Mark Martin Hails “Brave” Christopher Bell for Public Stance on NASCAR’s Controversial Format

Mark Martin, one of NASCAR’s most respected veterans, has never hesitated to call out what he sees as wrong and to champion what he believes is right. And that’s why, long a supporter of the traditional 36-race format that rewarded consistency over sudden bursts of success, Martin has also praised drivers willing to speak their minds without flinching.

When Chase Elliott argued that just as the regular-season title is awarded on consistency rather than wins or a single finale, the Cup championship should follow the same model, Martin applauded.

Elliott had said, “The system would be just fine if you just had a full season. And if somebody runs away with it, so what? Let’s celebrate the fact that somebody ran away with it, that somebody was just that good,” to which Martin responded on X, “Mad respect for @chaseelliott here. Check it out.”

Now, Martin has doubled down on his appreciation after Christopher Bell voiced his own stance on the debate. Asked by Dirty Mo Media to weigh in as a member of the committee considering changes to the championship structure, Bell made his position clear.

“Me personally, I would like to have 36 races count towards the champion. And I think that’s how you get a champion of the sport, in auto racing. Now, people are going to say football does it, basketball does it. Football is a Super Bowl; basketball has seven games. And, yeah, I think you got to have more than one.”

“If you’re going to have a champion of auto racing, it needs to be a full race schedule. But, that’s here, nor there. And I understand the playoff format. Like, I understand that it’s more entertaining, and the elimination style creates big moments in our sport. If that’s what we all agree upon, then let’s do it,” he added.

 

Martin quickly shared the clip, declaring on X, “Only current driver brave enough to speak the truth @CBellRacing My new favorite driver.”

Though many expected NASCAR to roll out revisions to the playoff system ahead of the 2025 season, officials have opted to push back any changes until 2026 after further internal debate. Meanwhile, drivers prepare to take on the 2025 postseason, which kicks off this Sunday with the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington.