How different is today’s NASCAR compared to its heydays from the 1980s and the 1990s? And the answer that you are likely to get is that today’s NASCAR racing is in decline. Fewer Fortune 500 companies have stuck by the sport; there’s a dip in the TV ratings. And the rising costs of running a race team have added to the woes of the current situation in which the sport is right now.

Not only the teams but young aspiring drivers are also having a hard time trying to find an opportunity to race in NASCAR. Sponsorship and family background do make a difference, but the same cannot be said for every budding talent and driver. This major shift is indeed concerning, and veteran NASCAR driver Mark Martin shared his thoughts on how this could negatively impact the sport in the long run.

Mark Martin isn’t impressed with current recruitment criteria to be a NASCAR driver

“Before your talent was why you got hired, like being in the 80s, right? For example, in NASCAR you got hired 99% of the time on talent, and now it’s 99% time on marketability.” Martin said in an interview. Let us understand Martin’s concern better with examples, and with the silly season going on, this indeed is the right time to talk about it. There were multiple openings within the NASCAR Cup Series teams after the conclusion of the 2024 season. But 23XI Racing signing Riley Herbst is certainly what links well with Martin’s claims.

Now Herbst comes from a well-to-do background with his family owning a convenience store chain. Not only that, he is better known for his association with Monster, which has served as his sponsor in the Xfinity Series. Was this signing entirely based on merit? Not like likely. Were there better prospects that could’ve excelled on the racetrack? Probably. Corey Heim was one of the rumored drivers to take on the role; he regularly wins races and is contending for championships.

Martin even shared his story, stating that he never had to bring sponsors with him, either at Roush Racing or Hendrick Motorsports. “With me, I never had a sponsor that was with me. Roush got all those sponsors, and Hendrick got all those sponsors. None of the Roush sponsors were ever with me and go with me no matter what… It was a different time. I had to be able to be marketable to get hired by those guys.” He explained further while speaking to Chase Holden.

It’s fair to say that NASCAR and the drivers competing in the sport are lacking identity. The sponsorship came in because of the stories and the personalities of different drivers. Drivers like Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and even Brad Keselowski in his early days. That’s what made NASCAR so unique and compelling. But the drivers today feel as if they are restricted or they are walking on a tightrope. This is what Mark Martin feels NASCAR could do with personalities like Ross Chastain and Denny Hamlin. Even if they are not liked by the majority of the racing community.

NASCAR needs more polarizing figures

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While drivers like Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Chase Elliott have established themselves as the future stars of the sport, they aren’t the most polarizing figures of the sport. You’ve seen multi-series champion Tony Stewart throw his helmet at Matt Kenseth’s race car in Bristol after the race. We’ve seen Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski involved in a scuffle in Texas. Although they might not be proud of their actions, it was an extension of their personality or reaction in that moment that remains fresh in the memory of the fans.

We have some drivers, like Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, who have built a name for themselves by winding up the fans. But again, that is a dying breed. “We need Ross Chastain to ruffling feathers. Not to say I approve of every time he does it. I’m saying we need it. When we lose Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, we’ve got to have some polarizing figures and some guys that get people’s blood pumping. We need Noah Gragson’s personality and Chastain ruffling feathers.” Martin added.

Now Ricky Stenhouse Jr. punching Rowdy doesn’t make a dent in this context. Drivers with influence and talent that shine on the racetrack are what make this idea wholesome. And it’s about time drivers start to express themselves during the races.