Mark Martin played a substantial role in bringing the Chase format back to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026. The 67-year-old veteran made it his job to be the voice of the fans and create an impact on the sport. But he is far from being done yet. He said in a recent interview that he wishes to have direct participation in improving the Next Gen car.
The seventh generation, or widely known as the Next Gen car, has been largely criticized for its underperformance since being introduced in 2022. NASCAR has taken many steps to fine-tune the platform and make it perform in an engaging way, especially at short tracks and superspeedways. While it has found decent success in that mission, not to mention the car’s superb showing on intermediate-style ovals, there is still some distance to go. Martin wants to be a part of that final stretch.
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He said, “I wish that they would let me do a test and dictate what was done on the car. Let me do it one time. You know, let me have one car, one team, and let’s have them do the things that I want to do. And if the things that I want to do show something, then let’s have a group of cars come and run that. Because I have my own beliefs.”
Martin realizes that his beliefs are 40 years old. Nevertheless, he is staunch that they can still be of good use if applied to the car, which drivers have touted as a departure from traditional stock car machinery. The veteran also appears to have taken this idea to the NASCAR top brass. Understandably, he hasn’t gotten an answer from them so far.
Having said all that, he also acknowledged that he would be a bit scared to touch things now since the car has been performing well lately. So, where is all this confidence coming from? Martin wasn’t just a driver. He was someone who got involved in the car’s engineering and aerodynamics to a great extent during his career, often recognized for his dedication to studying the sport during his time off-track.
He understood things about his machine that drivers today don’t with their cars. This is the core of his proposal. He also pointed out that he was a “car guy” even before he entered the ranks of NASCAR.
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The fandom owes Martin a great deal for taking its voice to the big table and impacting change. Following the resignation of Steve Phelps as NASCAR Commissioner, some even pitched him to lead the sport from that position. It remains to be seen in what exact capacity he will be lending his hand going forward.
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