Johnny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops, has been involved in NASCAR for a long time as a sponsor of Richard Childress Racing, among other teams. Morris has been a racing fan for much longer than that.
On Wednesday night, Morris issued a statement where he explained where his love of racing began, and why he feels recently unearthed text messages from Steve Phelps, where he called legendary team owner Richard Childress an “idiot” and “stupid redneck” among other things shows a blatant disrespect for legends in the sport, and that NASCAR can’t remain impartial in its rulings with race teams.
Morris opened the statement by explaining, “I’ve been a NASCAR fan since I was 7 years old when I started going to races at the fairgrounds speedway in my hometown, with my Grandpa Will, who was a lineman for the Frisco Railroad.”
Morris says at that speedway, he watched Willie Crane, Mark Martin, Ken Schrader, the Wallace brothers, and others attempt to defeat his local racing hero, Larry Phillips.
After those formidable years, Morris said he chose to use his company, Bass Pro Shops, to invest as a sponsor in NASCAR, a sport he says resonates with his company, and his core customer.
This is why Morris felt compelled to “speak up today” on behalf of the people who work for Bass Pro Shops, which is a proud sponsor of Richard Childress Racing and driver Austin Dillon.
“As I write this today, way too many of my fellow teammates, our valued customers, our independent dealers and respected members of the conservation and military communities… are outraged by how Richard and his family have been treated by some senior NASCAR leaders,” Morris explained.
Morris claims that the recently disclosed internal documents showing how Phelps spoke about Childress to fellow NASCAR executives shows that Phelps and NASCAR can’t be trusted to be fair and impartial in governing the sport.
“We are extremely upset by the recent disclosure of shockingly offensive and false criticisms of Richard by the Commissioner of NASCAR Steve Phelps. For the Commissioner and his allies, to attack one of the pillars of the sport is incredibly irresponsible and a disservice to everyone involved in NASCAR and its partners, sponsors and fans.
“What Mr. Phelps may or may not be aware of is the fact that in attacking Richard Childress, the racing legend, he is also attacking one of the most respected leaders in America’s conservation community.
“The commissioner has repeatedly labeled Richard as “an idiot,” a “dinosaur,” “a stupid redneck” and a “clown.” The fact is Richard Childress has done as much to build and promote NASCAR as anyone in the history of the sport! The commissioner, in all his rant, has only managed to bring discredit to himself and the sport.
“Many of our teammates have validly expressed concern that the commissioner’s recently revealed contempt for Richard Childress makes it abundantly clear that he and his lieutenants are not capable of being fair and objective when it comes to impartially enforcing the rules and regulations that govern the sport, including the objective assessment of fines and penalties. This is a threat to the very integrity of the sport,” Morris stated.
Morris questioned what would happen if the commissioner of other professional sports leagues were shown to have these kinds of thoughts toward legends in their respective sports.
“We 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? Such blatant disrespect would probably not sit well with the fans – such a commissioner most likely wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, keep his or her job for very long,” Morris said.
Morris ends his statement by admitting that the ongoing legal battle between NASCAR and the teams is painful for all the fans to watch, and that he hopes the leaders of NASCAR never turn their backs on the fans of the sport.
“It is painful for all fans to watch the current conflict and division occurring within the sport we love,” Morris said. “We hope the France family and team owners will reflect carefully on the damage that’s being done to NASCAR in the ongoing dispute and dig deep and strive hard for compromise. We’re cheering for a prompt and fair resolution that creates a positive path to a happy and long-term future for the founding family, team owners and most importantly, the fans.
“One thing is for certain, as the leaders of NASCAR seek to grow the sport and attract new generations of fans, they must never turn their back on, or abandon, the true pioneers and especially fans who form the foundation of the sport we love.”
That is a rather scathing letter from a truly important sponsor in the NASCAR industry, which appeals to and aligns with a large portion of NASCAR’s fanbase. The rippling effects of the ongoing antitrust trial between 23XI Racing/Front Row Motorsports and NASCAR continue to pile up.
