More internal messages from NASCAR leaders have kept popping up in the 23XI Racing /Front Row Motorsports antitrust case and the latest batch may be the most damaging ones yet to come to light. This may be a point of no return, or at least a point fans can’t unsee.
Things started a day ago with some pretty weird texts mocking the Superstar Racing Experience but it’s escalated from there — they’re now dealing with direct insults aimed at team owners, a huge amount of distrust inside the company and even a verbal jab at NASCAR’s fans.
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The latest hand over to the lawyers — a 10 page document full of private conversations — shows a governing body that’s getting more and more frustrated with anyone who dares to disagree with them, and they’re not exactly hiding their hostility.
A few messages revolves around Richard Childress — it now looks like his claims that NASCAR has been working against RCR for years are more true than ever. In some private texts, NASCAR President Steve Phelps called Childress a “ bloody stupid redneck who made their fortune because of NASCAR” that kind of sums up the tone. He also referred to him as an “idiot”, and later said “ this dinosaur and a pain in the arse — total bloody clown.”
His EVP Brian Herbst echoed the idiot line and said the teams are short sighted and only looking out for themselves. Phelps then went on to say that if the owners didn’t like the way things were going, they should just “get rid of the charter and get the hell out of here.”
Also Read:: New Leaked Texts Expose NASCAR Leadership Before Trial
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Latest NASCAR Messages Target Richard Childress And Mock The Fans
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Those comments came during a very critical time — right in the middle of charter negotiations and look like a pretty clear picture of leadership dismissing and belittling any major stakeholders.
A separate exchange between Jeff Dickerson co-owner and CEO of Spire Motorsports, and an unknown person, adds a bit more weirdness to the story. They were discussing his podcast appearance and if Heather Gibbs (co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing) had been “planted” on him and also talked about his comments that might “ruin the whole deal” but the real kicker came at the end of their conversation when the unknown person said: “Unfortunately, most our fans are not exactly top readers.”
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It was a throw away line, but its pretty jarring when you put it next to Phelps’ insults towards a Hall of Fame team owner. Between calling Childress a clown and joking that fans are basically too dumb to read, these leaked messages show a pretty demeaning attitude going on behind closed doors.
These messages fit into a pattern we’ve seen running throughout the court documents: NASCAR leadership getting defensive and aggressively towards drivers, team owners, rival series and even now, the fans.
In a case about whether NASCAR uses its power to control every single corner of the business, these private conversations are going to be a real problem for the organization.The trial will make the call on if NASCAR’s governance crosses the line into breaking the law. But the public reaction is already changing fast. People are starting to say the same thing across the fanbase.
Fans are at their breaking point, saying between the attacks on Richard Childress and the “our fans don’t all read” comment, they’re done with the sport altogether, calling the NASCAR leadership “uptown suit idiots,” and saying “NASCAR doesn’t care about the fans, drivers, owners, or growing the sport.”
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And these comments are becoming the norm. The trial is set for December 1 but at the very least, Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan may have just done the sport a world of good by forcing these issues into the open.
Also Read:: Can NASCAR Survive the Charter NASCAR After the Judge’s Warning?
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