Mark Martin takes another vicious jibe at NASCAR’s playoff format with latest comment

Former NASCAR driver Mark Martin took a sarcastic jab at the playoff format after this year’s TV ratings at Bristol Motor Speedway dipped compared to last season. On X, he remarked that the sport might be out of business if not for the playoffs.

Mark Martin has long been outspoken against the playoff system, arguing that NASCAR should have stuck with the traditional full-season points format. His criticism has sparked clashes with others in the sport, including Insider Jordan Bianchi, whom he challenged for defending the playoffs despite Martin’s claim that most fans don’t support them.

The USA Network reported that 1.53 million viewers tuned in to the Bristol night race, about 340,000 fewer than last year. Football was the most-watched sport of the weekend, with Week 3 of College Football coinciding with the 500-lap NASCAR race at the 0.533-mile Tennessee track.

Here's Martin's comment regarding the viewership drop last Saturday.

“But the playoffs and eliminations are bringing more eyes on TV. I guess we would be out of business if we didn’t have them,” the 40-time Cup race winner wrote on X.

Mark Martin

@markmartin

But the playoffs and eliminations are bringing more eyes on TV 🏁 I guess we would be out of business if we didn’t have them 🤔

During the Bristol night race, drivers battled heavy tire wear as marbles collected in the top lane, forcing most to run the bottom lane. This led to tight racing and put extra importance on tire strategy, creating dramatic moments from start to finish.

In the end, Christopher Bell prevailed after taking the lead when Spire Motorsports teammates Carson Hocevar and Zane Smith got together at the front with four laps remaining. Brad Keselowski finished second, followed by Zane Smith, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano.

The race also witnessed four drivers exit the playoffs, namely Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, Alex Bowman, and Josh Berry. The remaining contenders include Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, and Tyler Reddick.

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“Be careful, Mark Martin might tweet about you”: NASCAR Insider Jordan Bianchi warned Jeff Gluck on playoff talk

Jordan Bianchi warned his The Teardown podcast co-host, Jeff Gluck, that Mark Martin might call him out over his defense of the playoff format. He even suggested that Martin could accuse him of being on NASCAR’s payroll.

In an X post, BrakeHard shared the conversation between the two reporters, writing:

“‘Be careful, Mark Martin is gonna tweet about you and accuse you of being on the NASCAR payroll’ - Bianchi.”

“‘I don’t think he said you were on the NASCAR payroll, he just said why are you going on DBC (Door, Bumper, Clear podcast) trying to sell this…’ - Gluck.”

“‘I didn’t say anything about me’ - Bianchi.”

NASCAR introduced the playoff system in 2004, later adopting the elimination-style format a decade later. The structure features four rounds, each with three races, except for the Championship 4 finale, where the title is decided in a single winner-take-all shootout. Critics argue the format is flawed since the best driver over an entire season could still lose the championship due to circumstances beyond their control, such as a blown tire or an incident with a lapped car.