With just under a week to go before the official start of the 2026 season NASCAR scheduled for Daytona on February 12, the championship amended the rules during qualifying: drivers will not have to use their hands to prevent airflow from entering the cockpit through the protective net, under penalty of sanction.

The update to section 8.3.2, corresponding to addendum K, specifies the following: As determined by NASCAR, once a vehicle leaves the pit lane during a qualifying attempt, the driver’s hands may not be used in any way to redirect airflow. This includes, but is not limited to, touching the window net, blocking airflow into the cockpit, redirecting air from the window, etc. Any violation will result in the invalidation of the qualifying time. “The practice had indeed become customary on speedways such as Daytona, Atlanta or Talladega in order to gain speed.

Two years ago, Team Penske was penalized for a similar infraction: Joey Logano was fined $100,000. The driver had worn a webbed glove during the qualifying session at Atlanta Motor Speedway, pushing the technique to its extreme.

Postponed twice due to snow, the traditional Clash finally took place on the night of February 4th to 5th, with Ryan Preece (Ford) taking the victory. However, this event does not award any championship points, which will officially begin with the legendary Florida round on February 12th.

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