There is still a general skepticism and annoyance amongst the Cup Series garage for what NASCAR has created with its ‘open exemption provisional’ rule.

This is the rule that allows a ‘world class driver,’ and that’s the only current definition, to apply for a waiver that would guarantee that participant entry into a race even if that driver fails to qualify into it on a weekend where there are more entries than the maximum field size.

In this scenario, NASCAR would grant just one driver who applied at least 90 days in advance, eligibility for the provisional starting spot. If that driver doesn’t otherwise qualify into the race, that team will not be eligible for owner points nor prize money.

Wherever that driver finishes on the official run down, everyone finishing below that driver will receive one more championship point to compensate for the provisional driver’s inclusion.

As Denny Hamlin put it, beyond calling it ‘desperate’ and a ploy for headlines, he also says it further cracks the dam of NASCAR legitimacy. He, and a good number of his veteran peers, don’t like it because it places some drivers from outside this discipline as being more important than those from within it.

There’s also the whole meritocracy matter.

This is immediately a storyline this weekend too because four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves officially applied for the provisional and it was granted.

Martin Truex Jr. says he doesn’t like it because seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is entered into the race and not guaranteed an entry. Martin Truex Jr., the 2017 Cup Series champion who is also having to race his way in through either time trials or the qualifying, agreed when asked if it was fair that Castroneves was locked into the race but one of the all-time greats of the sport in Johnson isn’t.

“I have to say yes,” Truex said. “I don’t see any other – I really don’t understand it. I don’t see a reason why he should be in the race and Jimmie Johnson shouldn’t be you know. So, it’s a little weird to me but I don’t make the rules. I just come here and race.”

He took it even further while speaking on Dirty Mo Media’s Media Day show about how it affected him personally.

“It’s a bit of a slap in the face, no question,” Truex said. “I put 20 something years in this sport. It gave me a lot too but I’m just saying I’ve been here doing the grind and still wanting to do it. Yeah, I don’t know. Depends on what side you’re looking at it from. It’s good for the sport, I agree. If I was Jimmie Johnson, would I be pissed? Yep. Seven-time champion, we don’t care. You got to make the race but a new guy don’t have to. So, it’s a little weird to me but I don’t make the rules, I just come play.”

BJ McLeod, also driving a open car needing to race their way in, doesn’t like it, even as he stands to potentially benefit from it.

“For us, it makes it easier to get in the race, because if they don’t make it in on time and if I own the car, I’m taking the provisional,” McLeod said. “The pay is less than the cost of the car.

“He has no reason to race his way in. Beyond me, I don’t like it. I’m not going to sugar coat it. I don’t agree with it. This is the Cup Series. Whoever you are, you should have to earn your way in. Realistically, if you weren’t fast enough to make the race, why would you even want to race?

“That’s just me. We’re allowed to say what we think. My big thing is that Jimmie doesn’t have it. Martin doesn’t have it. They both should have it. It is what it is. As a couple of people have said, we don’t make the rules. We just abide by them.”

Technically, Johnson could have applied for the waiver too but he says Trackhouse beat them to finding that rule in the new charter agreement before they did. Castroneves is driving for Trackhouse in the Project91 entry.

“We didn’t know about it until the rule came out,” Johnson said. “Evidently, it was buried in the charter agreement that came out. But when the rule came out, I forget the time of the morning, three minutes later, we were on the phone with NASCAR and recognized it wasn’t within the 90 day-window and we weren’t eligible.

“So, we’ve had a lot of talks with everyone at NASCAR and I have a better understanding of the intent of the rule, and I would anticipate some changes following here (Daytona) to better define and clarify that. When first read, our reaction wasn’t great, but it is what it is and hopefully, we have a fast-enough car to get in.”

That intent, as Johnson points out, is who this rule is for. Is this rule purely for drivers outside of the NASCAR bubble, making greats like Johnson and Truex ineligible, in lieu of Formula 1, Supercars, IndyCar and Sports Car greats?

Castroneves says he’s aware of the discourse involving his guaranteed starting spot.

“At the end of the day, I understand. I’m not the one who writes rules, by the way,” Castroneves said. “I didn’t know actually this rule exists, so when we accepted this opportunity, we accept to go and race. However, obviously whatever happens in the Duel — if I have to take it, I’ll take it.

“But you got to remember, Indy 500 is the same similarity of rules. You got to race for it, but you got a week to adapt to the car, understand it and get into it. Here, I only have 50 minutes. But at the end of the day, I never knew the rule existed but if I have to take it, I won’t deny it. I will take it.”

Hamlin said this is a rule the France family that owns NASCAR wanted.

“What the France family wants, the France family gets here,” he said.

Hamlin just hopes Castroneves locks in on time or through the Duel races.

“It’s only going to be a factor on weekends like this,” Hamlin said. “If Helio puts himself in on time, then this whole thing has been a moot point.”