At 180+ miles per hour, NASCAR is unforgiving. One small mistake can turn into a massive wreck in seconds. That is exactly why the lack of practice sessions has become such a major concern, especially for newer drivers. With limited track time on race weekends, many are being forced to learn under pressure, right in the middle of race-day chaos. As a result, accusations are growing against NASCAR, with critics questioning whether the sport is sacrificing preparation and safety.

And with only a few chances to improve throughout the season, even a NASCAR legend believes this could be hurting the sport’s legitimacy.

Mark Martin points out glaring errors by teams in NASCAR

On his social media, Mark Martin reveals that the team owners are not letting NASCAR add multiple practice sessions to every race weekend. According to him, it is because a practice session costs more money. However, they ignore that these practice sessions help amateur drivers improve without crashing on the track.

Martin reposted an X post which says—

“What about adding practice back? It builds up the weekend, helps teams that want to participate adjust their setups, and gives younger drivers a feel for their cars and setups. F1 isn’t doing the greatest right now, but their investment in practice adds a lot of legitimacy to the sport in my opinion.”

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To add context behind the issue, as reported by Jeff Gluck—

“What a great (and wild!) point from Mike Joy on the Cup practice broadcast: This is the final practice of the YEAR for superspeedways. Atlanta races, Talladega races, and Daytona 2 don’t have any practice.”

Now, NASCAR, unlike Formula 1 and many other motorsports series, doesn’t dedicate an entire session to driver practice. This forces the drivers to adjust on the go and learn through racing. It also hurts their credibility, as many drivers are unable to reach their peak before they crash out.

Coming to the NASCAR Cup Series from the Tier 2 division is a big moment for the rookies. The entire field is full of veteran drivers who won’t hesitate to drive them into the wall. As such, the rookies need as much time as possible to get on track and learn the car and its handling. With more practice, the rookies can compete at a higher level.

With practice sessions removed, rookie drivers are left at a clear disadvantage, making mistakes more likely and allowing veterans to dominate while the spotlight slips away.

More often than not, rookie drivers end up working with less-than-ideal teams that underperform. Lack of practice, subpar teams, and more risk of crashing out put the rookies at a considerable disadvantage. It stops them from showing their prowess or taking the car to the limit. One small mistake ruins the rookie drivers’ race.

For teams, it is just a matter of finance. Most teams have enough money in their NASCAR program to run multiple charters. However, the team owners do not allow practice sessions.

They consider it a waste of money and end up putting their drivers at risk.

What these team owners do not realize is that by compromising their rookies, they ultimately end up with more expenses when their drivers get into a big one.

Even when it comes to the most popular NASCAR rookie, Connor Zilisch, veterans are already warning him to stay vigilant throughout the season.

Kevin Harvick advises Connor Zilisch to hold his horses

Connor Zilisch ended up steamrolling his way into the NASCAR Cup Series. He won so many different motorsports series that the Cup Series audience couldn’t help but marvel at the prospect of him racing against the veterans.

But Kevin Harvick has advised him to stay careful and drive with utmost precaution. Since Zilisch has always driven for race-winning teams throughout his career, he will have to adjust significantly in the Cup Series.

“He’s won in everything he’s ever driven,” Harvick stated. “This will be way harder than everything he’s ever driven. How do you run on the 15th or 20th without crashing? Don’t overdo it. Don’t step outside. That’s the hardest part for guys like Connor.”

Harvick’s sentiments were echoed by Bob Pockrass, who rightly pointed out that Trackhouse Racing is not a top-5 team in the Cup Series.

“There’s going to be times where he’s going to have a 15th-to-20th-place car,” Pockrass responded. “I don’t know that he’s ever driven a 15th-to-20th-place car. The question is how you make that better.”

While there is a lot of hype around his Cup Series appearance, life is not going to be a bed of roses for Connor Zilisch. The lack of practice sessions and a team that hardly competes for wins will be a new challenge in his career. The comparisons being drawn to him are already those of NASCAR legends.

Zilisch will have to race every weekend like it’s his last. He can’t afford to make mistakes that could hurt his credibility.