Steve Phelps became NASCAR’s first Commissioner in March of 2025 after previously working as the president of NASCAR since 2018.

However, he will leave that position at the end of January, and NASCAR does not plan to replace the role of Commissioner for the time being. Instead, his duties will be shared by other existing executives. As for why there won’t be someone else appointed to the role of Commissioner, NASCAR said that this change “comes during a time of stability with an exceptional leadership team in place that ensures the continuity of NASCAR’s strategic vision and critical execution.”

NASCAR also called it a ‘personal decision’ by Phelps to leave, who released the following statement:

“As a lifelong race fan, it gives me immense pride to have served as NASCAR’s first Commissioner and to lead our great sport through so many incredible challenges, opportunities and firsts over my 20 years,” said Phelps. Our sport is built on the passion of our fans, the dedication of our teams and partners, and the commitment of our wonderful employees. It has been an honor to help synthesize the enthusiasm of long-standing NASCAR stakeholders with that of new entrants to our ecosystem, such as media partners, auto manufacturers, track operators, and incredible racing talent.

Nascar Commissioner Steve Phelps

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

“As I embark on new pursuits in sports and other industries, I want to thank the many colleagues, friends, and especially the fans that have played such an important and motivational role in my career. Words cannot fully convey the deep appreciation I have for this life-changing experience, for the trust of the France family, and for having a place in NASCAR’s amazing history.”

No reason was given for his departure and he was praised throughout the news release, but Phelps hasn’t been the most popular man in the garage in recent months. He was criticized heavily for some controversial comments that came out during the 23XI/FRM vs. NASCAR antitrust lawsuit, which ended with a settlement partway through the trial. In unsealed documents showing messages between NASCAR leadership, Phelps called longtime team owner Richard Childress a “stupid redneck” and suggested he needed to be flogged.

This sparked widespread condemnation, and in the middle of the trial, Bass Pro Shops CEO Johnny Morris published a scathing letter in defense of Childress, and implied that he would like to see Phelps removed from his position. 

Speaking on his departure, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said: “Steve will forever be remembered as one of NASCAR’s most impactful leaders. For decades he has worked tirelessly to thrill fans, support teams and execute a vision for the sport that has treated us all to some of the greatest moments in our nearly 80-year history. It’s been an honor to work alongside him in achieving the impossible like being the first sport to return during Covid, or in delivering the unimaginable by launching new races in the LA Memorial Coliseum and NASCAR’s first-ever street race in downtown Chicago. Steve leaves NASCAR with a transformative legacy of innovation and collaboration with an unrelenting growth mindset.”

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– The Motorsport.com Team

Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. (RACER), the premier North American authority on motorsports and car culture, today announced the appointment of CJ Olivares as Group CEO. Olivares, who currently serves as President of RACER Network LLC (RACER Network), will expand his leadership to include strategic and day-to-day oversight of the operations of RACER. He succeeds RACER founder Paul Pfanner, who departs the CEO role after three decades.

A decorated 35-year media executive, Olivares brings a distinguished record of building and scaling high-growth digital, linear, FAST and streaming businesses. He is widely recognized for founding Fox Sports’ FUEL TV, where he successfully transformed niche action sports into a dominant cultural force. In the last year, Olivares has spearheaded the integration and rebranding of the RACER Network (formerly MAVTV), driving significant gains in distribution and 50% year-over-year viewership growth through a commitment to diversified racing and automotive programming, as well as narratively-driven storytelling that humanizes the stars of the sport.

“CJ’s strategic expertise and operational depth make him the ideal leader to guide our unified and multifaceted RACER-branded platforms into the next era,” said Chris Dyson, who serves as the Chairman of the Board of both RACER and the RACER Network. “His ability to marry the brand’s outstanding reporting and unique storytelling with modern broadcast and digital delivery ensures that RACER will continue to lead the motorsports media landscape.”

This step represents material progress in a multi-year effort to leverage the RACER companies’ historically distinct media assets to create an integrated content and services powerhouse designed for the modern media era, and sets the stage for the more closely aligned RACER-branded properties to build on the 1.5 billion impressions delivered in 2025.

Olivares leads a RACER group platform encompassing a comprehensive suite of media and service offerings: the RACER Network (television and streaming), RACER Digital (web and app), RACER Podcasts, the RACER Creator Network, the authoritative and collectible RACER Magazine and the creative agency RACER Studio. This streamlined offering is designed to provide a seamless experience for fans and a 360-degree solution for commercial partners. 

“The media and marketing landscapes are evolving at a breakneck pace, and the RACER platform is now uniquely positioned to lead that charge in the motorsports and car culture space,” said Olivares. “Our focus moving forward is twofold: diversify our content offering to engage the transformative influx of new racing fans and automotive enthusiasts, and energize our revenue streams through innovative brand partnerships and aggressive subscription growth. We are building the definitive ‘campfire’ for motorsports and car culture.”

