The latest wave of unsealed messages between NASCAR officials has taken the NASCAR world by storm. But what are those who compete or have competed in NASCAR saying about the lawsuit?
What’s Happening? Friday, documents, including messages from NASCAR officials and interteam communications, were unsealed as part of the ongoing lawsuit between…
Friday, as part of the ongoing lawsuit between 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR, internal messages between NASCAR officials were unsealed, making them available for public viewing.
The fallout from these messages has seen everyone, from fans to former drivers and team owners, discussing their displeasure with NASCAR.
For example, Alpha Prime Racing Owner Tommy Joe Martins goes as far as to post that they confirm “everything I’ve felt for 10+ years. It’s not a disappointment to see it all, it’s a relief. I wasn’t just dreaming it up. It was actually happening.”
These messages, some more flagrant than others, include figures like team owner Spire Motorsports’ Jeff Dickerson, NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps, and NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell discussing a range of topics, including the shuttered SRX series and team owner Richard Childress.
In one exchange from 2022 now gone viral, O’Donnell, then the COO of NASCAR, said, regarding the ill-fated SRX Series, “This is nascar. Pure and simple. Enough. We need legal to take a shot at this.”
This was after SRX announced NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin for a one-race appearance, which left NASCAR seemingly concerned about the SRX encroaching on their territory. However, this was far from the only time NASCAR expressed concerns about the defunct all-star racing series.
In another exchange, following the announcement that Justin Marks, co-owner of Trackhouse Racing, would race in SRX, Steve Phelps, then-President of NASCAR, expressed concern that if unchecked, SRX could become a NASCAR version of LIV, a golf tour formed by defectors from the PGA Tour.
In the aftermath of these messages, many fans have shared that they believe NASCAR’s concerns about SRX were irrational. Former drivers, such as Mark Martin and Kenny Wallace, have also expressed this sentiment.
In a post on X late Friday night, Martin, a vocal critic of the current state of NASCAR, said the messages were disappointing, expressing that fans should be able to “get more of what they love,” taking a ‘rising tide lifts all ships’ approach to the subject.
Former NASCAR and SRX driver Kenny Wallace also spoke out about the messages in a video posted on Saturday morning.
In his opinion, the short track focus of SRX was no competition to NASCAR, with Wallace saying, “there was no way that you were going to put enough people in any of these grandstands at an SRX race to threaten NASCAR.”
One of the most viral comments from NASCAR officials, found in these texts, came from Steve Phelps regarding Richard Childress.
These messages from 2023, shared between Phelps and NASCAR EVP Brian Herbst, followed an interview that legendary NASCAR team owner had with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, where Childress discussed the upcoming media rights renewal and the NASCAR Next Gen Car.
In a message sent to Herbst, Phelps now infamously said about Childress:
“Childress needs to be taken out back and flogged. He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to nascar.” — Steve Phelps
While reports claim Childress was recently warned about these messages by Phelps, they took the NASCAR world by storm.
Of course, Childress is a true NASCAR rags-to-riches story, rising from a fledgling driver to become the owner of the most iconic NASCAR team in history, Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3. While Childress has made his name through NASCAR, many took these comments as a poor representation of the NASCAR legend, downplaying his contributions to the sport.
This sentiment was shared by former driver Jeremy Mayfield, who said in a post on X, “If it weren’t for ‘stupid’ rednecks, those ‘suits’ wouldn’t have a job.”
In a follow-up post, Mayfield, who has had his own off-track issues with NASCAR, continued to address this conversation, saying Phelps’ comments “show exactly how far this sport has drifted from who built it.” The 56-year-old then said that NASCAR shouldn’t “disrespect a man who’s done more 4 NASCAR accidentally than they’ve done on purpose.”
While these texts are far from the first made public amidst the lawsuit, they likely wont be the last. Nonetheless, it provides a stark look at how leaders of NASCAR, as well as those on the teams’ side, communicate when out of public earshot.
The trial between 23XI/FRM and NASCAR is slated to kick off next week on December 1 and will likely bring more shocking information to the forefront.
What’s Happening? The 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports lawsuit will continue for some time. However, many developments will occur along…
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