Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Jeremy Mayfield is taking an online stand against NASCAR following recently revealed text messages from Commissioner Steve Phelps calling one NASCAR owner a “stupid redneck.”
What’s Happening? Friday, documents, including messages from NASCAR officials and interteam communications, were unsealed as part of the ongoing lawsuit between…
Last Friday, thanks to NASCAR’s ongoing lawsuit with teams Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing, new internal text messages between NASCAR officials were made public.
Though these texts ranged from a multitude of topics, such as conversations with a team owner or discussions about NASCAR’s fears about the now-defunct SRX racing series, NASCAR fans have turned their attention to one specific message sent by then-NASCAR President Steve Phelps in 2023.
Phelps, the current Commissioner of NASCAR, a role he undertook earlier this year, was messaging with NASCAR EVP Brian Herbst following an interview Richard Childress had with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, where the legendary team owner discussed topics like the state of NASCAR and the new Next Gen Car.
In a text sent to Herbst, Phelps now infamously said:
“Childress needs to be taken out back and flogged. He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to NASCAR.” — Steve Phelps
Though Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports reports that Phelps warned Childress about such comments, the fallout from the release of these text messages has since seen Childress threaten legal action against Phelps for what RCR deemed “insensitive and defamatory statements.”
While fans have stepped up to support Childress, one former NASCAR driver, who has his own issues with the sport’s upper brass, has taken center stage in pushing back at these comments.
What’s Happening? Following the release of text messages used as exhibits in 23XI Racing/Front Row Motorsports’ antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, Richard…
Though he has no ties to RCR, former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield has taken Phelps’s comments about Childress personally.
In a post to X that now has over 100,000 views, the former staple of the 1990s NACSAR garage said in response to the 2023 text message, “If it weren’t for ‘stupid’ rednecks, those ‘suits’ wouldn’t have a job.”
Of course, Mayfield is no stranger to pushing back at NASCAR, having had his own legal back-and-forth with the sport following an alleged failed drug test ahead of the 2009 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
In the now 16-year fallout of this scandal, which ultimately spelled an end to his time in the sport, Mayfield and his fans continue to profess his innocence, with the former driver/team owner even posting a negative drug test from July 19, 2009, on his social media this week.
In a post on his Facebook page Sunday evening, Mayfield related his alleged experience dealing with NASCAR to the text message calling Childress a “stupid redneck,” saying that this is who NASCAR officials are “behind closed doors.”
“This is who they are and who they’ve always been behind closed doors. People call it shocking. It’s not. And now their own words are doing what they tried to do to everyone else, BURYING them.” — Jeremy Mayfield via Facebook
Despite his own issues with NASCAR, Mayfield has continued to point the public’s attention back to Phelps’ comments about Richard Childress, saying in a post to X Monday afternoon:
“Richard Childress has always been the real deal. He treats people right, works hard, & stands up 4 what he believes in. Some people talk about racing, but RC lived it, built it and protected it. That means something 2me & it should 2 everyone else that GENUINELY loves racing.”
While it may seem odd for Mayfield to stick up for Childress with such ferocity, a post from Saturday night better clarifies his bold stance on the matter, with Mayfield saying that the “disrespect” shown to Childress in this text from 2023 is a sign of “how far this sport has drifted from who built it.”
The now 56-year-old then said that Childress has done more for NASCAR by accident than Phelps or current NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell has done on purpose.
While Mayfield may have had run-ins with NASCAR on his own, his stance on these released texts reflects that of the NASCAR fan base, who have taken Phelps’s comments personally, with some making merchandise in response.
With the trial between 23XI Racing/Front Row Motorsports and NASCAR set to kick off Monday, it seems more and more likely that more messages like these could make their way into the NASCAR community.
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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