NASCAR has been on the receiving end of major backlash ever since the private text exchanges between Steve Phelps and Brian Herbst that were abusive toward team owner Richard Childress came out in the open. These messages were shared in 2023 after Childress had expressed critical opinions about the cost of the Next Gen car on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Advertisement
The wording used by the NASCAR executives was so shocking that the entire industry was taken aback. Former drivers have questioned the lack of ethics and professionalism, and one person who has been especially unable to accept this behavior is ex-superstar Mark Martin.
Martin’s friend and former NASCAR racer, Kenny Wallace, spoke about Martin’s current mindset during an interview with Chase Holden recently and explained how it was different from his own. He said, “Mark is crushed. He is in utter disbelief. He’s broken because… I have the ability to forgive and forget. Mark doesn’t. He is way hardcore than me.”
“So, yeah. I am like, ‘This doesn’t surprise me. But wow. It’s really out here, right?’ Mark is like, ‘Oh my god! Do they even like me? Did any of them ever like me, or did they see me as a show horse?”
Martin is an icon, just like Childress. If Childress is being talked about in this manner, there is always the possibility that Martin might be as well. And that makes his fear completely valid.
The messages between Phelps, the NASCAR commissioner, and Herbst, the chief media and revenue officer, were rude and unwarranted. Phelps called the team owner an “idiot” and “a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to NASCAR.” He also stated that he “needed to be taken out back and flogged.”
Following the reveal of the texts, Richard Childress Racing issued a statement saying it was considering legal action against the promotion and the executives involved. The team added that the comments reflected how certain members of the organization have viewed and treated individuals like Mr. Childress for a long time.
The messages have been a thorn in NASCAR’s side, particularly now during the ongoing antitrust lawsuit trial involving 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
