Tommy Baldwin, Mark Martin go toe to toe over NASCAR playoffs overshadowing race wins

Tommy Baldwin and Mark Martin had an interesting discussion about how NASCAR drivers celebrate race wins. On the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Baldwin and Martin talked about how the NASCAR playoffs are overshadowing race victories.

“Somehow or another, making the playoffs has overshadowed the wins,” Mark Martin said. “Every single win is huge, and we’ve lost that somehow with this win and you’re in, and the attention has shifted. I like seeing it being a big deal when you win a race because when you win a race, it’s a big deal, and you’re a bad mofo, and you should get credit for it, you, your team and everyone.”

Tommy Baldwin countered by saying drivers do celebrate the wins because a victory means they have clinched a spot in the playoffs. “Really it’s catering to the guys that are winning,” he said. “Every other sport we watch or deal with, you’re placed off your wins, whoever wins the most. Everybody’s like, ‘Well, you win one, should you be in?’ Consistency does matter in the other sports as long as you’re winning and you’re above he other teams that are above .500.

More from Tommy Baldwin and Mark Martin

“…The parody in other sports is just like our racing now with all the free agency, all the stuff that’s going on, and all the other categories, baseball, football, you name it, it’s evended out. …I love winning races. We all love winning races and doing good.”

Martin raced during a time when NASCAR didn’t have a playoff system, and the champion was determined by who had the most points at the end of the year. Because of that, winning a race was big for any NASCAR driver.

While some drivers today take winning in stride, that can’t be said for Bubba Wallace, who won the Brickyard 400 on Sunday. Wallace got emotional multiple times after the race because he snapped a 100-race winless streak. Yes, Wallace has clinched a playoff spot, but he was excited to win his third career NASCAR Cup Series race.