Olivares’ strategy emphasizes human-centric storytelling and digital-first accessibility. By leveraging the RACER Creator Network and the high-end production capabilities of RACER Studio, he aims to expand engagement across all platforms—from traditional broadcast to social media—ensuring the brand’s continued dominance in both the motorsports and automotive space.

About Racer Media & Marketing

Founded in 1992, RACER is the premier motorsports media brand in North America, delivering industry-leading content across multiple platforms, including the newly launched RACER Creator Network and RACER Podcasts along with motorsport culture-defining touchstones RACER.com and RACER magazine. The company also operates a strategic consulting, branding and marketing agency – RACER Studio – and produces live streamed events. Its clients have included BMW, Dodge SRT, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Porsche, Toyota, IMSA, IndyCar, Laguna Seca, SCCA, Trans-Am, Monster Energy, American Legion, Lime Rock Park, Piloti, and many others. 

About MAVTV (Now RACER Network)

RACER Network, formerly MAVTV, is the premier motorsports broadcast and digital platform dedicated exclusively to delivering the most comprehensive motorsports and automotive enthusiast content across cable TV, FAST channels and streaming. With a passion for the culture at its core, RACER Network offers an unparalleled lineup of live racing, documentary series, news and analysis, and car culture shows high-quality original programming to millions of fans worldwide.

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Two people riding a dirt bike were killed after colliding with a Kia SUV at the intersection of East 22nd Street and South Country Club Road late Monday night, the Tucson Police Department said.

The crash occurred Jan. 5 at about 10:00 p.m. Police identified the victims as 18-year-old E’Lyanha Nevaeh Valenzuela and 20-year-old Mickey Daniel Ortiz. Both were pronounced dead at the scene; their next of kin have been notified. The driver of the Kia was not injured.

According to investigators, an SSR Motorsports dirt bike was traveling eastbound on 22nd Street when a Kia SUV made a left turn from westbound 22nd Street onto southbound Country Club Road. The dirt bike struck the passenger side of the SUV. Police say the two on the dirt bike were not wearing helmets and that the dirt bike was not equipped with a working headlamp.

Traffic Detectives and the Crime Scene Unit responded and are continuing the investigation. Detectives are working to determine the color of the traffic signals at the time of the collision, and it has not yet been confirmed which of the two victims was the rider and which was the passenger.

Spring Mountain Motor Resort & Country Club, located near Pahrump, operates as one of the region’s primary motorsports training and track venues, hosting a range of programs from public track days to high-level driving experiences. The complex uses multiple track configurations to accommodate instruction programs, private club events and national-level activities, attracting both local drivers and out-of-area visitors.

For Nye County the facility is more than a hobbyist destination; it functions as an economic engine. Visitors attending multi-day instruction sessions and track events generate demand for hotel rooms, restaurant meals and automotive services in Pahrump. Local businesses benefit from increased occupancy and customer traffic, particularly during the cooler months when many events are scheduled. That seasonal concentration means revenues tied to track activity are uneven through the year, with a heavier share of spending clustered in fall, winter and spring months.

Operational details matter for residents and businesses planning around events. Advance registration is required for track participation, and the resort enforces safety and helmet requirements for drivers and passengers. Public access to some resort areas is limited during events, and event weekends typically bring higher traffic volumes and louder ambient noise levels near the facility. Residents planning travel or outdoor activities near the track should consult the event calendar before heading out.

The relationship between the resort and the wider community also presents opportunities and trade-offs. The flow of visitors supports local hotels, restaurants and service providers, but it also creates short-term externalities that require management – from traffic routing to noise mitigation. Local businesses can leverage event schedules by aligning staffing and inventory with peak weekends, and service providers can market maintenance and hospitality packages to visiting drivers and teams. Event organizers and county officials can reduce friction by coordinating permits, public access rules and traffic plans in advance.

Practical steps for Nye County residents and businesses include checking the resort’s event calendar before travel to anticipate noise and congestion, confirming which areas are open to the public on event days, and contacting the resort directly about permits or potential business partnerships. As a multi-use motorsports venue that draws national-level participants, Spring Mountain will remain a notable contributor to Pahrump’s visitor economy and a focal point for community planning around tourism, traffic and local services.

Over 70 drivers are expected to hit the high banks as the 2026 ARCA Menards Series season fires up with its annual Pre-Race Practice at Daytona International Speedway on Friday and Saturday, January 9 and 10. 

The entry list for the two days of track activity leading into the season-opening Daytona ARCA 200 is led by pre-season championship favorites Isabella Robusto and Thomas Annunziata, both of whom will be campaigning full-time for Nitro Motorsports. Nitro, led by team principal Nick Tucker, will also field cars for 2024 Daytona winner Gus Dean and 2024 Talladega winner Jake Finch, as well as ARCA Menards Series West winner Jake Bollman. Youngsters Jade Avedisian and Gavan Boschele will also make laps in a Nitro Motorsports Toyota at the pre-race practice. 

