Jeff Gluck might have just found the heartbeat of NASCAR fans. We’re talking about his ‘Was It A Good Race?’ poll. After every single weekend, NASCAR fans flock to cast their vote, and last weekend was no different. After the $1 million showdown at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, was it really a surprise that the race received 83.6% votes saying it was a good race? With the promoter’s caution, the last 20 laps giving us unbelievable action, and no points on the line, it’s not shocking to see fans approve of the race. However, one NASCAR legend thinks otherwise.

Despite the 18 lead changes, keep everyone guessing, Christopher Bell and Joey Logano going toe-to-toe in a nail-biter, and short track racing at its finest, why is Mark Martin against gimmicks?

Let’s start at the beginning. It began when an X user posted, “It’s not just old people. It’s like they’re constantly trying to win a new audience with every new gimmick and race manipulation. Every gimmick that’s implemented may gain different fans, but they lose the same amount. A cruel cycle to fans and drivers.”

Mark Martin didn’t waste any time. By simply adding “Agreed 👇🏻,” he hit the nail right on the head about the problem. NASCAR’s been throwing gimmicks at its fans left and right, trying to spice things up, but it’s a double-edged sword. Take the Promoter’s Caution at the All-Star Race—a random yellow flag waved by Marcus Smith just to shake things up. It gave Bell the chance to pit for fresh tires, sure, but it also left drivers like Logano raging about fairness. “I’m all about no gimmicks with the caution. I am all about that. I’m a little — me and Marcus Smith aren’t seeing eye to eye right now, okay? I’ve got to have a word with him,” Logano said.

Now, while most agreed Logano‘s rant was frustration in the heat of the moment, there’s a deeper point to it. While these gimmicks may seem great in a non-points race, when the Cup Series’ points-paying race comes around, imagine the kind of chaos that could erupt if something similar happened. Remember the Bristol cutoff race last year? It was boring, but it was pure NASCAR, no gimmicks.

Then there’s stage racing, chopping races into segments for points and TV-friendly drama, which some say kills the flow of a good race. Add to that spectacles like the Chicago Street Race—NASCAR’s attempt to go urban and trendy, racing through downtown streets. It’s a spectacle, no doubt, but for every new fan it pulls in, there’s a diehard grumbling about the sport losing its soul. Mark Martin’s got a front-row seat to this chaos, and he’s not afraid to call it like he sees it.

And it’s not the first time Martin has gone after fan choices either. Just a little while ago, when NASCAR visited Kansas, fans weren’t too happy about the race, especially with Larson leading for 221 laps, but Martin felt the opposite. He said, “It was a good race. You could line them up tomorrow and get a completely different-looking race. You can’t make every race a three-wide finish.” That’s not it, when one fan said, “As much as I dislike this spec car with incorrect number placement on the side, we can’t make every race a photo finish. It will diminish the racing product quicker,” Martin replied with a simple, “Truth.” 

This isn’t the first time Martin’s taken a swing at NASCAR’s modern direction. He’s been vocal about how the sport’s priorities have shifted, especially when it comes to who gets a seat behind the wheel. “Before, your talent was why you got hired, like being in the 80s, right? For example, in NASCAR you got hired 99% of the time on talent, and now it’s 99% time on marketability,” Martin said.

With points races coming back from the coming weekend, could Martin be right? For now, let’s see what he has to say about Dale Jr.’s project.

Martin takes a cheeky dig at NASCAR through Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Mark Martin’s frustration with NASCAR isn’t just about gimmicks; he’s also found a new love that’s showing the sport up. He took a sarcastic jab at NASCAR, praising the CARS Tour—a short-track racing series co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr.—for delivering the kind of racing NASCAR can’t seem to nail anymore. Martin’s post on X, a sarcastic zinger: “Everyone loved the @CARSTour race last night @FloRacing@FS1Congratulations @DaleJrand@KevinHarvickon a great job. Absolutely great racing. It just shows you don’t have to have 60 lead changes to have a great race and fans to love it.”

The CARS Tour, co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., didn’t see a swell of lead changes as fans might expect on short tracks, but it was far better than any short track product NASCAR has produced in the Next-Gen era. Martin’s point is sharp: you don’t need constant lead changes or gimmicks to deliver a race fans will love—just good, honest racing. NASCAR’s Next-Gen races, often stretching past four hours with stage breaks and manipulated cautions, feel like a slog in comparison, and Martin’s not shy about pointing that out.

Mark Martin also posted on X during the race, doubling down on his love for the CARS Tour’s vibe, writing, “In my opinion, @CARSTour
cars look like race cars. It’s a shame some people don’t recognize the fact that part of being a fan is the love of the look of the cars.” The Late Model stock cars encapsulate the gritty look of race cars in an era that Mark Martin holds dear to his heart, a stark contrast to the bulkier, less visually appealing Next-Gen cars.