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Kyle Busch Calls Out NASCAR’s 41st Rule: Is Jimmie Johnson Being Disrespected

Harry Stone by Harry Stone
February 13, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
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Kyle Busch Calls Out NASCAR’s 41st Rule: Is Jimmie Johnson Being Disrespected

Feb 12, 2025; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The 2025 Daytona 500 hasn’t even taken the green flag yet, but one of the biggest controversies of the season is already unfolding. NASCAR’s Open Exemption Provisional (OEP)—the so-called “41st Rule”—is under fire, and Kyle Busch is leading the charge against it.

The rule guarantees one “world-class driver” from another motorsport series a locked-in starting spot for the Daytona 500—a privilege that four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves has received this year. But for seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and 2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr., who both had to qualify, Busch believes this is a slap in the face.

🗣️ Busch on the controversy:

“You are opening up a spot for someone from outside our realm to be able to get in a show. But you could take away from a Jimmie Johnson making the show or a Martin Truex Jr. making the show…So I disagree with that.”


NASCAR Legends Forced to Qualify—While Castroneves Gets a Free Pass?

The issue at hand isn’t about Castroneves’ credentials—his IndyCar resume is undeniable. However, why does a NASCAR icon like Jimmie Johnson not receive the same respect?

✅ Jimmie Johnson’s Career Stats:
🏆 7-time Cup Champion (tied for most all-time with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr.)
🏁 83 Cup Wins (tied for 6th all-time with Cale Yarborough)
🥇 2-time Daytona 500 Winner

If the OEP rule is about honoring world-class drivers, wouldn’t Johnson qualify? Yet, he had to earn his way in while Castroneves was guaranteed a spot.

Busch isn’t alone in his frustration:
🔹 Denny Hamlin called the rule “desperate”
🔹 Alex Bowman said it “hurts the whole thing”

📢 Kyle Busch’s Take:

“I think that past champions’ provisional like, ‘may the best man win the past champions’ spot’…Those three guys, past champions, that race for that one. Jimmie Johnson or Martin Truex Jr. would probably still wanna be in the race regardless if they were making bank or not. If they don’t make it through a Duel, automatically Castroneves gets it. I don’t like that.”

Busch argues that if NASCAR is willing to expand the field to 41 cars for Castroneves, they should do the same for past Cup champions like Johnson and Truex Jr.


The Bigger Picture: Is NASCAR Undermining Its Own Legacy?

🧐 Does NASCAR risk alienating its biggest stars and longtime fans?
📉 With declining ratings, should the sport focus on protecting its own legends rather than bending over for outside stars?
⚖️ Should past NASCAR champions have a guaranteed spot in the Daytona 500, just like Castroneves?

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