Hoot in the Oval
Posts
With the Chase Back, Kyle Busch Predicts Aggression, Mark Martin Challenges NASCAR Media, and the Daytona 500 Goes Big on Star Power

With the Chase Back, Kyle Busch Predicts Aggression, Mark Martin Challenges NASCAR Media, and the Daytona 500 Goes Big on Star Power

Gowtham Ramalingam
January 18, 2026

Welcome to Hoot in the Oval — your all-access pass to everything NASCAR. From Denny’s clutch finishes to Ross’ wild moves, Chase Elliott fandom to Bubba’s bold takes—we’ve got the stories that fuel the track and the timeline. Fast, loud, unfiltered. Buckle up, y’all. 🏁

The latest edition of our newsletter covers:

NASCAR Media needs to step up its coverage of the sport, according to Mark Martin
Desperate moves on track will not go away with NASCAR’s Chase format
Country music singer Miranda Lambert headlines the 2026 Daytona 500 festivities
Tony Stewart compares the Chili Bowl Nationals to the Daytona 500

🏁 Inside the Oval

With New Playoff Format in Place, Mark Martin Calls on NASCAR Media to Step Up Coverage

NASCAR has finally unveiled the new playoff format it was working on for over a year. With the Cup Series adopting the Chase format once again, the first 26 races of the season will reward consistency by following a traditional points system. And the last 10 races will decide who the champion is through a Chase-style sprint.

Mark Martin, one of the key voices who advocated for the change, is largely satisfied with it, although it isn’t exactly what he wanted. Martin wanted all 36 races to be held under the traditional full-season points format. However, he believes that the Chase format will excite fans.

Now that the promotion has held up its end of the bargain, Martin believes that the broadcasters who cover the sport must do their part. Speaking during the format announcement, he challenged the media to change how the races are covered every week.

“Instead of every week talking about the cutoff line, the playoff, who’s in, who’s out, all these things, we need to focus even more on our heroes. These guys behind me that are winning these races are our Pearsons and our Yarboroughs and our Buddy Bakers of today, and we need our fans to connect with these guys,” said Martin.

The NASCAR icon wants coverage to focus on the pit crew members and crew chiefs as well. He thinks this will give fans a deeper connection with the sport and transform the men behind the scenes into the superstars they deserve to be.

Over the past 11 seasons, when the elimination-style playoff format was in play, unpredictability and luck often became more important than performance. The most glaring example came in 2024 when Team Penske’s Joey Logano became the champion despite having a poor average-finish rate. Those controversial elements are in the past now, and Martin sees this as a chance to restore the hero culture in the sport.

🏁 Inside the Oval

Kyle Busch Says Desperate on-Track Moves Will Happen Even With the New Format

One of the ugliest issues with the elimination-style playoff format over the last 11 years was that it often pushed drivers to be overtly aggressive in win-or-exit situations. This significantly increased the dangers on the track. Now that the Chase format has been reintroduced, there is reason to believe that drivers won’t be as aggressive anymore.

However, two-time champion Kyle Busch brushed aside expectations of tame racing and explained that all the dive-bombing and door-bumping that the drivers do are part of their racing instincts, instilled in them as kids. It won’t simply go away.

“When you watch the kids who race all year long in ARCA, Late Models, and other series, you already see that stuff. They are taught from a very young age to dive bomb and run into them, and ‘door that guy!’ Being a dad, I have heard those words, and maybe I have said those words once or twice. I don’t think it [aggressive racing] will change a whole lot,” said Busch.

Racing under the elimination-style format, drivers were often in situations that required them to make moves of desperation to secure a playoff spot or to advance in the playoffs. The win-and-in approach was risky, and it also reduced respect between the drivers. Now that race wins don’t have such a high stake, the degree of aggressiveness could come down. But, as Busch pointed out, it won’t ever become zero.

