NASCAR icon Mark Martin has been a strong voice for the fans wanting the old 36-race classic championship format to be brought back. He has raised arguments against NASCAR for not listening to what the majority of fans want. This ongoing chaos stems from social media polls he conducted.
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A poll he conducted on his X handle, asking fans which championship format NASCAR should use, saw 60% vote for bringing the classic 36-race season back. Meanwhile, a different poll conducted by veteran reporter Jeff Gluck fetched similar results. With Martin using these results to make his case, former driver Kenny Wallace retorted the argument by stating that those who voted in the polls might not be the younger and more relevant audience.
Martin responded to Wallace recently by writing on X, “Well, my poll wasn’t as full of as @Kenny_Wallace says old people. @NASCAR is going to have to explain to the fans why they don’t give the majority what they want. I have a broad spectrum of followers who I am trying to speak for.”
Well, my poll wasn’t as full of as @Kenny_Wallace says old people. @NASCAR is going to have to explain to the fans why they don’t give the majority what they want. I have a broad spectrum of followers who I am trying to speak for. pic.twitter.com/Al03hJZt2k
— Mark Martin (@markmartin) June 23, 2025
Martin’s followers rallied behind these words and extended their full support to the Hall of Famer in criticizing the racing promotion. One fan said, “NASCAR will magically not see your poll Mark.” Another added, “I was born in 2005 so I never saw the full season format. I still want it back ’cause that looks far more interesting and far less infuriating than the playoffs.”
The 2003 season was the final one in which the classic format was used. The Chase format was introduced in 2004, which later transitioned into the current elimination format. A fan commented, “I’ve been watching/attending races for 50 years. NA$CAR quit caring about the fans after they got the big TV deals.”
Accusations that NASCAR prioritizes money over fans have circulated for a long time. The promotion has made multiple efforts to subdue these comments through different initiatives. But the outcry only keeps growing. One fan’s reply to Martin summed up the general sentiment.
It went, “NASCAR is not in the business of listening to its fans. They are too busy trying to maintain an iron grip over the owners and drivers and want to be like the NFL in terms of TV deals and Fortune 500 acceptance. NASCAR would like to forget that much of its past ever happened.” Regardless of what’s right and wrong, this debate is bound to be a long-drawn one.
