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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Highly charged and deeply personal text messages exchanged between NASCAR President Steve Phelps and a league executive have surfaced, revealing a starkly dismissive and derogatory view of veteran team owner Richard Childress, a six-time Cup Series championship-winning figure. The unsealed communications, produced as part of discovery in the antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, paint a picture of significant animosity from the league’s top official towards one of its most iconic figures.
The texts, sent during a 2023 meeting concerning charter extension negotiations, show Phelps, in direct communication with NASCAR Chief Media & Revenue Officer Brian Herbst, repeatedly disparaging Childress. These exchanges occurred while Phelps and Herbst were reportedly aiming to impress upon team owners the potential financial precariousness of future broadcast rights deals, emphasizing the need for industry solidarity. Herbst was providing Phelps with real-time updates from the meeting, and Phelps’s responses, as documented in the unearthed messages, focused heavily on personal attacks against Childress.
The apparent friction between Phelps and Childress stems from public comments made by Childress earlier that year on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. During an interview, Childress expressed strong reservations about the state of the sport and the ongoing charter negotiations. He controversially stated that he could construct 14 older-generation Gen6 race cars for the cost of seven of the newer Next Gen models, a remark that highlighted perceived inefficiencies and rising costs within the sport. When questioned about the potential benefits of an upcoming television deal, Childress famously retorted with a dismissive, "For who?" This sentiment was evidently not well-received by NASCAR leadership, particularly Phelps.
The unsealed text messages unequivocally capture Phelps’s frustration and disdain. One message reads, "Childress is an idiot. If they don’t like the state of the sport, sell your charter and get out." This sentiment was reiterated shortly after, with Phelps texting, "Did I mention Childress was an idiot?"
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The intensity of Phelps’s remarks escalated further. In another message, he stated, "If he’s that angry (and apparently he is) sign your charter extension and sell. He’s not smart, is a dinosaur, and a malcontent. He’s worth a couple hundred million dollars – every dollar associated with nascar in some fashion. Total ass-clown." The most incendiary message attributed to Phelps declared, "Childress needs to be taken out back and flogged. He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to nascar."
These comments provide a rare and unfiltered glimpse into the internal dynamics and personal relationships within NASCAR’s leadership. Richard Childress, a towering figure in the sport for decades, has been a team owner since 1969. His Richard Childress Racing (RCR) team has achieved immense success, capturing seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, including six with the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr. The team has also secured 110 Cup Series victories and three Xfinity Series titles. Childress himself, in his driving career, amassed 11 Cup Series wins. His legacy is deeply intertwined with the fabric of NASCAR, and his continued involvement, even at an advanced age, underscores his enduring passion for racing.
The context of these exchanges is crucial. The charter system, established in 2016, grants teams a form of ownership and revenue sharing, effectively creating a more stable and valuable business model for team principals. However, negotiations surrounding charter extensions and potential adjustments to the system have been a source of contention and complex discussions between team owners and NASCAR. The league’s objective, as suggested by the context of the meeting, was to foster a unified front among team owners to negotiate favorable terms for future broadcast rights agreements, which are a significant revenue stream for the sport.
Childress’s public criticisms, particularly his economic comparisons between car generations and his skepticism about the benefits of the new TV deal, directly challenged the narrative NASCAR leadership sought to present. His statements could have been interpreted as undermining the league’s efforts to project stability and growth, potentially emboldening other team owners to adopt a more adversarial stance in negotiations.
The lawsuit itself, filed by 23XI Racing (co-owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin) and Front Row Motorsports, alleges that NASCAR’s charter system and its management of the sport constitute an unlawful monopoly. The plaintiffs argue that the system unfairly restricts competition and limits the ability of teams to operate independently and profitably. The unsealed text messages, while not directly related to the core legal arguments of the antitrust case, could be used by plaintiffs to demonstrate a pattern of alleged unfair or retaliatory behavior by NASCAR leadership towards team owners who voice dissent or pose challenges to the league’s established order.
The revelation of Phelps’s private sentiments towards a prominent team owner like Childress raises significant questions about the relationship between NASCAR’s administrative leadership and the individuals who invest heavily in and operate the teams that form the core of the sport. Such personal animosity, if widespread, could potentially hinder constructive dialogue and collaboration necessary for the sport’s continued evolution and success.
NASCAR has historically prided itself on its family-like atmosphere and the collaborative spirit between the sanctioning body and its stakeholders. However, these leaked communications suggest a deeper level of internal discord. The public nature of these remarks, now exposed through legal proceedings, is likely to create further tension and scrutiny surrounding NASCAR’s governance and leadership.
The impact of these revelations on the ongoing antitrust lawsuit remains to be seen. However, they undoubtedly add a layer of personal drama and controversy to a case that already centers on fundamental questions about the structure and fairness of the business of professional stock car racing. As the legal process unfolds, further details regarding the relationships and internal workings of NASCAR leadership may continue to emerge, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the sport’s complex ecosystem. The words attributed to Steve Phelps not only reflect a harsh personal judgment of Richard Childress but also potentially signal a broader disconnect between NASCAR’s executive suite and some of its most seasoned and influential participants.
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