Reigning championship team Pinnacle Racing Group, who took Brenden “Butterbean” Queen to the title in 2025, will not be chasing the ARCA Menards Series drivers’ championship in 2026 but the team’s Chevrolets will be loaded with talent at Daytona, with drivers Jack Wood, team manager Shane Huffman’s son Landon S. Huffman, Carson Brown, and Taylor Reimer set to make laps. Brown, just 17 years old, will compete for the ARCA Menards Series East championship in 2026. 

KLAS Motorsports will be at Daytona with two cars for the first time, as perennial contender and fan favorite Andy Jankowiak looks for his first career series victory with teammate Glen Reen alongside. YouTube superstar Garrett Mitchell, known to his fans as Cletus McFarland, will also return for his second attempt at Daytona in a Ford prepared by Rette Jones Racing. 

Former Daytona runner-up finisher and 2024 pole winner Willie Mullins is expected to participate, along with 2012 pole winner and five-time Daytona top-five finisher Sean Corr. Tim Richmond, who started on the front row and finished a career-best fifth at Daytona in 2024, will be on track, as well as Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota drivers Max Reaves and Gio Ruggiero in addition to 2025 ARCA Menards East champion Isaac Kitzmiller. 

Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track High Performance Racing Team will field entries for Presley Sorah, Ed Pompa, Ohio’s Austin Hill, and Takuma Koga in addition to six drivers participating in the ARCA Menards Series Road to Daytona program. Hudson Bulger, Albert Francis, Robbie Kennealy, Kody King, Craig Lutz, and Brad May will all spend half a day on track in a car prepared by Hillenburg, a two-time ARCA Menards Series winner at Daytona in 1995 and 1997. 

Live timing and scoring data will be available throughout the two days of track activity via ARCARacing.com. 

The 2026 ARCA Menards Series formally launches its 74th season, as it has since 1964, at Daytona International Speedway with practice on Thursday, February 12, Pole Qualifying on Friday, February 13, and the 63rd Annual Daytona ARCA 200 set for 12 noon ET on Saturday, February 14. The race will be televised live on FOX and broadcast nationwide on select affiliates of the MRN Radio Network. Live timing & scoring for all on track sessions is available at ARCARacing.com. 

ARCA PR

Hendrick Motorsports has published a classy response following the announcement on Tuesday that NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps would be stepping down at the end of January after 21 years with the organization.

Phelps’ announcement came in the wake of the antitrust lawsuit, which was filed by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, with both teams refusing to sign the new 2024 charter agreement, alleging “monopolistic” behavior on NASCAR’s part.

The lawsuit, filed in October 2024, ultimately went to court in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a series of damning messages from Phelps were unearthed, seemingly sealing his fate. Ultimately, the case was settled after eight days, with Evergreen charters being the major talking point of the deal.

Responding to Phelps’ decision, Hendrick published a statement later that day, saying: “We thank Steve Phelps for his leadership and dedication to NASCAR over the past two decades. 

“He helped our sport navigate opportunities, challenges and periods of significant change while positioning it for the future. We appreciate his service and wish him all the best in his next chapter.”

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The last month has been tough on Phelps after some of his irate messages during charter negotiations came to light.

The most brutal comments of all came in a chain of messages between Phelps and Chief Media & Revenue Officer Brian Herbst during charter negotiations with teams in 2023. At this point, NASCAR was also negotiating what turned out to be a blockbuster seven-year $7.7 billion broadcasting rights deal with Fox, NBC, Amazon Prime Video, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Phelps specifically aimed his frustrations at 80-year-old Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress, commenting: “Childress is an idiot. If they don’t like the state of the sport, sell your charter and get out,” before adding: “Did I mention Childress was an idiot?”

Later, Phelps would go on to suggest: “If he’s that angry (and apparently he is), sign your charter extension and sell. He’s not smart, is a dinosaur, and a malcontent. He’s worth a couple hundred million dollars — every dollar associated with NASCAR in some fashion. Total a–clown.”

The reveal of these messages not only prompted Childress to threaten legal action, but also drew the ire of major sponsor Bass Pro Shops in a public undressing of NASCAR via a letter released on social media.

The following day, a settlement was reached between the teams and NASCAR, which included evergreen charters and the reinstatement of both 23XI and FRM’s six full-time rides as chartered entrants. It is also believed that NASCAR would have had to shell out tens of millions of dollars to settle the case with both teams.

Fast forward to January 6, and Phelps announced he was stepping down, explaining in a statement: “As a lifelong race fan, it gives me immense pride to have served as NASCAR’s first Commissioner and to lead our great sport through so many incredible challenges, opportunities and firsts over my 20 years.

“Our sport is built on the passion of our fans, the dedication of our teams and partners and the commitment of our wonderful employees. It has been an honor to help synthesize the enthusiasm of long-standing NASCAR stakeholders with that of new entrants to our ecosystem, such as media partners, auto manufacturers, track operators and incredible racing talent. 

As I embark on new pursuits in sports and other industries, I want to thank the many colleagues, friends and especially the fans that have played such an important and motivational role in my career. Words cannot fully convey the deep appreciation I have for this life-changing experience, for the trust of the France family and for having a place in NASCAR’s amazing history.”