This is definitely not what NASCAR veteran Mark Martin signed up for. The long-running debate over its championship format has reached a critical, uncertain stage as discussions about the playoff system continue behind the scenes. The Hall of Famer who has fearlessly voiced his opinions about the current system started the revolt with great determination, but after a lot of to-and-fro, Martin may not get what he wants, not only for himself but for the NASCAR community as well.

While potential changes for the 2026 season and beyond are being reviewed, Martin made it clear that optimism is in short supply even as a full-season points championship has at least made its way onto the table.

“Yeah, I’m not super optimistic about where I was involved in the committee,” he said on the Kenny Wallace podcast. “And in the beginning was the only one that was screaming, you know, about it.”

The current elimination-style playoff system, introduced in 2014, uses a 10-race postseason to crown its champion. The sanctioning body has long defended the format, pointing to heightened late-season drama and headline-making finishes.

But from Mark Martin’s perspective, that excitement comes at a cost.

Many critics believe the system dimension is the importance of the regular season, allowing drivers with multiple wins or steady consistency to be eliminated before the championship is even within reach.

Before the playoff era, championships were decided by cumulative points across the full 36-race schedule, a format that rewarded week-to-week performance, durability, and long-term excellence.

Martin’s own career anchors the argument. Despite 40 Series victories, he finished second in the standings five times without securing a title, a reality he believes underscores how much value consistency once held.

That contrast resurfaced after the 2025 season when Kyle Larson claimed his second championship under the playoff system following a late caution and a decisive two-tire call at Phoenix Raceway that swung the title battle away from race-dominant Denny Hamlin.

Martin has an idea about where fans stand. “And I just don’t think that we should; I think we should put more emphasis on what our fans, our core fans want,” he said. “Everywhere I go and every fan I talk to hates playoffs. I’m sorry.”

According to Martin, the advocacy held the idea of a full-season championship in committee discussions.

“We—it’s a 75/25 issue except if you throw in a full season or a 10-race. If you combine those two, 75% of the race fans want that. And so, one of those two,” he added, while cautioning that he did not expect to be adopted despite being encouraged that it was seriously considered.

NASCAR has not announced any formal changes to the championship format, but Martin’s comments confirm that full-season proposals are being discussed internally.

Any shift away from the current system would require significant adjustments to point structures, scheduling, and sponsor commitments.

As the sport looks ahead through the 2026 season and Daytona 500 opener, the championship format remains unresolved, with debate ongoing and no clear outcome in sight.

What can fans expect from the playoffs?

While a full-season points championship looks unlikely, speculation suggests that NASCAR may retain multiple knockout rounds. However, the championship could be decided over a series of races rather than a single winner-take-all finale.

There’s also talk that the 10-race Chase format could return, though Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Polk hinted that something new is likely in the works. Fans hoping for a full-season points championship may be in for a disappointment for sure.

Some details on the 2026 NASCAR playoff format aren’t expected until the New Year, but Polk told Kenny Wallace, “The traditional way of doing points would be tough to do in this era,” Polk said. “Because we are looking towards a younger group of people.”

What makes the choice even more interesting is that NASCAR is currently the only major circuit racing series to employ a postseason-style championship.  In contrast, both IndyCar and Formula One rely on full-season points standings to determine their champions, with no plans to change.

The NHRA uses a playoff-like system called the Countdown to the Championship, which ranks points for the final six events. Meanwhile, the smaller Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series ran a playoff format for the past three seasons but will return to a full-season point system next year.

This definitely adds some pressure to NASCAR, as most people have voiced their opinion about returning to the sound old full-season point system.