feel since we’ve gotten the NextGen car out there we’ve had multiple drivers each year from different backgrounds and countries and I think that’s great for motorsports, not just NASCAR.” He further said, “Rarely, I feel like, are you ever going to run into that 41st entry deal aside from maybe the 500?” Larson is more supportive of the move as he is fine with the OEP being just for the Daytona, as he doesn’t see the appeal for other races.

Whereas, the co-owner of Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks had a more business-related take on the situation, saying, “If we have Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen or somebody like that come and race the Daytona 500 and he like misses a shift on a restart on Thursday and misses the race, it really would take a lot of wind out of the sails.” He further added, “I think if you look at the business as an event business as a promotional business, they have the opportunity to make rules like that, make decisions like that.”

Marks’ view is of the kind that NASCAR needs to invite and celebrate such drivers instead of putting them through a rigorous mandatory qualifying routine. The Trackhouse Racing co-owner views the sport from a business standpoint and having such revered racing icons is only going to be good for business. So what do you think? Is NASCAR doing the right thing by awarding Castroneves an OEP? Let us know in the comments below!