Jan. 20, 2026, 2:04 p.m. ET
NASCAR has made a significant change to its waiver policy for the 2026 season. In a new rulebook update, a driver who gets a waiver won’t receive a penalty for the “Chase” regarding their bonus points, as long as NASCAR approves the absence. This means a suspension will no longer wipe out a driver’s bonus points in 2026.
In 2025, Austin Hill was suspended for intentionally wrecking Aric Almirola at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hill lost all of his playoff points, starting the playoffs with a base of 2,000 points. The Richard Childress Racing driver was eventually eliminated in the Round of 12 after not earning enough points to advance.
However, if a waiver is granted but it is not a NASCAR-approved absence, the driver would start the Chase with 2,000 points in the NASCAR Cup Series. A suspension is still a massive penalty for a driver, but it won’t come with a full bonus points reset as it did with last year’s waiver policy.
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