Skip to main content
Join
NASCAR Logo

Dale Earnhardt Jr., TJ Majors talk up unintended major wins with NASCAR's new DVP rule

Brian Jones Profile Picby:Brian Jones•01/29/25•

brianjones_93

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Le Mans
(Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and TJ Majors believe NASCAR’s new DVP (Damaged Vehicle Policy) rule will be a good thing for the sport. On Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt and Majors discussed how the new DVP rule will impact races.

“The biggest change to me is now when you go to the garage, you’re going to go back fix it, you’re going to come out and be 60 laps down or are you going to have more cars out there that are off the pace?” Majors said. “…It’s kind of like catching the back of the field, More lap traffic. I’d hate to be in that position, but it’s going to create more… It’s like the leader catching the back of the field. When he catches the back of the field, stuff picks up.”

Earnhardt shared his thoughts on the DVP rule. “You see a guy out there leading the race, you know the guy is second is a little faster but he just kind of hit that wall in terms of dirty air,” he said. “When the leader gets the back of the field, that’s when I as a broadcaster in the booth start paying more attention and saying, ‘Alright, does this present an opportunity for second.’ Because now the leader is challenged in dirty air as well.”

What NASCAR added to the DVP

“It won’t be a problem most of the time because most when you’re that slow you’re going to be out of the way, and most of those guys aren’t going to impede that stuff,” Majors replied. “But you never know when they catch each other at the wrong spot, it could create some scenarios for passing.”

Earnhardt then said, “I like the rule, especially for cars that were just getting towed back to the garage with flats and their day was done. That was some bad stuff, happened to a couple drivers over the last several months. That was a bad look, so I’m glad that’s been adjusted.”

Ahead of the 2025 season, NASCAR announced that the DVP will allow damaged cars to continue to race after garage repairs. If the DVP clock of seven minutes (eight minutes at Atlanta Motor Speedway) expires on pit road, the team has to go to the garage. When a car is in the garage, the DVP clock will not be used and the team can return to the race at any time.