NASCAR legend Mark Martin backs Chris Buescher’s take on divisive playoff format

Mark Martin, the NASCAR legend, recently praised Chris Buescher for speaking out against the current playoff system that awards the winner. The 66-year-old called RFK Racing driver “brave” for backing the old 36-race format.

Chris Buescher has shown a distinct liking for the old 36-race playoff system in NASCAR, with a little opposition to the new system. He said that he does not disclose the longer-format playoff system, as that is how he enjoyed competing to earn the championship when he was racing in the Xfinity Series.

Buescher is not resistant to change, but he is somewhat stubborn, and maybe it would be better to drop it all instead of changing to a shorter or more radically changed format. While speaking to Front Stech's Dalton Hopkins, Buescher said:

"I still like the 36 race playoff, but that's always been my vote. I'm a little stubborn when it comes to change, but to me, I always prefer it that way. I enjoyed racing that way."

This prompted Mark Martin to come out in support of Buescher with a post on X. He wrote:

"Thank you @Chris_Buescher for being brave enough to speak the truth."

Mark Martin is a very outspoken critic of the present NASCAR playoff system and a strong advocate of the old system of full-season points championship. He has publicly described the playoffs as a gimmick and criticized the nature of the system in which short-term success or happenstance is rewarded instead of performance over the whole 36 races of the season. Martin thinks that the real champion must be the one who does best in the long run of the entire season, not only those who are the best in the playoff elimination rounds.

---

Mark Martin confronts renowned NASCAR insider over playoff format that ignores fans' wishes

Mark Martin recently shared his disappointment with the NASCAR playoff format and called out prominent NASCAR insiders who continue to promote it. Recently, he confronted renowned motorsports journalist Jordan Bianchi on social media over the latter's suggestion of a four-race championship round instead of the existing one-race finale.

"Why is @Jordan_Bianchi trying so hard to push a playoff when the majority of fans don't want it," Mark Martin wrote on X.

Martin argues that the playoff format has diminished the importance of winning individual races. He stated that making the playoffs has overshadowed race wins, which should be celebrated as significant achievements. According to Martin, wins used to be a big deal, giving deserved credit to drivers and teams, but since the playoff format's introduction in the mid-2010s, the focus has shifted predominantly to playoff qualification and progression instead of celebrating each race victory.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Edited by Sumeet Kavthale