NASCAR official Steve Phelps recently found himself in the eye of the storm after leaked internal conversations revealed his blunt and abrasive remarks about longtime team owner Richard Childress, whom he labeled “dumba**.” The revelation spread on social media, and fans wasted no time calling for Phelps to step down, insisting the sport could not turn a blind eye to comments that cut this deep.
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One fan, stunned by Phelps’s choice of words toward the RCR owner, wrote, “In no sane universe does Steve Phelps talk that way about Richard Childress and get to keep his job,” a sentiment that opened the floodgates for others to air their frustrations beneath the original post, creating a chorus of outrage as fans weighed in on the escalating fallout.
A fan pointed to the long-running tug-of-war between RTA and NASCAR, saying, “Of course, none of these people like each other between RTA/NASCAR and their fight for control of stock car racing. That being said, the way in which Phelps said that, tells me he is the origin of the regret of redneck NASCAR fans that comes off. He has to go.”
Another demanded Phelps’s immediate resignation as Commissioner of NASCAR, writing, “He better not keep his job. If he does we boycott.”
A third fan didn’t pull any punches, adding, “He would be lucky if he gets to keep his teeth. Where would NASCAR be today if not for Childress – let alone the black #3? Answer: it would have sold all its land to Amazon and Walmart for distribution centers a decade ago.”
Someone else preferred to watch the chaos open more, saying, “Sit back, crack open a beer, and watch. Lol.”
In no sane universe does Steve Phelps talk that way about Richard Childress and get to keep his job.
— The Catch Fence ™ (@TheCatchFence) November 22, 2025
The leak traced its roots back to Childress’s comments on SiriusXM NASCAR in 2023, where he addressed charter negotiations, questioned the financial structure of the Next Gen model, and wondered who truly stood to gain from a fresh media deal.
He explained he could build 14 former Cup cars for what it costs to assemble seven Next Gen cars. Asked whether a new media package would prove beneficial, he responded, “For who?”
During a meeting that same year with team owners, Phelps received text updates from Chief Media & Revenue Officer Brian Herbst, and the two traded remarks as they navigated tense charter-extension talks, aiming to expose how delicate the broadcast-rights landscape could become without unified backing across the industry.
The screenshots shared by Bob Pockrass on his official X handle placed the exchanges front and center. Phelps described Childress as a stumbling block, writing, “Childress is an idiot. If they don’t like the state of the sport, sell your charter and get out,” followed by, “Did I mention Childress was an idiot?”
He escalated further, adding, “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 of hundred million dollars – every dollar associated with NASCAR in some fashion. Total ass-clown.”
He didn’t stop there, as another message read, “Childress needs to be taken out back and flogged. He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to NASCAR.”
Sources noted that before the messages came to light, Phelps was told about the happening, and he reached out to Childress to warn him they would surface. He explained the remarks as raw frustration from a period when discussions surrounding NASCAR’s economic structure stretched everyone thin, and tempers easily broke through the surface.
