Richard Childress and Richard Childress Racing were taken aback by unearthed internal text messages between NASCAR executives featured in a recent dump of legal documents tied to the upcoming lawsuit from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR.
In the text messages, NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps and Brian Herbst, NASCAR EVP, Chief Media & Revenue Officer, the executives bash Childress, a six-time NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning team owner, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017.
On Monday afternoon, Richard Childress Racing issued a statement on the messages, where the organization and team owner stated their deep disappointment with the content contained within the text conversations between NASCAR executives.
“RCR and Richard Childress are deeply disappointed by the insensitive and defamatory statements made about Mr. Childress in recently surfaced text messages between NASCAR executives Steve Phelps and Brian Herbst. These comments reflect the way certain NASCAR executives have historically viewed and treated many team owners like Mr. Childress, who have devoted their lives to strengthening the sport for its fans, its sponsors, and all who compete in it,” the team said in its statement.
The statement continued by saying that there will be no further statements as the team owner and organization are mulling legal action.
“RCR and Richard Childress are equally disappointed for the NASCAR fans, with whom Mr. Childress closely identifies, given his humble and hard-working background. Mr. Childress and the organization will issue no further statements regarding these or other defamatory text messages that have recently surfaced, as legal action is being contemplated and discussed with legal counsel.”
In the text message exchange from August 2023, Phelps tells Herbst, “Childress needs to be taken out back and flogged. He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to nascar.”
Herbst, who hadn’t seen and interview that Phelps was referencing, kept the conversation going about how the Charter negotiations between NASCAR and the teams was going, to which Phelps responded, “These guys are short sighted and self serving. Childress is an idiot. If they don’t like the state of the sport, sell you charter and get out.”
After Herbst indicated he was out of the meetings that he was in, Phelps jabbed again, “Did I mention that Childress is an idiot?”
To which Herbst responded, “Just listened to the hit. He is an idiot,” and Herbst would follow up by saying, “So many false claims and/or disingenuous statements.”
Phelps would finish the section of conversation by again reiterating that if Childress wasn’t happy, he should sell his charters, and he took another personal shot at Childress.
“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 hundred million dollars – every dollar associated with nascar in some fashion. Total ass-clown.”
Things are getting ugly, and the trial, which led to the document dump that has potentially spawned more legal action, hasn’t even officially kicked off. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports will face off against NASCAR in an antitrust lawsuit set to begin on December 1.
3 Responses
NASCAR needs to get sued Steve Phelps the one that needs to be taken out back and have his ass swiped cause he’s stupid he come from the rodeo circuit. You don’t know nothing about NASCAR or race cars. They need to get rid of all them shooting and tie people and get people in their noses what race is all about so why the sports gone downhill so I know attendance is down TV ratings are down sport is gone down the toilet.
Send the ones running their mouths packing, because if it wasn’t for our team owners and Drivers there wouldn’t be a NASCAR… Richard Childress has been in NASCAR before those jackwagons were even out of diapers… He knows the sport better than some…
The way I see it they Phelps an others keep coming for the teams and drivers cause they have our drivers on the edge not knowing if there going to even race in 26
So let’s get back to the the threats that people from NASCAR are making to all . It’s not right they should shut there mouth on till the trial begins just as everyone is.
I can’t wait for it to end maybe there won’t be a winner
Ok let’s see what happens