NASCAR has announced the end of a long-standing tradition, as the iconic Rookie Stripes will no longer appear on Cup Series race cars starting in 2025. These distinctive markings, which have been a visual staple of the sport, consisted of two yellow stickers placed on the rear bumper of cars, positioned where license plates would typically be found on production vehicles.
The decision comes as NASCAR officials informed The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck that they now consider these identifying markers “unnecessary,” citing the Cup Series’ position as stock car racing’s premier level. While the change is confirmed for the Cup Series, there remains uncertainty about whether this policy will extend to NASCAR’s other national series, including the Truck and Xfinity Series.
The rookie stripe system was more nuanced than simply identifying first-year drivers. NASCAR’s criteria for assigning these stripes took into account factors beyond Rookie of the Year eligibility, including a driver’s recent experience with specific vehicles or tracks. International drivers were required to display the stripes regardless of their racing background, as demonstrated when Shane van Gisbergen competed in Chicago in 2023.
Perhaps one of the most notable examples of the system’s strict application came in 2018, when NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1988 Cup Series Champion Bill Elliott returned to competition. Despite his impressive career record of 44 wins, Elliott was required to display rookie stripes on his No. 23 car during a one-off Xfinity Series appearance at Road Atlanta.
The timing of this change means that Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen and 23XI Racing’s Riley Herbst will be among the last drivers who would have carried these historic markers in the Cup Series, marking the end of a distinctive visual tradition in NASCAR’s top division.
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