Mark Martin criticizes playoff system days after Shane van Gisbergen’s Charlotte ROVAL masterclass

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Mark Martin dropped a five-word reaction to the current playoff format days after Shane van Gisbergen's triumph at Charlotte ROVAL. The final race of the Round of 12 was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course on Sunday, October 5, 2025.

The 66-year-old has been vocal about not supporting the modern playoff format. He has spent over three decades in the Cup Series and closely witnessed the evolution of the sport, and he claims to be an old-school guy and wants to bring back the full-season playoff format to the NextGen era.

A non-playoff-qualified driver, Shane van Gisbergen, won the playoff race ahead of the Round of Eight. Gisbergen dominated the race and led 59 laps in the 109-lap race. While playoff drivers struggled to take the lead from him. Last year's winner, Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson, failed to cross the finish line ahead of the Trackhouse Racing driver and finished in P2.

Moreover, only three drivers finished among the top ten drivers on the grid. Reflecting on the situation, Mark Martin dropped a five-word reaction and called out the modern-day playoff format:

"Real racers don’t do playoffs."

Apart from Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott were among the top ten drivers, securing P3 and P9 finishes in the 109-lap race. Additionally, after a P20 finish, Team Penske driver Joey Logano became the last driver to secure his spot for the next round of the playoffs.

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"The King knows": Mark Martin got candid about Richard Petty's take on the current playoff format

Earlier this year, in September, NASCAR legend Richard Petty sat down with stock car analyst Jeff Gluck for his 12-question interview. During the interaction, Gluck asked Petty if he supports Mark Martin's idea of bringing back the old-school playoff format in the modern era of racing.

The current playoff format follows an elimination-style approach and eliminates the four low-scoring drivers from the grid until four remain to compete in the Championship Four race. Despite witnessing the sport's evolution up close, Martin still believes the modern-era format lacks some aspect of the past.

Richard Petty also agreed with Mark Martin's claim of bringing back the full-season point format and told Gluck:

"When they give points for leading different (stages) in the race and they give points for all this other stuff, that’s a bunch of crap, OK? If you’re sitting there and watching a football game and the team has been behind the whole game and they kick a field goal and they win the game, the guys who lost got a zero. That should be the same way in NASCAR racing. I don’t care if you lead 499 laps of a 500-lap race — if you get beat, then you’re not the winner, and you shouldn’t have any (extra) points."

Mark Martin appreciated 'The King' on his take and dropped a three-word reaction:

"The King knows."

Mark Martin completed 882 races in the Cup Series and has secured 40 wins in his over 30-year career. Following that, he has secured 271 top fives, 453 top tens, and 56 pole positions in the series. Additionally, Martin has led 12,877 laps with an average start of 12.1.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua