Richard Childress Racing said in a statement Monday that “legal action is being considered” after the owner of its namesake team was insulted by NASCAR executives in unsealed text messages as part of the ongoing lawsuit against sanctioning body 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
“RCR and Richard Childress are deeply disappointed by the insensitive and defamatory statements made about Mr. Childress in recently surfaced text messages between NASCAR executives Steve Phelps and Brian Herbst. These comments reflect how some NASCAR executives have historically viewed and treated many team owners like Mr. Childress, who have dedicated their lives to strengthening the sport for its fans, sponsors and all who participate. RCR and Richard Childress are equally disappointed for NASCAR fans, with whom Mr. Childress closely identifies given his humble and hardworking background.
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“Mr. Childress and the organization will make no further statements regarding these or other defamatory text messages that have recently surfaced as legal action is being considered and discussed with legal counsel.”
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Steve Phelps calls Richard Childress a redneck idiot in unsealed text
In 2023 text messages that were unsealed Friday evening, NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps said Childress “needs to be taken out and whipped.” He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to NASCAR’ in a text conversation with media director Brian Herbst.
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Phelps added, again, that “Chilress is an idiot” and that “if they don’t like the sport, sell (your) charter and leave.” And for good measure, he told Herbst again, “Did I mention that Childress is an idiot.”
The animosity dates back to a SiriusXM NASCAR Radio hit in which Childress said some things about the state of charter negotiations that didn’t sit well with NASCAR executives. Specifically, Childress said he could build 14 Gen-6 cars for the price of seven NextGens. And when asked if the new TV deal could be positive, he replied “for whom?”
Since then, Team Childress has also been penalized in two significant ways, with Austin Dillon’s playoff status stripped following a 2024 Richmond win in which the driver crashed Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano on the final lap into the final turn to do so.
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Austin Hill also lost his playoff points for an intentional fall of Aric Almirola’s right back hook this year. At the time, Childress said he was just a redneck when asked if he thought the sanctions were personal, insinuating that he knew to some extent what was said.
Over the weekend, NASCAR officials said privately that Phelps contacted Childress to inform him of the impending unsealed text messages, but no details were revealed about the content of that conversation.
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