By David G. Firestone
So I was originally going to talk about something else, but given recent circumstances, I’ve given up on that. Due to my schedule, I write Friday Feature columns on Mondays. After I finished last week’s column, two stories happened. While it would have been easy to write about one of them, I decided it would be better to put some more time and effort into it.
I discussed the anti-trust lawsuit, and some of its fallout last week, and I stand by what I said. But one more bit of fallout happened, in that NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps resigned as a result of text messages sent concerning Richard Childress. According to ESPN.com:
“But the top executive at NASCAR was deeply bruised during the trial — and the discovery process leading into it — when communications he exchanged with top leadership was exposed. In one exchange, Phelps called Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress “a stupid redneck” who “needs to be taken out back and flogged.”
That led Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, an ardent supporter of both NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing, to write a letter demanding Phelps’ removal as commissioner.
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NASCAR settled the lawsuit with 23XI Racing, owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by Bob Jenkins, the day after Morris’ letter.”
Even if Richard Childress is “a stupid redneck,” you really can’t argue what he’s done as a team owner. In the top three NASCAR Series, he has won seven Cup Series championships(1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994), seven O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championships(2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2019, 2025) and two Truck Series championships(1995, 2011). He also co-owns the Carolina Cowboys, a Professional Bull Riders Team Series team, as well as founding Childress Vineyards.
My point here is that Steve Phelps might see Richard Childress as “a stupid redneck,” but he is a very successful “stupid redneck.” He’s not stupid! He’s a very smart, self-made businessman. Sure, RCR isn’t where it once was, but after Dale Earnhardt’s death, how could it. RCR will never fully recover from losing that level of talent. But you can’t ignore how good of a businessman Richard Childress is.
Some more texts that came out in discovery are gems too. These include:
“Childress is an idiot. If they don’t like the state of the sport, sell your charter and get out.”
“Did I mention Childress was an idiot?”
“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.”
This is why many corporate lawsuits are settled. Big companies are worried about what is going to come out in discovery. TKO, owners of WWE settled a lawsuit filed by MLW over WWE being a monopoly. To anyone who wasn’t TKO, it was clear that MLW needed money, and was trying to get some from WWE. TKO, fearing discovery settled. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that if this had gone to trial, WWE would have prevailed.
Now, there’s another question, was Phelps’ resignation his own choosing, or was he pressured into it? Well, the letter from Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris didn’t exactly help. Morris, and Bass Pro Shops are a loyal sponsor of NASCAR, and it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to think that the potential loss of a major sponsor would force NASCAR’s hand. It’s also not impossible that there were other issues with Phelps, and this was the tipping point.
As of the time of writing, Phelps is still the current commissioner, his resignation scheduled at the end of January 2026. No successor has been announced, and it remains unclear who will fill the role. I will say, I think there needs to be more changes than just a new commissioner if NASCAR is to survive.
In the other major NASCAR news stories, NASCAR brought the Chase back as their playoff system. The new system will feature the following changes:
“‘Win and you’re in’ is gone. A race win will no longer guarantee automatic entry into The Chase, increasing the importance of every event on the schedule. Winning is still valuable, but drivers must continue to perform at a high level throughout the regular season.
Race winning drivers earn more points. A win will now earn the race-winning driver 55 points. Previously, a win paid 40 points. The goal is to reward drivers who go for wins, not just strong points days, and ensure aggressive racing and strong team performance remain central to each weekend. Points for all other positions, including stage points, remain the same.
The Chase will feature the top drivers in regular-season points. Returning to a points-based qualification system reinforces the value of consistent, season-long performance and ensures the drivers who execute across the full schedule earn the chance to compete for a championship. The Chase in the NASCAR Cup Series will feature 16 drivers; the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series field will be set at 12 drivers, with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series field at 10.
The points leader after the regular season will receive a meaningful advantage. As recognition for sustained excellence, the top driver at the end of the regular season will earn a 25-point cushion over the second seed.”
Like many NASCAR fans, I wanted full season points. I hate this whole playoff system. This is another case of NASCAR tuning out what the fan base wants in favor of their own needs. Many old school NASCAR fans are gone, and will never come back. I’ve seen the TV numbers, and they are bad. Hell, the NHRA beat NASCAR in TV ratings. At what point does NASCAR realize they need to keep the fans happy?
While there was some positive reaction on social media, I do not like these changes. I’m not looking forward to this new system. What I would have done is to have the top four drivers in points locked in to the final race of the season, winner take all. It’s almost the same as a full race season, but there are four drivers giving their all for the Cup. I hate racing playoffs.
Ok, I need to end things here. I’ll have some more news for next week.
Sources Cited:
DGF2099-Main Page 