NASCAR fans, insiders, and drivers alike have been locking horns over the sport\u2019s current playoff system. While those who have reaped its rewards, including Team Penske\u2019s Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, have thrown their weight behind it, others who\u2019ve seen hard-earned consistency slip through their fingers, like Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin, still champion the traditional 36-race format.<\/p>\n
Even veterans like Mark Martin and Kenny Wallace are holding opposing viewpoints. As a veteran who once thrived under that system, Martin has been pulling out all the stops to bring it back, not just because he believes it\u2019s the fairest way to crown a Cup Champion, but also because it\u2019s what the fans are clamoring for.<\/p>\n
Recently, the 66-year-old doubled down on his stance, stirring the pot once again with a short but sharp post on social media. \u201cReal racers don\u2019t do playoffs,\u201d he wrote<\/a><\/strong>, lighting up another storm of debate.<\/p>\n However, another seasoned NASCAR figure, Wallace, didn\u2019t see eye to eye with him and spoke his mind with a completely different tune. In Wallace\u2019s view, the playoffs are the lifeblood of modern NASCAR<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Without them, fans would\u2019ve missed moments like Ross Chastain\u2019s audacious \u201cHail Melon\u201d move, or his wild run-in with Hamlin while fighting for survival on the cut line, a few years ago.<\/p>\n This season, too, it served up excitement. At Charlotte Roval, Chastain threw caution to the wind, driving his car in reverse toward the start\/finish line in a desperate bid to advance. Knowing he was neck-and-neck with Logano on points, he got behind Hamlin and sent the JGR driver spinning.<\/p>\n