Kicking off the 2025 NASCAR Season

After a long boring winter devoid of motorsports, its finally time kick off the 2025 NASCAR season. We’ve already had The Clash at Bowman Gray and the Duel at Daytona, but now it’s time for the Daytona 500, the crown jewel of NASCAR. This year, DigiRides will release regular NASCAR content courtesy of our newest Editor, Jake Reynolds, so please take a minute to welcome him to the community.

Before the green flag flies, here are some of the topics we’ll be following this weekend and all season long at DigiRides:

• Daytona 500 Kickoff: The 2025 NASCAR season begins today with the Daytona 500 at 1:30 PM ET. Chase Briscoe has secured the pole position, driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, while Austin Cindric starts second in the No. 2 Ford for Team Penske.
• Historic Pace Car Introduction: For the first time, an electric vehicle, the 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS, will serve as the pace car for the Daytona 500. This decision has sparked mixed reactions among fans, with some expressing discontent over the departure from tradition.
• Parker Kligerman’s Disqualification: Parker Kligerman initially celebrated a victory in the Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. However, post-race inspections revealed his truck was below the minimum height requirement, leading to his disqualification and the win being awarded to Corey Heim. Kligerman plans to appeal the decision.
• Bubba Wallace and Presidential Attendance: President Donald Trump is expected to attend the Daytona 500. Driver Bubba Wallace, who had a public dispute with Trump in 2020, has expressed indifference to the President’s presence, emphasizing his focus on racing.
• Expanded 2025 Cup Series Schedule: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule features 30 oval races, 5 road course events, and a street track race, totaling 36 championship races. Notably, the schedule includes an international race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City on June 15.
• Increased Driver Participation: A new rule for the 2025 season allows more than 40 drivers per race, introducing the Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) rule. This guarantees starting positions for world-class drivers, though they won’t earn playoff points, prize money, or race points.
• Key Storylines to Watch: As the season unfolds, attention centers on Kyle Busch’s pursuit of his first Daytona 500 win in his 20th attempt, the intense competition for qualifying spots with 45 drivers vying for 40 positions, and underdog drivers like Erik Jones and Todd Gilliland aiming to make significant impacts.
• Pitbull Ends Partnership with Trackhouse Racing: Rapper Pitbull has concluded his partnership with Trackhouse Racing, a team he co-owned since its 2021 debut. Despite the separation, Pitbull is set to perform at the Daytona 500 pre-race concert. Trackhouse founder Justin Marks expressed gratitude for Pitbull’s contributions, noting the successful collaboration.

Finally, one of the biggest discussions around the garage area is NASCARS’s change to the damaged vehicle policy that had become a huge distraction during the 2024 season. NASCAR has updated its Damaged Vehicle Policy for the 2025 season. Previously, cars unable to reach pit road under their own power were disqualified. Under the new rules, vehicles can be towed to the garage for repairs and re-enter the race, eliminating the prior seven-minute repair window in the garage. However, a seven-minute clock remains for repairs conducted on pit road.

Veteran driver Kevin Harvick has criticized the previous DVP for its inconsistencies, referring to it as a “sh–show.” He praised the new rule changes, which grant teams more autonomy over race-day repairs, allowing damaged cars to return to competition if repaired within the designated time.

Denny Hamlin has raised concerns about a potential loophole in the revised DVP that could offer certain drivers an unfair advantage. He cautions that this “kink” in the rule might impact race outcomes and is urging NASCAR to address the issue to maintain fair competition.

We’ll soon find out how all of this shakes out as the season kicks off today in Daytona.