Mark Martin Warns NASCAR Is Risking Its Roots as Street Courses Take Over the Schedule
NASCAR legend **Mark Martin** believes the sport is approaching a crossroads — and he’s urging officials to slow down before drifting too far from what made NASCAR special. The 40-time Cup Series winner recently voiced concern that the growing emphasis on road and street courses could dilute NASCAR’s identity, especially with a San Diego street race joining the 2026 schedule.
Speaking on **The RACER Channel** alongside **Paul Tracy**, Martin made it clear he’s not anti–road racing. He acknowledged the San Diego circuit looks exciting and well-designed, but warned that the overall balance of the schedule is starting to tilt too far. In his view, adding more street courses at the expense of ovals risks pushing NASCAR away from its roots. Rather than replacing traditional tracks, Martin suggested the sport should look at iconic road venues like **Laguna Seca** if it wants to expand that side of the calendar.
Martin echoed a long-running concern among fans: historic ovals are central to NASCAR’s heritage and shouldn’t be sacrificed simply to chase novelty. He specifically questioned choices like the Charlotte Roval, arguing that the **Charlotte Motor Speedway** oval could instead host longer, more traditional races. While he admitted many modern street events have been executed well, he stressed that removing too many ovals could fundamentally change the sport’s character.
The discussion also turned to how NASCAR’s evolution is reshaping driver development. Martin agreed that the current Cup car behaves far more like a road-racing machine than stock cars of the past. That shift, he said, has changed which backgrounds translate best to success. Where dirt tracks and short-track series once dominated the pipeline, drivers from road-racing disciplines are now adapting more quickly.
Martin highlighted young prospect **Connor Zilisch** for his maturity and pointed to **Shane van Gisbergen** as proof of how road-course expertise can produce immediate Cup-level results.
Ultimately, Martin’s message wasn’t about resisting change. It was about balance. Innovation has a place, he argued, but ovals must remain the backbone of NASCAR. The scheduling decisions made now, he warned, will define the sport’s identity for the next generation.
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