Mark Martin has revealed that he fought hard on the NASCAR playoff committee to put what fans want on the table, but he does not expect a 36-race points format to return in 2026. The NASCAR Hall of Famer also said that he raised his voice in meetings to argue for a full-season championship.
This past year, Martin has tried his best to press NASCAR on the championship format. He was also called to be part of the NASCAR playoff committee, the sanctioning body set up to discuss the championship format. The group, which included current and former drivers, team owners, track officials, manufacturer representatives and media members, was not formed to make a final decision on a new format but to give feedback to NASCAR leadership.
During a recent episode of the Kenny Wallace Media podcast, the 66-year-old talked about his role in the playoff committee meetings.
“I’m not super optimistic about whether I was involved in the committee and in the beginning, [I] was the only one that was, I was screaming, about it. And I wasn’t doing it for me. I was screaming about it because they asked me to be on it and because everywhere I go and every fan I talk to hates playoffs,” Mark Martin said.
Martin had also mentioned earlier that he was alone in pushing for a return to a full-season points champion. He said that only Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Christopher Bell, supported him while others, including NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr., stayed quiet in meetings.
Meanwhile, NASCAR has not confirmed when the new format for the 2026 championship will be announced. But according to Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass, a decision is expected this month.
“I Don’t Think We’ll Get It” – Mark Martin Honest Opinion on The Chances of a Full Season Points Return
Mark Martin spent almost his Cup career, from the early 1980s to the 2000s, racing in a full-season points format. He never won the Cup championship, even under that old format. He finished second in the points race five times (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2009). But he scored over 40 Cup wins and owed his career to fans.
During the same episode, Martin talked about standing up for fans who supported him and also shared his opinion about the unlikely chance of NASCAR returning to a full 36-race points format.
“I decided I owe my entire career to the race fans that supported me so much. So I stood up for the fans and through the,the meetings, I can’t believe it, but eventually a full season was on the table. … I don’t think we’ll get it, but I am very impressed that it’s actually a consideration,” Mark Martin said.
Martin is popular as the greatest NASCAR driver to have never won a Cup title, a position that Denny Hamlin has occupied in recent years. In 1990, he lost the title by 26 points to Dale Earnhardt in a season where he had three wins. In 1998, he won seven races, but Jeff Gordon finished ahead in points and again came up short by a narrow margin to Tony Stewart in 2002.
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