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It’s Time to DNF the Current DVP Rule

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are in full swing, and the first two races have created plenty of drama-filled moments.

That was no different at Watkins Glen International, the second race of the postseason. A race that saw non-playoff drivers thrive, title favorites falter and plenty of carnage in the closing laps to go around, before we were treated to a thrilling finish in an otherwise mediocre race.

It didn’t take long for the first major storyline to emerge — half a lap, in fact. And with it, it sparked the reality that the Damaged Vehicle Policy needs to be altered or abolished altogether.

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As the field funneled its way through the treacherous Bus Stop, Corey LaJoie slid into Kyle Busch, causing a multi-car crash to erupt behind them.

Playoff drivers such as Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell were involved, but the primary surprise was Ryan Blaney‘s No. 12 sitting idle on the outside of the Carousel.

Contact with Brad Keselowski that didn’t appear to be harmful, especially for the durability of the Next Gen car, turned out to be terminal as Blaney’s steering column was busted.

As a result, Blaney’s car was unable to turn, and the reigning Cup champion requested NASCAR to tow him back.

NASCAR did exactly that, towing him to the garage and informing the No. 12 team that their race was over because Blaney was unable to drive a damaged car back to pit road.

Understandably, Blaney and company were livid, earning just one point on the day in a time where every point is critical to one’s championship aspirations.

A monster day in the playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway keeps Blaney relatively safe entering the Round of 16 cutoff race at Bristol Motor Speedway, but the primary matter of concern is NASCAR’s damaged vehicle policy rule.

To briefly dive into its origins, the DVP was instituted in 2017 to prevent damaged race cars from driving at dangerously slow speeds or leaving loose debris all over the track. Teams originally had five minutes to repair the car, plus the driver had to meet minimum speed. It currently sits at a seven-minute repair clock.

The intent of the rule itself is fine. Cars that cannot meet minimum speed or that are scattering debris everywhere have no business being on track.

However, the officiating of the rule has not exactly been a bed of roses. Blaney’s case is the most recent example, and the 30-year-old didn’t mince words initially.

“Give us a chance to fix it,” Blaney told NBC Sports after the crash. “How are they going to dictate if we’re done or not? They have no idea the damage. They said because I couldn’t drive it back to the pit box we’re done, but if you have four flats you get towed back to the pit box, you can’t drive it back.”

Brad Moran, the Cup Series managing director, addressed the incident on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, saying, “If you are in an incident and are on the DVP, and you cannot drive your vehicle back to your pit stall, you are out of the race at that point.”

“It was very unfortunate. I totally get Blaney’s frustration, but he was involved in the incident with the [No.] 6, which did end up busting the suspension or steering. That would be consistent with what we’ve been doing since 2017.”

Blaney also appeared on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio on Sept. 18, saying that he and his team didn’t understand the rule.

“Talking to NASCAR and everybody, we didn’t really understand the rule,” Blaney said. “When I gave my TV interview, I didn’t know the rule until I got back to the garage after the care center, and we sat down and went through the rule book. NASCAR did everything by the rule book.”

Moran and Blaney both disclosed the difference between having four flats like we’ve seen several times with the Next Gen car versus Blaney’s scenario. The rule was not designed to allow damaged cars to be towed back and worked on, thus giving a driver a DNF.

As Blaney later touched on in his interview, he would have liked to have known that before this happened. And that right there is the problem I have with Moran’s statement.

Moran said NASCAR followed the rule book like they have since 2017, thus referring to consistency. As fair and necessary as that is, it’s no secret that hasn’t largely been the case in NASCAR officiating, nor is that necessarily true concerning the DVP.

At Texas Motor Speedway last fall, Todd Gilliland lost a wheel on track and could not make it back to pit road. Since Gilliland could not drive it back, he was given a DNF, ending his day.

While Blaney clarified his understanding in the interview above, his points of the four flat tires is legitimate, an issue the rule was designed for. If a driver suffers four flat tires, that is typically the result of an incident, right? In fact, there are times where a car with those flats is more damaged than what we saw with Blaney and Gilliland.

Was the No. 12 done for the day? Possibly, but that should be a judgment the team gets to make first. If it’s broken or can’t meet minimum speed, then Blaney would be out.

Plus, why did the team not know the rule? There are times where accountability needs to be taken by a driver or crew on not knowing the rules. In this case, however, it was clear that this was yet another rule that had not been made clear, which is unacceptable.

Additionally, Blaney is a playoff driver. While I do not believe that playoff drivers should get a bunch of concessions compared to non-playoff drivers, there should be a bit more urgency in a case like this. If Blaney’s car was fixable, there would have still been a penalty with laps lost, but he could have made up a couple of more spots by surpassing other cars with issues. Should the points lost in this race come back to bite him, it rubs even more salt in the wound.

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My other issue with the DVP is the time given to teams in general. As mentioned, there is already a penalty for time on pit road. But what the clock does is rush teams to get the car back on track and lose as little time as possible, creating even more problems.

The durability of the Next Gen car broadens that issue even more. Cosmetically, Blaney’s car looked like it hardly had a scratch. Meanwhile, William Byron‘s car was launched onto both the wall and Brad Keselowski‘s car in a frightening late-race crash, yet he was able to finish the race with a severely damaged car. Byron did drive his car back to pit road, but his car was left with just as much of a chance of performing well as Blaney’s.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. also voiced his concerns with the DVP, going on X/Twitter to address the issue.

“With the current rule there is also no need for elaborate “crash carts” and overloaded haulers full of parts and pieces,” Earnhardt Jr. wrote. “I do think there is a middle ground. The clock has teams rushing repairs and sending cars back on the track in dire need of more repairs. These hurried repairs create their own batch of debris cautions as well.”

All that does is put cars at risk of bringing out more cautions for themselves or drivers around them affected by debris.

Having rules deeming if a car is safe to return to the track is essential. If a car can be fixed, meet minimum speed and run without scattering debris, then the driver should be allowed to continue to race. And even in the case where it’s not fixable, such as what we saw this past weekend, the team should be a part of that process, or at least well informed. Doing so increases transparency and gives drivers an opportunity to earn as many points as possible under the proper conditions.

Luken Glover joined the Frontstretch team in 2020 as a contributor, furthering a love for racing that traces back to his earliest memories. Glover inherited his passion for racing from his grandfather, who used to help former NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey in his Richmond, Va. garage. A 2023 graduate from the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is the author of "The Underdog House," contributes to commentary pieces, and does occasional at-track reporting. Additionally, Glover enjoys working in ministry, coaching basketball, playing sports, and karting.


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DoninAjax

Just because NA$CAR followed the letter of the “rule” doesn’t mean it should be printed in block letters on the head of a pin in disappearing ink in the “rule” book so it can be used when needed!

sb

Another stupid rule with unintended consequences. Giving teams time to make solid repairs makes much more sense.