Rowdy is heading into his fourth season with Richard Childress Racing in 2026. The dip in form that he has endured in the last couple of years might finally end this season as he is backed by the expertise of Xfinity Series championship-winning crew chief Jim Pohlman. Busch’s new crew chief is joining the camp after leaving Justin Allgaier’s team.

Asked if the format would increase his chances of making it to the playoffs, Busch appeared taken aback with the notion. He said, “I feel like the last two years we were knocked out of the bubble because of the winners behind us. They maybe wouldn’t have been there otherwise. But yeah, it gives us an opportunity to talk about sixteenth place. There’s no reason why I need to be talking about sixteenth.”

That’s a sign that Busch is confident. And that could probably translate to positive results on the track.

🗣️ Pit Politics

Miranda Lambert Set to Headline 2026 Daytona 500 Pre-Race Show

The 68th iteration of the Great American Race marks the beginning of the NASCAR Cup Series’ return to the Chase format. If done right, the 2026 Daytona 500 could be the first step toward regaining NASCAR’s lost glory and popularity. And the track management has planned a grand spectacle to kick off the race.

Country music superstar Miranda Lambert has been roped in to perform during the pre-race ceremony at the Daytona International Speedway on February 15. The three-time Grammy winner, who is the most awarded artist in the history of the Academy of Country Music, joins an elite list of Daytona 500 performers that includes Pitbull, Jon Bon Jovi, Luke Combs, Mariah Carey, and others.

“To have this level of talent with an artist such as Miranda Lambert performing our pre-race concert adds an incredible amount of energy for the 68th running of the Daytona 500,” said Frank Kelleher, the track president.

Lambert’s first big hit was the album Kerosene, which she released in 2005. She has since released nine solo albums. Widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in her field, she also has other appearances scheduled across the country this summer. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time she has had a NASCAR connection.

Lambert cast Danica Patrick as a lead in one of her music videos in 2012. The song titled ‘The Fastest Girl in Town’ featured both Patrick and her.

🏁 Trackside Trivia

In the inaugural Chase for the NASCAR Cup in 2004, the championship was won without winning a single race during the Chase itself.

When the Chase playoff format debuted in 2004, Kurt Busch won the championship despite not winning any of the final 10 Chase races that decided the title, illustrating how consistent finishing could outweigh victories under the system.

🎙️ Hoot’s Radio Chatter

Tony Stewart Says Mistakes Cost More at Chili Bowl Than the Daytona 500

The 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals at the SageNet Center in Oklahoma witnessed high-octane action as always. Tony Stewart, a two-time winner of the event, has detailed how tough it is to race and win it. It can be tougher than the Daytona 500, he stated.

The Chili Bowl Nationals is the biggest race in the midget racing world. Stewart explained that the reason he believes it is tough is that it attracts racers from diverse backgrounds.

“The same guys that run every week at a NASCAR track are the ones you see at the Daytona 500. The Chili Bowl is drastically different. Chili Bowl has 370, 380 cars. You’re getting the best of the best come around trying to make a 24-car field on Saturday night,” said Stewart.

A driver doesn’t lose a lot by failing to qualify in a good position in the Daytona 500. It is a lengthy race, and any lost ground can be made up during it. But this isn’t the case with the Chili Bowl. Stewart explained how the heats and the qualifier races are extremely crucial in Tulsa.

Also, a driver can recover from a bad pit stop or a speeding penalty at Daytona. But that simply won’t work at the Chili Bowl. This unforgiving nature of competition makes the Chili Bowl so enticing for NASCAR’s best.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell had also shared a similar opinion to that of Stewart. He is a three-time Chili Bowl champion and continues to be a participant just out of sheer love for midget racing.

🏁 Lap Back in Time: NASCAR Stat of the Year
(One stat. One year. Every edition.)

1966: At the 1966 Firecracker 400, Sam McQuagg’s Dodge Charger became the first car in NASCAR Cup competition to use a rear spoiler during a race. That spoiler helped improve rear grip and high-speed stability, which gave McQuagg a notable advantage and helped him win the event by over a minute.