Kenny Wallace didn\u2019t hold back when he addressed the latest wave of text messages tied to NASCAR\u2019s antitrust lawsuit, a reveal that exposed internal conversations in which top executives from the sport, including Steve Phelps, used crude language about longtime team owner Richard Childress.<\/p>\n
The remarks surfaced through filings connected to the suit brought by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, which accuses NASCAR of monopolistic control over tracks and media rights. The documents also revealed apprehension within NASCAR leadership over the SRX series<\/a>, which they viewed as a potential threat to television numbers despite its smaller footprint.<\/p>\n The disclosures land just days before the December 1, 2025, trial and have intensified public scrutiny of NASCAR\u2019s leadership. Some fans and insiders now argue that the sport may be headed toward a reckoning involving revenue-sharing changes or even teams walking away if tensions escalate. Wallace echoed that concern during his Coffee with Kenny episode, reciting Phelps\u2019 words in disbelief.<\/p>\n \u201cSteve Phelps from NASCAR, he\u2019s not the president right now, but I can\u2019t even believe I\u2019m saying this. He said Richard Childress, one of our biggest car owners in NASCAR, needs to be taken out back and flogged because he\u2019s a dumbass redneck. Should I repeat that?\u201d Wallace said, quoting the internal exchange.<\/p>\n The messages stemmed from Childress\u2019s comments about charter negotiations during a 2023 appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, where he critiqued the economics of the Next Gen model and questioned who truly benefited from a potential new media deal.<\/p>\n He 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, \u201cFor who?\u201d<\/p>\n During a meeting that same year with team owners, Phelps received text updates from Chief Media & 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.<\/p>\n In the newly surfaced reveal, Phelps described Childress as an impediment to progress, writing, \u201cChildress is an idiot. If they don\u2019t like the state of the sport, sell your charter and get out.\u201d<\/p>\n