Jordan Bianchi calls out NASCAR legend Mark Martin after Bristol Cup race

Following the Bristol night race, NASCAR Insider Jordan Bianchi warned The Teardown podcast co-host Jeff Gluck that Mark Martin might accuse him of being on the sport's payroll. The callout is related to the controversial playoff format, which Bianchi publicly defends.

Recently, Bianchi suggested on the Door, Bumper, Clear podcast a hypothetical playoff format where the championship would be decided over four races instead of one. Martin, a 40-time Cup Series winner and vocal supporter of the traditional full-season points system, pushed back on social media, questioning why Bianchi was promoting a playoff concept that he said most fans don’t even want.

BrakeHard shared on X Jordan Bianchi's indirect response to the criticism, cautioning Jeff Gluck that Mark Martin might tweet about him, writing:

“‘Be careful, Mark Martin is gonna tweet about you and accuse you of being on the NASCAR payroll’ - Bianchi.” “‘I don’t think he said you were on the NASCAR payroll, he just said why are you going on DBC trying to sell this…’ - Gluck.” “‘I didn’t say anything about me’ - Bianchi.”

NASCAR’s current playoff format features four rounds: the Round of 16, Round of 12, and Round of 8, each spanning three races, before a single championship race decides the title among the final four drivers. Unlike most motorsports, such as Formula 1, where season-long consistency determines the champion, NASCAR argues that this structure creates urgency and allows more fans to tune in.

Critics of the format say that deciding the championship in a single race is too dependent on luck, particularly with the “Win and You’re In” rule. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has noted that a driver could dominate the season yet see the title slip away because of something as random as a blown tire in the finale.

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“Numbers don't lie”: Veteran NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin on Jordan Bianchi's playoff take

After the Iowa Speedway race weekend last month, Jordan Bianchi noted that Brad Keselowski nearly winning and locking up a playoff berth highlighted why the current format works. Denny Hamlin, however, disagreed, arguing that the system prioritizes entertainment over the sport’s core fan base.

In an episode of The Teardown podcast, Bianchi said:

“I want to see drivers during the regular season rewarded for winning races with a playoff berth... 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 he can win one of the next three races saving his season, that's a big story and the sport is better for that.”

His podcast co-host, Jeff Gluck, shared an excerpt of the statement on X and asked if Bianchi had a point, prompting Hamlin to reply:

“No, he does not. He’s picking entertainment from casuals perspective over the sport’s integrity and our core fan base. Numbers don’t lie.”

NASCAR introduced the playoff system in 2004 under the name “Chase for the Championship.” A decade later, in 2014, the sanctioning body adopted the current elimination-style format with four rounds leading to a one-race, winner-take-all finale.

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Edited by Zarec Sanchez