Skip to main content
Join Now
NASCAR Logo

Mark Martin opens up to Kevin Harvick on NASCAR championship crusade: 'Their voice is not being heard'

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones07/31/25brianjones_93
Mark Martin (1)
Apr 19, 2013; Kansas City, KS, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Mark Martin (55) during practice for the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Mark Martin opened up on why he’s being outspoken about NASCAR’s playoff and championship format. While speaking with Kevin Harvick on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Martin explained he’s doing this for the fans who talk to him about the playoffs.

“Everybody I talk to at the racetrack tells me, and they tell me the same thing over and over and over again,” Mark Martin said. “I see it. So, I just decided that I could be their voice. Their voice is not being heard, so I can be their voice. Sometimes, I feel a little bit embarrassed like an idiot, but I believe what I’m saying is true.

“That’s pretty much about the points. There’s a lot of things that we could talk about. The points championship is the one that’s being looked at by NASCAR and all right now is how could we change the format, or do we need to at all? The majority of fans want a 36-race championship. Then, 30 percent of the fans want a 10-race chase. 20 percent of the fans want the playoff system or an adjusted version of the playoff system. Until somebody proves me wrong, or until I get an answer for the fans for why their voice doesn’t matter in this decision, I’m going to keep it up.”

Mark Martin spent most of his career in the old NASCAR championship format

The current NASCAR playoff format has 16 qualified drivers competing for the Cup Series championship in the final 10 races of the season. Four drivers are eliminated after every three races, and the final four compete for the title in the championship race.

Martin says the majority of NASCAR fans he has talked to want to go back to the old format, which was the Cup Series champion being determined by which driver had the most points after 36 races. The final year of that format was in 2003, which was also the last year when Winston was the title sponsor of the NASCAR Cup Series.

Martin spent the majority of his career competing in the old format. He never won a Cup Series title but finished second and third in the standings numerous times. In 2009, Martin qualified for the playoffs (called Chase for the Sprint Cup at the time) and finished second behind Jimmie Johnson.