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Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford, takes the checkered flag to win the race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, finished first of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 drivers, to win the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on November 02, 2025. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) Getty Images As NASCAR returns to the Chase format to determine its 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, the sanctioning body announced a series of modifications to its rulebook on January 16. There are also changes for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, previously known as the Xfinity Series, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. NASCAR issued a rulebook bulletin on Friday and here are the highlights of some of the changes. NASCAR Announces OEM Provisional Up to four additional starting grid positions may be assigned to a new OEM vehicle for the first three events if the vehicle has not otherwise earned a starting grid position. New OEM vehicles will be assigned starting grid positions 37th-40th based on the speeds posted in the first Qualifying round. NASCAR provided context for the change, saying in a statement, “The spirit of this rule is to help ease the on-boarding of a new manufacturer into national series racing. OEMs using this provisional will not earn prize money but will earn points.” Lug Nut Penalty Structure In NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts/NASCAR Camping World Truck Series The penalty structure changes slightly from last season. The updates are in the attached chart. NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Lug Nut Penalities. NASCAR Graphic NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lug Nut Penalty Chart. NASCAR Graphic Minimum Age for O’Reilly Auto Parts Series At tracks 1.25 miles and shorter and all road courses, the minimum age drops…

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Filed under: News - @ January 16, 2026 10:24 pm