NASCAR adds new rule in wake of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fire at Charlotte Roval

During the NASCAR Playoffs, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had quite an incident at the Charlotte Roval when his car caught on fire. While Stenhouse Jr. was just fine after he got out of the car, it was concerning enough for NASCAR to look at it and figure out what went wrong.

The Daytona 500 winner can feel good about his playoff run, I think. He had a solid season for JTG Daugherty. And, he even contributed to a rule change in a way.

After viewing the incident and breaking down what caused the fire, NASCAR changed how teams set up their tailpipes. This was implemented for the last few weeks of the playoffs.

The fire on Stenhouse’s No. 47 car at the Roval resulted from repairs made to his car. He took some damage, his team patched it up and they forgot the tips of the tailpipe.

Here’s how the rule reads.

-Tailpipe assemblies must be installed/attached at all times per the rule book, 14.7.2.1 and all exhaust parts may be replaced if damaged.
-Bearbond/tape is not permitted to fill the void from the cut-out area or used to refasten original body and louver area that was removed.
-The original body and louver area that was removed may be refastened in its original position and held in place by metal tabs, screws, and or rivets.

That rule change was effective the week of October 18 with teams complying with the ruling for the remainder of the playoffs.

NASCAR heading for make or break time period

With the conclusion of the 2023 season, there’s a lot going on in NASCAR. Year three of the Next Gen era is coming up. Kevin Harvick retired. Also, a new young generation has staked their claim to the Cup Series.

Let’s not forget Live Fast Motorsports old their charter to Spire Motorsports. Trackhouse Racing signed Zane Smith to drive that car for Spire… confusing, right? It will be year two of the Chicago Street Race, Iowa is being added to the schedule, and the Brickyard 400 returns. Then the new NASCAR Playoffs docuseries on Netflix is coming soon!

While TV ratings show a little bit of a slump, I think there is opportunity. From talking to drivers, executives in motorsports, and marketing folks – motorsports are on the rise. At least, it’s there for the taking. People are starting to pay attention again, you just have to capitalize on it.

When NASCAR announced the Next Gen car, it felt like change was coming. First, slowly. However, I think the change is here now. In full force. So, where does the sport go from here?