NASCAR legend Mark Martin recently joined fellow Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr on the Dale Jr Download to discuss a handful of things, including his new book Never Lift. Of course, it was no surprise that the NASCAR Next Gen car came up during their discussion.
Martin, an outspoken critic of the NASCAR Next Gen car, gave his two cents on what changes he would like to see made to the car to help its on-track racing product.
In particular, Martin directly said that he would “want zero down force in the front,” adding that “You don’t need a ton, but you need the front to be virtually nothing. And if it’s nothing, it shouldn’t lose anything when it gets behind a car.”
This clip was taken and shared on X by Dirty Mo Media, to which Earnhardt quoted, saying, “Can they let Mark into the NASCAR competition committee??”
Earnhardt’s post took off over the next day, garnering over 200,000 views and plenty of comments from fans and many industry members, including active and retired drivers, joining in on the discussion.
NASCAR legend Rick Mast supported Martin’s comments from the DJD, encouraging NASCAR to “Just give it a try.”
Former Cup Series driver and current Kaulig Racing Truck Series driver and TV analyst Corey LaJoie joined in, sharing that several drivers tested an “up-down” splitter at Phoenix Raceway, saying that it died off after “Top guys at that test were vocal about how it made their cars drive bad.”
Martin cheekily replied to LaJoie, saying that “Of course they would drive bad” then adding that positive returns would have likely come from the changes in ability on track during a race.
Of course, while the decision to make changes to the car is up to NASCAR itself, Martin has proven to be one of the most influential legends of the sport over the past season.
In 2025, the Arkansas native played a crucial role in changing NASCAR’s championship format, being an outspoken supporter of a traditional, full 36-race, points system.
He also helped grow community support for the new Chase system introduced this season, calling it a compromise between the sometimes chaotic system used from 2014 to 2025 and a traditional motorsports points system.
Stay close to the on-track action this weekend and every weekend by following our Race Weekend Dashboard for everything you need to know before, during, and after the race. Share your thoughts by joining the discussion on Discord or X, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for further updates.
