Richard Childress Racing said Monday that it is âactively exploring all legal optionsâ after leaked 2023 text messages showed top NASCAR officials calling team owner Richard Childress a âstupid redneckâ and a âparasite on the sport.â
They were exchanged on December 13, 2023, only hours after Childress spoke on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio about his concerns with the ongoing charter talks.
Childress said NASCAR was âtrying to take everything away from usâ and warned that teams might need to âband togetherâ to protect their position in the sport. The leaked messages pushed an already tense situation into a much more serious direction.
What the Leaked Texts Said About Richard Childress
According to the published messages, NASCAR President Steve Phelps and Executive Vice President Brian Herbst discussed Childress shortly after his radio interview aired. Herbst wrote to Phelps, âThat stupid redneck just went on Sirius and basically said weâre trying to steal from the teams.â Phelps responded, âHeâs such a parasite on the sport.â
These messages arrived at a time when relations between the team-sanctioning body were already strained.
Richard Childress Racing delivered its response through a statement shared by reporter Bob Pockrass. The team said the comments were âdeeply offensive and defamatory,â adding that they were âfactually false and damaging to both his reputation and the reputation of our organization.â RCR said it is looking into âdefamation claimsâ and plans to hold those responsible âaccountable.â
RCR says it is contemplating legal action over the comments in the recently released text exchange between Steve Phelps and Brian Herbst. pic.twitter.com/BcJ1sbIPd9
â Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) November 24, 2025
How This Connects to NASCARâs Ongoing Legal Battles
The leak adds another layer to the legal pressure NASCAR is already facing. The sanctioning body is currently defending two major antitrust lawsuits filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. Those two teams did not sign the 2025-2031 charter extension that other teams accepted in September.
The lawsuits claim NASCAR and the France family have run an illegal monopoly, limiting team revenue while keeping tight control over rules, sponsorship guidelines, and nearly every part of the business side of racing. The leaked texts may affect how those cases are viewed.
Why the Charter Dispute Made This More Intense
Childress has been a longtime critic of the proposed charter deal. The new agreement would give teams a slightly larger share of media revenue and make charters permanent, with removal only possible for major misconduct. At the same time, the deal would also block teams from freely selling or transferring charters after 2031.
With the Daytona 500 coming up, the situation has created one of the biggest rifts between a major team owner and NASCAR leadership.
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