![\"Steve](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-1188229598-e1619362209780.jpg\")
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Steve Phelps has heard some critical comments about money.<\/p>\n
Amid the ongoing antitrust lawsuit involving 23XI Racing<\/a> and Front Row Motorsports<\/a>, newly released documents have revealed blunt private messages from top NASCAR officials.<\/p>\n These leaks have set off major reactions across the racing world. The lawsuit, filed in October 2024, claims NASCAR has used anti-competitive rules, especially through the charter system that controls team access and revenue.<\/p>\n The unsealed messages come from 2021 and 2022 and show Steve Phelps and\u00a0 Steve O\u2019Donnell calling team owner Richard Childress a \u201cstupid redneck.<\/a>\u201d They also mocked the Superstar Racing Experience<\/a>, or SRX, with O\u2019Donnell saying the series drew smaller crowds than a \u201clocal dirt track.\u201d<\/p>\n Retired drivers break the silence<\/p>\n Active Cup Series drivers have not publicly responded, but several retired stars have. Mark Martin<\/a>, a 40-time Cup Series winner<\/a>, said the leaks left him deeply disappointed. \u201cJust so disappointing. We should be giving people who love Motorsports more of what they love and maybe the sport would grow and bring in more fans of all ages.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis has been going on in the sport I love. I\u2019m just disappointed all the way around. There were plenty of problems before Charters and the RTA, but I\u2019m not sure how you ever fix all this now he added.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n Tommy Joe Martins<\/a>, a former Xfinity Series driver, said the messages confirmed the concerns he has had for years. \u201cEvery text from everyone involved just confirms everything I\u2019ve felt for 10+ years. It\u2019s not a disappointment to see it all; it\u2019s a relief. I wasn\u2019t just dreaming it up. It was actually happening.\u201d<\/p>\n His reaction highlights the long-standing pressure smaller teams say they have faced in trying to compete. For many of those teams, the leaked texts support claims that NASCAR has kept too much control and limited open competition.<\/p>\n Former Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield<\/a> also spoke out. He focused on the insult toward Childress, saying, \u201cIf it weren\u2019t for \u2018stupid\u2019 rednecks, those \u2018suits\u2019 wouldn\u2019t have a job.\u201d Mayfield defended Childress, a Hall of Fame owner who has been part of the sport\u2019s growth for decades. His comments pointed back to NASCAR\u2019s early roots, when the sport was built by working-class drivers and small operations.<\/p>\n Kenny Wallace adds more perspective<\/p>\n Veteran driver Kenny Wallace<\/a> posted a video responding to the leaked texts. He said, \u201cI\u2019ve never seen NASCAR in this bad of shape.\u201d Wallace said SRX was not a real threat to NASCAR and argued the negative comments in the messages showed bigger problems inside the organization. His take added to the growing online discussion, where fans debated leadership, competition, and trust in the sport\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n The lawsuit claims NASCAR has restricted fair competition and limited team choices through its charter rules. The texts could become key evidence, showing what top officials thought about outside series like SRX and how they viewed team owners during the time the lawsuit covers.<\/p>\n What this means going forward<\/p>\n The leaked messages have raised more questions about NASCAR\u2019s leadership structure. Fans<\/a> and retired drivers are now watching how the lawsuit unfolds. The case could bring changes to the charter system if the court decides in favor of the plaintiffs. They argue that the current model blocks new teams and protects only the strongest groups.<\/p>\n As more information comes out, the case may shape how NASCAR handles competition and team rights. For now, the leaked texts have offered a rare look into private discussions, and the reactions from former drivers show how serious the moment is for the sport\u2019s future.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tDogli Wilberforce<\/a> is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on NASCAR\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Steve Phelps has heard some critical comments about money. Amid the ongoing antitrust lawsuit involving 23XI Racing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":301650,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-306018","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nascar","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-nascar","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=306018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306018\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/301650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=306018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=306018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}