Nascar Commissioner Phelps to Step Down Amid Scandal
In a shocking move, Nascar's top commissioner Steve Phelps has announced his resignation just months into his tenure. The decision comes on the heels of damaging text messages that revealed Phelps' inflammatory and racist language during contentious revenue-sharing negotiations.
The controversy surrounding Phelps' language was exposed during the antitrust trial brought by two race teams against Nascar and Phelps himself. In one particularly damning exchange, Phelps called Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress "a stupid redneck" who "needs to be taken out back and flogged." The comment sparked outrage among fans, sponsors, and even some of Phelps' own colleagues.
Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, a longtime supporter of both Nascar and Childress Racing, was particularly vocal in his condemnation of Phelps. In a letter to the France family, who own Nascar, Morris demanded that Phelps be removed as commissioner. His demands were eventually met when Phelps announced his resignation, which will take effect at the end of the month.
Phelps has stated that he is leaving Nascar with "a transformative legacy of innovation and collaboration" but has also hinted at seeking new pursuits in sports and other industries. Despite his departure, Phelps' successor has not been officially named, and it remains unclear whether there will be any significant changes to Nascar's leadership or operations.
The resignation marks the end of an era for Nascar, which had been undergoing a period of transformation under Phelps' leadership. While he had overseen the introduction of new events and initiatives aimed at boosting fan engagement, his tenure was ultimately marred by controversy and criticism from some quarters.
Phelps' departure is likely to be seen as a major blow to Nascar's efforts to maintain its relevance in an increasingly competitive sports landscape. As one observer noted, "You can't help but wonder what would happen if Major League Baseball brought in a new commissioner and he or she trash-talked one of the true legends who built the game like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth?" The comment reflects the gravity of the situation and the need for Nascar to rebuild its reputation and restore trust with its fans and sponsors.
In a shocking move, Nascar's top commissioner Steve Phelps has announced his resignation just months into his tenure. The decision comes on the heels of damaging text messages that revealed Phelps' inflammatory and racist language during contentious revenue-sharing negotiations.
The controversy surrounding Phelps' language was exposed during the antitrust trial brought by two race teams against Nascar and Phelps himself. In one particularly damning exchange, Phelps called Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress "a stupid redneck" who "needs to be taken out back and flogged." The comment sparked outrage among fans, sponsors, and even some of Phelps' own colleagues.
Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, a longtime supporter of both Nascar and Childress Racing, was particularly vocal in his condemnation of Phelps. In a letter to the France family, who own Nascar, Morris demanded that Phelps be removed as commissioner. His demands were eventually met when Phelps announced his resignation, which will take effect at the end of the month.
Phelps has stated that he is leaving Nascar with "a transformative legacy of innovation and collaboration" but has also hinted at seeking new pursuits in sports and other industries. Despite his departure, Phelps' successor has not been officially named, and it remains unclear whether there will be any significant changes to Nascar's leadership or operations.
The resignation marks the end of an era for Nascar, which had been undergoing a period of transformation under Phelps' leadership. While he had overseen the introduction of new events and initiatives aimed at boosting fan engagement, his tenure was ultimately marred by controversy and criticism from some quarters.
Phelps' departure is likely to be seen as a major blow to Nascar's efforts to maintain its relevance in an increasingly competitive sports landscape. As one observer noted, "You can't help but wonder what would happen if Major League Baseball brought in a new commissioner and he or she trash-talked one of the true legends who built the game like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth?" The comment reflects the gravity of the situation and the need for Nascar to rebuild its reputation and restore trust with its fans and sponsors.
just when u think nascar can't get any worse lol this guy phelps is a total deadweight his racist comments are not just unacceptable they're also super unprofessional who does that in a work setting? 
the fact that he thought he could just trash talk rich childress and get away with it says a lot about his character. now we gotta worry about nascar's rep taking a hit big time can't believe they didn't catch this sooner tho 
gotta wonder what other skeletons are hiding in his closet
I mean, who uses language like that in 2025?! It's cringeworthy. He needs to take some time off to reflect on his actions and figure out how he can be a better role model, 'kay? 
. Someone with some actual vision would be a big plus right about now... but for now, it's like, "what's next?" 
he got roasted by everyone 
and it's hard to come back from that kind of backlash 
especially when you're dealing with sensitive topics like racism 
nascar needs someone who can bring in new energy but also keep the vibes positive 
hope his successor can do just that 
and bring back that excitement to the sport 
it's gonna be tough for them to rebuild trust tho 
I mean, what's next? "American Idol" judges making racist comments on the show? 
Nah, just kidding (kinda). But seriously, Steve Phelps is outta there and Nascar's like "oh no, what do we do now?" 
It's like when your aunt cleans out her closet and finds all those embarrassing old VHS tapes – you're left wondering how it got to this point 
. Guess they need someone new with a "clean slate" (get it? 
) or at least one who doesn't have the phrase "redneck" written on their business cards 
.
. IT'S LIKE HE THOUGHT HE WAS ABOVE THE LAW OR SOMETHING?! Newsflash, Steve: your racist language is NEVER OKAY and you shouldn't be allowed to be in a position of power like that EVER AGAIN 
. Nascar needs to do a major overhaul of their leadership and operations ASAP so they can start fresh and rebuild their reputation 
. Can't wait to see what changes come next!!!
that language was totally unacceptable 
no wonder Bass Pro Shops dude Johnny Morris went nuclear 
the league needs to shake things up 
hopefully they'll bring in someone with some class 
or at least not be a total clown 
Nascar fans deserve better 
this is a wild ride... i mean who says that kinda stuff? nascar's gotta do some serious damage control before they can even think about bringing in new blood. all those rich sponsors are gonna be like "nah, we're outta here" if they don't clean up their act 
