Despite Sunday’s thriller at Charlotte and the intensity of the ongoing playoffs, the spotlight has shifted back to NASCAR’s playoff format. At the heart of the debate is 40-time Cup Series winner Mark Martin, who’s sounding the alarm on the sport’s existing “stick and ball” setup.

Following the Round of 12 eliminator at the ROVAL, the former Roush Racing legend fired shots with that unmistakable hard-nosed Arkansas swagger.

Mark Martin’s Blunt Response to NASCAR

For starters, NASCAR isn’t exactly in a position to be compared with the major American leagues like the NFL, MLB, or NBA. While the stock car racing giant remains the most-watched motorsport in the States, it’s also been receiving flak for going out of its way to appeal to its growing younger audience.

That shift has led to an influx of road courses, street races, and even talks of international events. It all started in 2003, when NASCAR ditched its traditional full-season points system for a playoff-style format, a move inspired by the stick-and-ball leagues it now finds itself compared to. Since then, the system has been tweaked multiple times to reach its current version.

But purists and traditional oval-racing loyalists aren’t having it, not one tad bit. And among them stands five-time championship runner-up, Martin, one of the sport’s sharpest critics, and one of its most devoted admirers. Recently, the 66-year-old doubled down on his take, sharing a brief post on social media, sparking another debate.

“Real racers don’t do playoffs,” he said.

The former Roush Racing legend has repeatedly stood for the sport, taking sides even against fellow veterans like Kenny Wallace. Pushing back against the hate, Wallace shared his thoughts with a case study of his brother, Rusty Wallace.

He said, “In 1993, Rusty Wallace won 10 Cup races. So, it is very easy to have the most wins and not win the championship,” Wallace quipped, taking a subtle poke at the detractors. “On Saturday, somebody said, ‘Wouldn’t it be a shame if Corey Heim were to go to Phoenix and lose the championship with the most wins?’ I said, ‘What’s that got to do with NASCAR? That sounds to me like the New England Patriots. They won all the games and lost the Super Bowl.’”

According to Wallace, the elimination-style playoff format isn’t flawed simply because a higher-winning driver can be denied the championship. However, Martin wasted no time firing back.

The Roush Racing legend loaded up his rhetorical ammo and took aim at Wallace, a driver many fans often label a NASCAR stooge. He asked, “But what about if @CoreyHeim_ and @ConnorZilisch score more points than anyone else in the season but don’t win the championship?”

Martin’s reply cut straight to the core of NASCAR’s playoff controversy, the ongoing clash between consistency and clutch performance. His point underscored a long-running criticism: in today’s format, a driver can dominate the entire season, pile up points, and still lose the championship if they falter in the high-stakes finale at Phoenix.

Fortunately, there are positive rumors that the sanctioning body is preparing to overhaul the playoff layout as early as next season. Whether those changes will meet the community’s expectations and set things right, however, remains to be seen.