NASCAR's mid-season weight rule changes explained: What it means for racers and teams 

NASCAR has implemented mid-season weight rules that amend previous regulations about driver weight. The updated policy will require drivers to be weighed multiple times throughout the season, instead of the usual one-time weigh-in before the season starts.

The shift towards regular weigh-ins is meant to curb any attempt to manipulate driver weight to alter the vehicle minimums. Any perceived advantage gained over such an act would be considered a violation under the new rules.

According to the new policy, a baseline driver weight will be recorded before the season begins, followed by frequent unannounced reweighs throughout the season. Drivers will be allowed a 3% variance from their baseline, and any deviation from that threshold will trigger an adjustment to the baseline, followed by a change to the car's minimum weight.

On Thursday, May 29, NASCAR reported Bob Pockrass shared the news in an X post.

"NASCAR modified rule book on vehicle weight as far as driver weight — driver weight determines minimum vehicle weight. Drivers get weighed typically prior to season. Now it looks like they will get weighed multiple times to keep them from trying to add weight for a weigh-in," he wrote.

The new rule book states,

"A driver's weight will be rounded to one digit to the right of the decimal and then rounded to the nearest whole number to establish their driver weight bracket."

"A driver will be allotted +/- 3% of their baseline weight during reweighs. This tolerance will be calculated using the same rounding technique as used for their weight bracket. If a driver's weight falls outside of this tolerance and changes their baseline weight bracket, a new baseline driver weight bracket will be established," the revised NASCAR rulebook reads.

Pockrass also shared a guideline to understand how a driver's weight alters the minimum vehicle weight.

During last weekend's Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, JR Motorsports' Sammy Smith fell victim to a post-race infraction on a minimum weight violation. He was disqualified from his fifth-place finish, a result that ultimately dropped him four spots in the Driver's standings. NASCAR previously updated its rulebook back in January.

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When NASCAR's overtime rule resulted in a controversial finish in last year's Nashville race

Up next, NASCAR gears up to race at Nashville Superspeedway, a track that bore witness to five overtime attempts during last year's edition. The chaotic finish was the result of a 2016 policy update that allowed for unlimited overtime attempts.

An overtime restart is meant to finish a race under green flag conditions and avoid an anti-climactic finish under caution. After the caution ends, an overtime restart calls for a two-lap shootout that goes for a green-white-checkered finish.

During last year's overtime restart at Nashville, Kyle Larson slid up the track after missing a move on Denny Hamlin for the lead. Consequently, he took out multiple contenders from the chasing pack, triggering a series of overtime restarts that also saw Carson Hocevar spinning Harrison Burton under caution.

A total of five overtime restarts and multiple accidents shed a spotlight on NASCAR's format that allows for such a mishap, with many calling for a single overtime restart to preserve the integrity of race endings.

The upcoming Nashville race will air live on Prime Video at 7 P.M. ET on Sunday, June 1. Fans can also listen to radio updates of the 300-lap event on SiriusXM