NASCAR insider fires back at Mark Martin Playoff suggestion

A NASCAR insider is not on board with Mark Martin suggesting that the win and you’re in playoff format should be changed. On The Teardown podcast, Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic talked about how he likes how drivers can clinch a playoff spot by winning a regular-season race.

“Today again showed me why whatever playoff format you go to, I do not want to lose the win and you’re in aspect of this sport,” Bianchi said. “I want to see drivers during the regular season rewarded for winning races with a playoff berth.

“I think it’s good, I think it heightens the stakes, I think it makes things more exciting, it adds another story, and today is a perfect example. Not only with Ryan Preece, but also Brad Keselowski. …Brad Keselowski today, if he would have won, or if you can win one of the next three races, saving his season, that’s a big story, and the sport is better for that, and you will not convince me otherwise.”

Mark Martin says fans want change to NASCAR playoff format

Mark Martin has recently talked about how the majority of fans want a change to the NASCAR playoff format. “The points championship is the one that’s being looked at by NASCAR, and all right now is how could we change the format, or do we need to at all?” Martin told Kevin Harvick on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour last week. “The majority of fans want a 36-race championship. Then, 30 percent of the fans want a 10-race chase. 20 percent of the fans want the playoff system or an adjusted version of the playoff system. Until somebody proves me wrong, or until I get an answer for the fans for why their voice doesn’t matter in this decision, I’m going to keep it up.”

The current NASCAR playoff format has 16 qualified drivers competing for the Cup Series championship in the final 10 races of the season. Four drivers are eliminated after every three races, and the final four compete for the title in the championship race.

Martin says the majority of NASCAR fans he has talked to want to go back to the old format, which was the Cup Series champion being determined by which driver had the most points after 36 races. The final year of that format was in 2003, which was also the last year when Winston was the title sponsor of the NASCAR Cup Series.