"Maybe not NBC": Kenny Wallace responds to Jeff Burton's claim about TV's role in NASCAR playoff format decisions

The debate over NASCAR’s playoff format has spilled into how much television networks shape the sport’s decisions, and Kenny Wallace recently shared his outlook on the same. NBC analyst Jeff Burton recently weighed in, insisting TV doesn’t dictate NASCAR’s rules, while Mark Martin has been vocal about wanting a return to a full-season championship system.

Burton, speaking on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, defended NASCAR’s playoff system as a product of collaboration between the sanctioning body, drivers, owners, tracks, sponsors, and yes, broadcasters, but not dictated by TV. The Mayor argued that while networks have influence and probably like a playoff format, NASCAR ultimately makes the decisions. His words came as Martin’s ongoing push for a 36-race Latford-style points system rekindled debate over the current elimination playoff.

Now Wallace pushed back during his latest Coffee with Kenny segment and said:

"The Mayor, Jeff Burton went on Dirty Mo (Media) and he was talking with those boys and he said, 'TV don’t have anything to do with NASCAR. They don’t make any of the decisions.' And the mayor said, 'I know.' Cuz he says, 'I’m in the meetings.' Really? Okay. Maybe not NBC. I’m gonna say that again. Maybe not NBC. But guess who worked for Fox Sports for 14 years? Me."

Kenny Wallace explained that Fox Sports was a driving force behind NASCAR’s decision to launch the Busch Light Clash at the L.A. Coliseum. The exhibition race was staged at Daytona before moving west in 2022.

NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps during a driver's meeting at Homestead-Miami. Source: Getty

It stayed there for three seasons before being relocated to Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem for 2025. He added that major network influence was also clear in other experiments, like the dirt-track version of Bristol Motor Speedway.

"I mean, when you think about things like the L.A. Coliseum out there in L.A. when we ran three years in a row out there, that was Fox Sports. Dirt at Bristol… I love Jeff Burton. He is the man. Could never ever go against him. But, there’s a lot more to this than meets the eye," Kenny Wallace continued.

That balance between television spectacle and traditional racing identity has defined NASCAR’s recent years. From Bristol’s multiple reconfigurations - concrete, progressive banking, dirt, and back again - to experimenting with historic and new venues, NASCAR has sought to capture both nostalgia and new fans.

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Kenny Wallace weighs in on Mark Martin’s call for a 36-race championship

Mark Martin and Kenny Wallace at New Hampshire, 2013. Source: Getty

The playoff format debate itself isn’t new. Mark Martin, who famously finished runner-up in the championship five times without ever winning a title, has long argued for a return to the Latford system, which rewarded consistency across all 36 races. His recent social media polls, amplified by insider Jeff Gluck, showed more than half of fans favor a full-season points format.

Around 30 percent wanted a return to the 10-race Chase (2004–2013), while fewer than 10 percent supported the current 16-driver elimination format. Kenny Wallace, however, pointed out that Martin’s polling doesn’t carry the same weight as NASCAR’s.

"So, Mark’s just saying, 'Why is NASCAR ignoring my proof? I took a poll.' Well, I’m going to take a guess at that one. Mark. We've 30 to 80,000 people that we poll... NASCAR’s got like a real polling. Not like favorability polling. Not like, 'Hey, everybody on my side, let’s take a poll.' Well, Mark, it’s like me taking a poll, you know? I mean, when you look at NASCAR’s polling, it’s going to be millions," Wallace further added in the episode of Coffee with Kenny (4:12 onwards).

NASCAR’s current playoff format was introduced in 2014 to improve competitiveness and fan engagement. By staging a four-round, 10-race postseason, drivers must balance consistency with clutch performances in the current playoff format. But viewership this season has seen a dip.

While Martin’s view champions tradition and Jeff Burton’s words defend the fairness of crowning champions under the current system, Kenny Wallace acknowledges the broader business realities. TV partners, sponsors, and fans all have a seat at the table, and even if NBC may not drive the decisions Burton defends, Wallace believes the networks are far from silent observers.

With a playoff committee reportedly evaluating changes for 2026, the conversation is far from over. But as Kenny Wallace suggested, NASCAR has its hands full balancing fan opinion, television spectacle, and competitive integrity in a sport that has always been equal parts show and season-long grind.

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Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar