NASCAR’s Damaged Vehicle Policy has always been quite controversial. Previously, the sanctioning body imposed a strict time limit for repairs, resulting in disqualifications and controversies during races. With the stakes high, especially during the playoffs, the DVP faced plenty of backlash from teams and fans, forcing changes to be made ahead of the 2025 campaign. The new rules are being viewed as a step in the right direction, as they could not just alter the repair process but change race strategies as well.

A prominent insider for Spire Motorsports shared his thoughts about the change in NASCAR’s DVP rules, which allow teams to now have more control of their fate. With a more flexible approach and certain regulations being set in stone, could controversy be avoided in the upcoming campaign?

NASCAR hopes to avoid mistakes from 2024

The changes were inevitable. After the controversy surrounding the Damaged Vehicle Policy in 2024, NASCAR desperately needed to revise its rules to avoid similar situations in the season ahead. To empower teams, the sanctioning body will now allow damaged cars to continue racing after repairs have been made in the garage. Teams will no longer be subjected to time constraints for repairs while in the pit box, with the policy being aimed at improving the overall race experience and reducing sudden disqualifications.

Sharing his thoughts about the policy change, Spire Motorsports’ crew chief Luke Lambert went on to say, “I think that it’s a situation where NASCAR is putting things back in the team’s hands. Hopefully, it’s gonna result in not having any situations where you have a really strong contender outside of the race that could have a really quick little repair and part swap and get back in the race.”

NASCAR’s unclear DVP policy made plenty of headlines last year. Josh Berry was forced to retire in Lap 1 of the race at Kansas Speedway after being unable to drive back to the pit road, resulting in plenty of criticism from the driver and his crew chief Rodney Childers. In a bid to make amends, the sanctioning body completely changed the rules at Talladega Superspeedway, allowing several cars to be towed into the pits for repair, despite having far more damage than Berry’s No. 4 Ford. The incident highlighted the sanctioning body’s bias, as Chase Elliott and Chase Briscoe’s cars were taken for repair while others in a similar position didn’t enjoy such a luxury.

However, the DVP policy changes for 2025 will hopefully eliminate such instances in the future. Reflecting on the rule change, Lambert said, “We saw a couple of examples last year when guys had flat tires that resulted in them being out of the race when they otherwise shouldn’t have been out of the race. This cleans up some of that from NASCAR’s standpoint to where they don’t have to police it.” With the sport’s hierarchy taking a more hands-off approach, could the rule change benefit teams in the long run? Many insiders seem to think so.

Insiders share their verdict after DVP change

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It seems like NASCAR has finally learned its lessons. The sanctioning body has made plenty of changes ahead of the 2025 campaign, including penalties for manufacturers involved in race manipulation to avoid an incident like the one seen at Martinsville Speedway in the penultimate race of the season. The ‘Open Exemption Provisional Rule’ will allow ‘world-class drivers’ to secure automatic qualification in Cup Series races without disrupting the lineup in a bid to get publicity. However, the most important change of them all is a revision of the Damaged Vehicle Policy, which will affect every driver and team going forward.

Discussing the DVP changes on The Teardown podcast, NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi said, “This feels much more straightforward. I really don’t have any issues with this.” The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck responded, “I think this is a win overall, you know, let the teams decide if they continue in the race. They feel like, you know, it’s worth trying to get back out there, 40 laps down to pick up a point or two if you can. Let them decide that. That’s fine, and you know, the towing thing as it continues to be this sort of unresolved thing, I just want to see that consistent then.”

As things stand, NASCAR’s Damaged Vehicle Policy changes are meant for the Cup Series only. Perhaps the sanctioning body wants to test out the rule changes, before implementing it in the Xfinity and Truck Series as well. While the rule changes appear to give more flexibility on paper, it remains to be seen if they will be implemented consistently for all drivers, irrespective of circumstances. The sport’s hierarchy seems to be listening to key stakeholders such as the teams, drivers, and fans. That’s enough for it to be considered a win for the time being.