NASCAR did not lie when it said last year that it would look into the existing Cup Series format and consider making changes to it. But whether it will make the changes that fans are asking for is a huge question. It put together a playoff committee to hear the opinions of all the sides on this matter. This committee included the likes of Denny Hamlin and Mark Martin.
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But as it turns out, it would rather heed the voice of NBC Sports than others at the table. Martin spoke to Frontstretch in a recent interview about how he was frustrated with the lack of respect his words were given.
From his perspective, his opinion mirrors what fans want, and its rejection is a deep disrespect toward the entire fan base. Martin said, “That’s the appalling part of it. And I have seriously considered resigning. I considered it after the first meeting because I was embarrassed.
“Because I didn’t sugarcoat it, you know. I told them about how it was. … After the second meeting, I thought even more about it. I’m going to resign, because there is no use in me being on this, because no one’s interested in what the fans want to do.”
NBC Sports is the biggest broadcast partner that NASCAR has. The network is more interested in having a format that most viewers consider exciting. But this format doesn’t align with what traditional stock car racing has been about. The full-season championship format does that. As far as Martin is concerned, the latter is the way to go.
He added, “We got a letter from NBC saying they had re-upped for a long time and we can’t have another scheduled meeting about this points deal until they have a say, because they should have a big say in it. And we can’t have a meeting with them for … a long time.”
.@markmartin is confident the majority of fans want full-season points and addressed what #NASCAR‘s TV partners are arguing, what format he would settle with and his relationship with @LarryMac28.https://t.co/xodK7axixH
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) July 31, 2025
Martin himself has conducted polls on social media platforms that indicated the majority wanted a full-season championship format. But he also understands the reluctance that NBC Sports has.
He said that the higher number of views that the network gets through the elimination-style format is courtesy of newer fans who don’t know much about stock car racing, who “just want to see the sparks and the smoke fly.”
Martin believes that the core fan base is being deprived of true value by satisfying temporary followers and that the sport is moving away from its traditions.
NBC is set to begin its coverage of the season at Iowa Speedway this Sunday. How this saga will finally end is anyone’s guess.
