How Mark Martin Found His Voice to Criticize NASCAR After He Retired from the Sport

Mark Martin retired from the NASCAR Cup Series in 2013 after a long career that spanned decades, and ended with 40 wins in the Cup Series. He is one of the greatest drivers to have ever graced the sport and was hugely respected. But it was only after retiring that he found the freedom to do something that he had always wanted to do, and it wasn’t speaking nice things about NASCAR.

In an interview with Chris Weaver, Martin revealed that he had always wanted to call NASCAR out while driving, but couldn’t. But now that he’s not tied to them, he can speak his mind. He doesn’t have to worry about making enemies on the track anymore.

Over the past few years, Martin has become increasingly involved with the progress of the sport. He played a central role in the removal of the elimination-style playoff format and the reintroduction of the Chase format. Fans have begun believing that he is a voice that takes all their opinions to the table where the decision-makers sit.

Martin said, “When I raced NASCAR, there were things I couldn’t say, or there were things I shouldn’t say. Tony Stewart, I love him to death. And he said all the things that I thought, you know, and so a lot of people didn’t like him. And I never felt like I was a good enough driver to get away with saying some of the things he said, like about Goodyear or this or that, you know.”

“Now I can say I’m beholden to zero,” he continued. “I have no job. I have no endorsements. I have no business. I can say what I want to say.” 

The confidence he has found has led him to write a book, which is expected to be released soon. “I’m currently writing a book that will detail all that and insight I’ve never shared. It’s still about a year away,” he wrote in an X post last May. 

Martin doesn’t have any hidden agenda behind all this. He is someone who loves the sport just as much as any hardcore fan and wants to see it regain its lost popularity. The best way to do that, he figures, is to express his opinions strongly and get himself a seat at NASCAR’s table whenever possible.

His mindset is best understood in his own words: “I love NASCAR, so I promote NASCAR. If they do something that I think is stupid, I call them stupid. I mean, that’s just it.”