NASCAR great Mark Martin has claimed that every fan he talks to hates the playoffs and the current way that the sport crowns its champions.
Across the Cup, O'Reilly Auto Parts and Truck Series, a playoff format is currently in place, with the champion ultimately determined by the result of the season finale, which has been held at Phoenix in recent seasons.
This format has come under fire from fans, drivers, and media alike, with major questions surrounding its legitimacy and whether or not the sport ends up crowning the best drivers as the champion.
There was a further example of this yet again in the Xfinity Series in 2025, with Connor Zilisch missing out on the championship having been beaten by Jesse Love at Phoenix, despite having dominated the season and broken several records along the way.
The good news is, change is coming. Throughout 2025, NASCAR has been consulting with a playoff committee, which is a panel they created of more than two dozen members that spans active and legendary drivers, series executives, and representatives from both manufacturers and the media, in order to determine the best format moving forward.
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Mark Martin: NASCAR fans hate playoffs
No announcement has yet been made on what the format changes will be, but it seems highly likely that, at the very least, the one-race championship decider will be ditched.
Those holding out for a return to NASCAR's traditional full-season points format look set for disappointment, however, with Mark Martin revealing he isn't optimistic about its chances despite having been, at times, its only advocate.
Martin claims that he was 'screaming' for a return to the 36-race season because it's what he believes NASCAR fans want, claiming that all of those he speaks to are not fans of the playoffs.
"I'm not super optimistic [of the 36-race format returning]," Martin admitted on the Kenny Wallace Show. "I was involved in the committee, and I was the only one that was...I was screaming about it.
“And I wasn’t doing it for me. I was screaming about it because they [NASCAR] asked me to be on it, and because everywhere I go, and every fan I talk to, hates playoffs. I’m sorry.
“I’m a guy that has a bigger voice than those fans, and so I decided I owe my entire career to the race fans that supported me so much, so I stood up for the fans.”
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Full season was ‘on the table’
Despite there having been very little support behind the 36-race points format initially, Martin continued, revealing that as the year progressed, opinion among the committee began to change. So much so that towards the end of the discussions, it became a genuine option that was on the table.
Despite that, Martin doesn't believe it will get selected, but he's happy it was at least put to the fore during the discussions.
“Through the meetings, I can’t believe it, but eventually, a full season [format] was on the table,” Martin added.
“And I don’t think we’ll get it. But I am very impressed that it’s actually a consideration.”
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