Kenny Wallace didn’t hold back when he gave his take about the latest wave of text messages tied to NASCAR’s antitrust lawsuit. The reveal exposed internal conversations in which top executives from the sport, including Steve Phelps, used crude language about longtime team owner Richard Childress.
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The remarks surfaced through filings connected to the suit by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, which accused NASCAR of monopolistic control over tracks and media rights. The documents also revealed apprehension within NASCAR leadership over the SRX series, viewed as a potential threat to television numbers despite its smaller footprint.
The disclosures landed just days before the December 1, 2025, trial and have intensified public scrutiny of NASCAR’s leadership. Some fans and insiders feel the sport may be headed toward a reckoning involving revenue-sharing changes and could even witness teams walking away if tensions escalate.
Wallace echoed that concern in the latest episode of Coffee with Kenny, after repeating Phelps’ words in disbelief.
“Steve Phelps from NASCAR, he’s not the president right now, but I can’t even believe I’m saying this. He said Richard Childress, one of our biggest car owners in NASCAR, needs to be taken out back and flogged because he’s a dumba** redneck. Should I repeat that?” Wallace said, quoting the internal exchange.
The messages stemmed from Childress’ comments about charter negotiations during a 2023 appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The long-time team owner had critiqued the economics of the Next Gen model and questioned who truly benefited from a potential new media deal.
Childress had noted he could build 14 former Cup cars for the cost of seven Next Gen cars. When asked whether a new media package would be positive, he responded, “For who?”
During a meeting that same year with team owners, Phelps received text updates from NASCAR’s Chief Media and Revenue Officer, Brian Herbst. The two exchanged remarks while navigating charter-extension discussions, hoping to reveal how fragile the upcoming broadcast rights negotiations could become without broad industry alignment.
In the newly surfaced texts, Phelps described Childress as an impediment to progress. “Childress is an idiot. If they don’t like the state of the sport, sell your charter and get out,” wrote Phelps, before insulting Childress further.
“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 a**-clown,” Phelps had added.
Wallace repeated the exact words used by Phelps: “Childress needs to be taken out back and flogged. He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to NASCAR.”
According to veteran reporter Bob Pockrass, Phelps got in touch with Childress sometime ago to tell him he didn’t actually mean what he said. However, the messages now sit in the public domain as NASCAR enters one of the most consequential legal battles in its history.
