NASCAR, which is already tangled in the middle of a big antitrust lawsuit, now faces fresh heat from leaked private chats from the NASCAR leadership. These leaked messages paint a rough picture of the real internal side of the leadership and the sport that clashes with the fan-friendly image NASCAR tries to keep. As the December 1 trial looms, this timing couldn’t be worse for the organization.

Fans see these ugly words as a sign of deeper issues like fading trust, especially at a time when NASCAR needs unity to grow amid its dipping viewership. The backlash has already been building, and now, one set of messages could stand out as the breaking point.

Buried in court files for the antitrust case, texts from 2022 show NASCAR’s then-president, Steve Phelps, and COO, Steve O’Donnell, lashing out over Denny Hamlin‘s plan to race in the SRX Series. That short-lived racing event, co-owned by Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham, drew big names like Kyle Busch from 2021 to 2023 on small tracks for fun, one-off shows.

But when Hamlin, a Joe Gibbs Racing driver, joined the opener, O’Donnell fired off, “This is NASCAR. Pure and simple. Enough. We need legal to take a shot at this.” Phelps jumped in, calling the participants “just plain stupid” and pushing to “put a knife in this trash series.”

This wasn’t just talk, and maybe it was a bad coincidence, but SRX folded after low ratings on ESPN. However, the exchange highlights NASCAR’s fear of any competition. And the insults didn’t just stop there.

Steve Phelps and Steve O’Donnell Need to be Out of the Sport Forever (via u/Dickis88) https://t.co/T1AglQy7iJ #NASCAR

— r/NASCAR on Reddit (@NASCARonReddit) November 22, 2025

It hit Hall of Famer Richard Childress next. During the heated 2023 owner meetings on pay beyond 2031, Phelps got real-time updates from executive Brian Herbst and unloaded, saying, “Childress needs to be taken out back and flogged. He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to NASCAR.”

He later called Childress an “idiot,” “dinosaur,” and “a—clown,” many times, and suggested Childress sell his charter if unhappy.

Richard Childress Racing team signed the deal anyway last year, but these words sting amid the lawsuit. Teams like 23XI argue that NASCAR has a monopoly over the sport, and these leaks strengthen the claims of bullying. The leak may potentially sway the jury, as Phelps wanted “zero wins for the teams” in chats.

These raw exchanges have fans questioning if NASCAR executives can ever mend fences with the very owners that they trashed about in their chats.

Fan backlash hits hard

One supporter captured the growing doubt best by commenting, “Normally I’d say relationships can be repaired. But I think the larger problem is that Phelps and O’Donnell seem really out of touch and pigheaded. These texts about SRX strike me as the thoughts of two people who have lost the plot.”

It’s a fair take, given SRX’s quick rise pulled stars like Chase Elliott and exposed NASCAR’s tight grip on schedules. Back in 2021, the series kicked off at Stafford Speedway with 1.2 million viewers on CBS, which challenged the Cup’s dominance. Fans worry about the attitude these executives carry, like they might block fresh ideas from young people in the organization.

Shifting to the lawsuit’s sting, another voice shared, “It’s very disappointing. Because while I was supporting 23xi and FRM from the legalese standpoint, I was low-key backing the Steves’ plans for growth of the sport. But now it’s turned into a case of “If I knew then what I know now.””

This hits home with charter values reaching up to $40 million last year, yet teams fight for transparency on media rights. The 2024 breakdown left 23XI without a charter, forcing open entries that risk their spots. But the fan was supporting Steve about his steps and idea to grow the sport more, like picking new venues for cup races and all, but this leaked chat makes the fan question himself about his knowledge of the sport.

Tony Stewart‘s distance makes sense to many, as one put it: “After seeing the texts on SRX, it’s no wonder why Smoke has decided to stay the hell away from the sport and focus on NHRA…”

Stewart, a three-time Cup champ and SRX co-founder, skipped NASCAR events post-2023, diving into NHRA team ownership instead. His 2021 SRX launch aimed to revive short-track vibes, but NASCAR’s “trash” label soured ties, which pushed him away from NASCAR and toward NHRA, where now he owns a top fuel team.

“Just imagine how they feel about the fans.”

With attendance dipping 5% in 2024 per NASCAR reports, these leaks echo broader issues like the France family effectively keeping a large majority of the total media rights cash. NASCAR won’t be here today without the support of the fans, who helped build the sport through decades of tailgates and filling the grandstand, only to see executives badmouth icons like Childress, who won titles with Dale Earnhardt.

A fresh face tops wish lists: “I vote Dale Jr to be the new top executive of NASCAR. He knows what made the sport great and I trust him to get it back there.”

Earnhardt Jr., who was involved in the sport from his very early years because of his legendary father, Dale Earnhardt, retired from full-time racing in 2017. Now he runs his podcast and the CARS Tour, and he knows everything about the sport, like when the sport was at its peak and when the sport hit its downfall. Dale Jr. has seen it all and knows very well how to respond to all that. All these things make him a worthy contender for a top post in NASCAR.

Finally, the call rings clear: “Just resign at this point. Even if you win, how are you gonna talk to the owners with a straight face after all this s–t has gone public?”

Post-leak, the whole garage is talking about this; fans are being concerned about the future of the sport if these execs continue, and some are making jokes. So even if NASCAR wins, how will these execs stare Childress in the face after they have called him whatnot?

Yes, the sport’s fun, but NASCAR is also serious, where fans and teams are both passionate about racing. The leaked messages say a lot and raise questions about the sport being run in the hands of those who haven’t been respectful towards the team owners behind their backs. Questions that you, as a fan, could think and answer.