Overview

• During a July 22 SiriusXM broadcast, Danielle Trotta noted a committee member wanted to restore the old points system and Larry McReynolds quipped, “I bet it’s a driver that’s not won a championship,” a line many interpreted as a dig at Mark Martin.
• Mark Martin fired back on X with the tweet “NO WE DONT,” rejecting Trotta’s defense of the current playoff structure.
• Larry McReynolds clarified on X that his comment targeted an active council member and praised Martin as “my hero and proud to call him a friend.”
• Denny Hamlin defended Martin in a public post, calling the remark “pretty disrespectful to one of the best to ever strap in.”
• NASCAR has made no public announcement on altering its elimination-style playoff format for 2026 despite ongoing internal discussions.