-Charlotte, NC – NASCAR announced three new rulebook changes for the 2026 season on Friday afternoon. All three will make quite the splash during the season, which starts in almost exactly a month. One directly involves the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, while the other two affect all three series.

O’Reilly Series Minimum Age Requirements

For 2026, NASCAR has made another tweak to the age requirements for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. For years, the minimum age to compete on 1.25-mile tracks and road courses was 18 years old. Now, NASCAR has changed that age requirement to 17.

Fastest Lap Point Eligibility

A driver is now not eligible for the fastest lap bonus point if they go to the garage and return to the race. In English, if a driver sets the fastest lap BEFORE going to the garage, they earn the point. However, if they return to the track and set the fastest lap, they do not earn the point.

I guess you can call this the Kyle Larson Rule, the 5 team had done this multiple times in 2025.

New OEM Provisional

A new 2026 season provisional now allows up to four starting positions for any new OEM entries. This goes into effect for the first three races for those OEMs that fail to qualify. If the provisional is needed, these four entries will earn points, but they will receive no prize money.

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