“That is all we’ve ever really wanted”: NASCAR YouTuber makes feelings clear on seismic rulebook change

NASCAR YouTuber Eric Estepp has made his delight clear about the governing body's much-awaited change. The new rulebook has scrapped the previous Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP), introducing major changes in the controversial system.

The DVP came under scrutiny on several instances this past season; like when Ryan Blaney was wrecked at Watkins Glen but expressed he was denied a fair chance to return on the asphalt, when Josh Berry didn't suffer much damage and had all flats but was disqualified from racing under DVP.

After intense backlash, the NASCAR chief firmly suggested revaluation for the 2025 season.

According to the previous rule, if a tow truck pulls a driver into the pit lane, the race is over for the team. Moreover, despite meeting the 7-minute repair window, if the NextGen car fails to notch a minimum speed, the driver is disqualified.

However, the new rules have relaxed the ironclad approach. The drivers under DVP won't be disqualified and could resume even after being towed. Furthermore, if the team can't repair the car within 7 minutes, they have to park the ride in the garage and can return to the field later after the necessary repairs.

It would directly result in the elimination of DNFs awarded despite the car having the capacity to resume.

Estepp welcomed the decision with open arms, expressing his delight for it.

"That is all we've ever really wanted, NASCAR, thank you...that all (old DVP issues) changes under this new rule. That is huge," Estepp said (1:14).

He then outlined the old DVP facing significant backlash due to its "forcing" measures.

"The DVP faced significant scrutiny late last season when Josh Berry and then Ryan Blaney at a playoff race were forced to retire from the event despite minimal contact, minimal damage."

Notably, the DVP didn't impact Ryan Blaney's title bid as he punched his Championship 4 ticket after winning the Martinsville race.

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"I don't agree with it": When Ryan Blaney criticized NASCAR for slapping him with disqualification under DNF

After a strong performance at the playoff opener at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Blaney eyed to keep himself in the championship contention at Watkins Glen in September last year. But a poor qualifying resulting in a 30th place start jeopardized the Team Penske driver's odds of a favorable result.

The day became worse after Kyle Busch and Corey Lajoie crashed on the opening lap, creating chaos near the Bus Stop chicane. Though the 2023 Cup Series champion tried to escape the disaster, the pileup of over half a dozen cars barely left any room to escape, spiraling his #12 Ford into the chaos.

Still, Blaney believed his car was driveable after necessary repairs but NASCAR never gave the opportunity. Agitated after the decision, the Ohio native didn't mince words on his misery.

"Give us a chance to fix it. How are they going to dictate if we’re done or not? They have no idea the damage... I don’t know what’s going on, why they won’t even give us a shot to work on it, but I don’t agree with it," Blaney said during a post-race interview (via Skewcar on X).

Other NASCAR playoff drivers who joined Blaney in the Watkins Glen fiasco were Brad Keselowski, Christopher Bell, and Denny Hamlin.