Jeremy Mayfield is speaking again after sixteen years away from the NASCAR spotlight. The former Cup Series driver says the newly leaked text messages from top NASCAR executives support everything he has said since his 2009 suspension.
The texts came out through filings in the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports antitrust case. They showed private conversations that included insults toward Richard Childress and negative comments about long-time fans.
Mayfield said the tone in the messages matched what he faced during his final years in the sport. For him, the leaks reopened a story he has never stopped fighting, and he said they explain why his career ended the way it did.
Mayfield reacts to leaked NASCAR executive messages
On X, Mayfield wrote, “Yeah, I feel vindicated. This proves what I’ve said 4 years, they don’t need a reason. Not fitting their mold is enough. I wasn’t their vanilla driver. I came n rough, hard-nosed, made mistakes, & spoke my mind. Racing was my whole life. Now you’re seeing why they did what they did.”
The leaked texts showed top executives mocking Richard Childress and using words like clown and hillbilly. Other messages dismissed traditional fans and suggested certain old-school figures needed to be kept in place. Mayfield said the attitude matched how he was treated during his suspension.
His 2009 drug test case came after two tests NASCAR listed as positive. Mayfield always said the results came from his prescribed Adderall and the over-the-counter medicine Claritin-D. He first won a temporary federal injunction but later lost on appeal.
“I take responsibility for my mistakes and what I’ve done wrong. he said. But I’ll never take responsibility for what I didn’t do.”
Jeremy Mayfield sees his own fight in today’s legal battle
In an interview with Garage Guy Chase, Mayfield said the current charter and antitrust fight looks the same as what he faced in 2009.
“What 23XI and Front Row are going through right now is exactly what I went through. Same lawyers, same bullshit, same threats. I sued them in 2009, and they buried me,” he said.
Mayfield also said many current team owners and drivers stay quiet because they fear losing their place in the sport. He said the leaked messages show how a power imbalance can shape decisions inside the garage.
“They’re scared to death. If they say anything, NASCAR will park ‘em, fine ‘em, or take their charter. That’s how they keep control.”
Richard Childress, who was targeted in the leaked texts, released a short statement saying the truth always comes out. NASCAR has not commented on the messages or on Mayfield’s new comments.
Mayfield comments on NASCAR’s format and his past choices
Mayfield also spoke about how today’s racing format compares to the years when he competed. He raced during the full-season championship era, where every race mattered across all 36 events. He said the current system feels too dependent on one final race.
“This playoff shit has ruined the sport. We raced 36 damn races for a championship, now it’s one race and a video game. Fans hate it,” he said.
Even after the loss of sponsors, the end of his team, and sixteen years away from the garage, Mayfield stands by the decisions he made.
“Zero regrets. I’d do it exactly the same. Somebody had to stand up,” he said.
For Mayfield, the leaked messages are the closest thing to a public correction of the story that followed him for more than a decade.
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