Except for a few NASCAR races, which please everyone, most races in the league draw mixed reviews from the community. While it has a lot to do with individual preferences, there are instances where the majority speaks against a particular competition for good reason. There have been a handful of such events this season, where the audiences have bashed NASCAR, and this includes several of the sport’s icons.
Among these are two former drivers, Mark Martin and Kenny Wallace. These NASCAR legends have voiced their opinion about NASCAR’s current state.
Martin and Wallace have seldom disagreed with each other’s views and have often supported one another publicly until recently. After the Kansas race, the former contemporaries found themselves on opposite sides.
A Brief Glance at the Adventhealth 400
The 267-lap Sunday race at the 1.5-mile oval was yet another example of a one-sided competition this season. And once again, it was Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports who dominated the contest.
The No. 5 driver held the pole position for the race and maintained his lead pretty much throughout the race. He led 221 laps at Kansas, followed by Chase Elliott’s lead lap count of 29. Elliott, who had good momentum early on, dropped spots in the latter part of the race after his pit stop blunders.
Larson swept both stages and won for the third time this season, garnering 61 points. Christopher Bell settled for the runner-up position, while Ryan Blaney grabbed the third spot.
Kenny Wallace and Mark Martin’s Disagreement Over the Kansas Race
Shortly after the race, as the criticism arose, Jeff Gluck of ‘The Athletic’ posted a poll on his X handle asking his audience, “Was Kansas a good race?”
When the results for the poll were out, he revealed that only 58.5% of the voters found Kansas to be a good race. Although Kansas ranked on the lower side compared to Gluck’s poll stats of other races, it was still higher than the last five Cup Series races.
His post said:
“Was Kansas a good race? 58.5% of you said Yes.
— Ranks No. 14 of 19 Kansas races (and first Next Gen Kansas race under 80%).
— Recent slump continues; first seven races had no races under 68% (including five races over 80%), and the last six races have all been under 59% (but Kansas was the best of those)
— Ranks No. 21 of 35 Kyle Larson wins in the poll.”
Was Kansas a good race? 58.5% of you said Yes.
— Ranks No. 14 of 19 Kansas races (and first Next Gen Kansas race under 80%).
— Recent slump continues; first seven races had no races under 68% (including five races over 80%) and the last six races have all been under 59% (but…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck)
His stats prompted Martin to give his take on the matter. While Martin disagreed with the popular opinion about the race, he did not shy away from voicing it. He reposted the initial tweet with the caption:
“It was a good race. You could line them up tomorrow and get a completely different-looking race. You can’t make every race a three-wide finish.”
Martin’s bold take polarized the audience, with many disagreeing with the NASCAR Hall of Famer. Among these was his contemporary, Wallace.
An X user named SuperstitionAZ replied to Martin, and while being respectful in his disagreement, he pointed out the tire wear issue in the race and the lesser fan attendance as compared to older Kansas races.
Respectfully disagree. Watching a single car simply dominate the race while those behind wait and watch for tires to wear isn’t entertaining. I recall the days when Kansas stands were full – not so anymore. https://t.co/Nu2CIwUFZ4
— SuperstitionAZ (@Superstition_AZ)
Wallace reposted this particular reply and grilled Martin for his take. He wrote:
“‘Some,’ the 20% even disagree with @markmartin!😂😂😂.”
His post currently has almost 7,000 views and has added a whole new layer to the debate.