In today’s NASCAR, playoff points are gold. They’re not like your usual race points. Instead, they give drivers a big head start when the playoffs roll around. Win a stage? That’s a point. Win a race? Even better. Stack enough of them, and you’ve got a cushion when the elimination rounds start slicing the field. But in 2025, NASCAR’s new rules have thrown a wrench into that game.

If a driver gets suspended or misses a race, all those hard-earned playoff points? Gone. Wiped clean. And that’s a huge deal for contenders like Austin Hill. One misstep, one bad week, and everything he’s built this season could vanish. Just like that. Suddenly, chasing a title isn’t just about speed. It’s about staying out of trouble, too. And Austin Hill got into a heap of trouble at the Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

What does the NASCAR rulebook say about suspension and playoff points?

For 2025, NASCAR has introduced a sweeping update to its playoff waiver and suspension policies. The new rule states:

• If a driver is suspended or skips a race for any reason other than medical, parental, family emergency, or age restrictions, and a playoff waiver is granted, that driver will forfeit all current and future playoff points for the remainder of the regular season.
• In case of a suspension, the driver starts the playoffs with the baseline 2,000 points, regardless of how many points were previously earned through race or stage wins.

In practical terms, if a suspension occurs (whether for an on-track incident or conduct violation), NASCAR’s rulebook makes it clear that not only does the driver lose their immediate eligibility to earn points. But every playoff point banked up to that point is erased, resetting them to the minimum allowed at playoff kickoff. The exception to this rule was also invoked this season when Denny Hamlin was given a waiver after missing the Cup Series race at Mexico City for the birth of his son, Jameson Drew Hamlin. However, Austin Hill is unlikely to receive the same.

Could Austin Hill face suspension after his on-track incident at Indianapolis?

During the closing laps of the 2025 Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Austin Hill was involved in a controversial incident with Aric Almirola while battling inside the top 5. On lap 91, Almirola was on Hill’s rear bumper when Hill got loose, but was able to recover his car before inexplicably right-rear hooking Almirola head-first into the outside wall. A crash Almirola later described as one of the harshest of his career. The incident was immediately scrutinized, with calls for significant penalties.

NASCAR responded by penalizing Hill with a five-lap penalty for reckless driving but did not initially issue a race ban. Hill’s reaction to the 5-lap penalty? “They can go f— themselves.” Team owner Richard Childress publicly argued against any suspension, emphasizing that similar incidents in the past did not result in bans. Childress noted an incident in the Cup Series at the Circuit of The Americas where Team Penske’s Austin Cindric was not suspended for right rear hooking his grandson, Ty Dillon. Childress said, “They didn’t do a damn thing to the 2 car (Austin Cindric). He wrecked tight and admitted to it, drove him in the right rear, and wrecked him at COTA. It’s who you are. We’re a blue-collar team; they give us trouble all the time.”

However, NASCAR indicated that it would further review the incident this week to decide if additional penalties, including a suspension, were warranted. As of now, Hill has not officially received a race ban. But the possibility remains under review, and public pressure is mounting for NASCAR to take stronger disciplinary action.

How many playoff points has Austin Hill earned, and how would a suspension derail his NASCAR Championship run?

Austin Hill has positioned himself as a strong playoff contender after consistent top finishes and several stage wins throughout the 2025 season. As of the Indianapolis race, Austin Hill has amassed 21 playoff points. In the playoff format, these points can allow a driver to survive a bad finish or even a non-finish during the volatile knockout rounds. Should a suspension cost Hill all points, he would immediately lose this strategic cushion. Hill would start the playoffs on equal footing with the lowest seeds, despite a strong regular season, which includes 3 wins.

Why is losing playoff points more damaging than missing a race in NASCAR?

Traditionally, missing a race was seen as a severe penalty on its own. In some cases, it made playoff advancement nearly impossible. However, with the new rule, losing playoff points can be even more damaging. NASCAR’s Playoff points are specifically designed to give consistent, winning drivers an edge in the reset system, helping them absorb a bad race without being eliminated. Missing a race with a strong playoff point bank could sometimes be overcome. But, starting with zero playoff points means a single poor finish in any round can result in immediate elimination. There’s no safety net.

Has NASCAR ever enforced this rule before, and is there any precedent?

The 2025 updates mark the first time NASCAR has explicitly tied suspension (or waiver-related absences) to a total forfeit of playoff points for reasons other than medical or family emergency. In previous years, drivers could seek waivers for missing races, often for injuries or exceptional circumstances. Kyle Larson’s 2024 “Double Duty” waiver is a recent example where Larson missed the Coca-Cola 600 but kept their accumulated playoff points. The new rule would have set him back 40 points, re-seeding him as the lowest playoff seed had it been in place then.

NASCAR’s 2025 rule change means suspension is now a nuclear option. It has the potential to wipe out a season’s worth of championship momentum in one penalty. For Austin Hill and other playoff hopefuls, avoiding incidents that could provoke a suspension is more crucial than ever. As the season heats up and on-track tempers flare, drivers will need to balance aggression with caution. They know very well now that the consequences for crossing NASCAR’s line have never been this steep or costly.