Earlier, news broke that Tony Stewart would be in the commentary booth for the Busch Clash and the Daytona 500. Beyond that, there are no immediate plans to hire a replacement. Evidently, Fox Sports have not thought that far ahead just yet, but are clearly searching.

Recently, some fans asked Mark Martin whether he was interested in filling in the void for a race or two.

He replied, “I have a few reasons I wouldn’t want to. I don’t think I would be any good at it. I’m afraid I would embarrass myself. I’m dumb as hell. I love being retired and hate meeting a schedule anymore. I enjoy watching it on TV and letting the experts do a great job.”

Why was Mark Martin asked about a commentary gig?

This situation cropped up because Jeff Gordon left the company to take a full-time role at Hendrick Motorsports. With a bit of a void in the Fox Sports booth, the company is eager to fill it. At least they have a temporary solution in the form of former NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. Unfortunately, he is only sticking around for the first two races.

So, the remaining races are still up in the air. Hopefully, the broadcaster will be able to solve the problem soon because the season is merely weeks away. The Clash and the Daytona 500 offer a bit more of a grace period for the broadcaster. Since the next race at the Autoclub Speedway commences a week after the Daytona 500, there isn’t much time.

So the strategy could be to hire Stewart temporarily and seek a more permanent solution. Tactic number two could be to get the former Cup Series champion on a full-time basis. Finally, the last strategy could be to keep hiring guest commentators on a race-by-race basis.

READ MORE: “Ol’ Smoke…” – Clint Bowyer Cheekily Reacts to His Daytona 500 Gig Alongside Tony Stewart