Bob Pockrass weighs consequences of new NASCAR waiver rule

The 2025 NASCAR season will have a set of new rules. Drivers will now be faced with more consequences for on-track actions. At least, in the event of a suspension, there could be harsher consequences.

Starting this season, any NASCAR driver who misses a race and receives a waiver for any reason other than medical, family emergency, age restriction, or birth of a child, will lose all playoff points for the season.

If you miss a race, the most points you can start the playoffs with is 2000. That is huge. It affects a lot of circumstances. Like Kyle Larson missing the Coca-Cola 600 last season. That would have cost him all of his playoff points.

Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports weighed the consequences of the new NASCAR waiver rule. It will act as a deterrent for aggressive driving and intentional wrecks. But will it have more consequences?

“That’s a big hit for a moment of indiscretion if a driver does something so egregious on the track (or potentially off the track) that NASCAR feels it must bench the driver,” Pockrass wrote.

“This will require NASCAR to treat these situations with a little more nuance as a suspension now carries more weight than in the past. And it needed to. Should it devastate a driver’s championship chances? Possibly. This will be a good test to see if it will deter any driver from hooking another on the racetrack.”

The implications for Larson and his future Double Duty attempts was not lost on the longtime reporter, either.

“The rule also would impact Kyle Larson in his Indy 500 attempt,” Pockrass continued. “If he didn’t get back to start the Cup race in Charlotte, he would forfeit all playoff points. That certainly hurts drivers hoping to do the double, something which NASCAR should embrace, but it was obvious last year that NASCAR for some reason doesn’t want to play second fiddle. ‘If he didn’t get back to start the Cup race in Charlotte, he would forfeit all playoff points. That certainly hurts drivers hoping to do the double, something which NASCAR should embrace, but it was obvious last year that NASCAR for some reason doesn’t want to play second fiddle.

“It’s disappointing because the potential windfall of interest generated by a star driver trying to compete in both IndyCar and NASCAR on the same day should make a no-consequence waiver a no-brainer.”

The NASCAR waiver situation was a headache last year. Injuries are one thing. However, the Kyle Larson situation highlighted an issue. Mainly, NASCAR doesn’t want its drivers ever making it a second option. Even for the Indianapolis 500.

This rule will make many drivers think twice before retaliating on track. Miss a race and that could cost you a championship.