Bass Pro Shops CEO Johnny Morris sent a scorching letter to NASCAR after text messages from commissioner Steve Phelps calling Richard Childress a ‘stupid redneck’ emerged in antitrust trial

Major NASCAR sponsor Bass Pro Shops delivered a blistering letter to NASCAR and the France family in response to commissioner Steve Phelps’ “shockingly offensive” remarks targeting veteran team owner Richard Childress.

NASCAR has been in an antitrust trial involving plaintiffs 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, with the two Cup Series teams alleging the sanctioning body engaged in monopolistic behavior. Eventually, both parties reached a settlement and a telling moment was spotted between 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin and NASCAR chief Jim France in the immediate aftermath.

NBA icon Michael Jordan’s 23XI and FRM filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR last year after becoming the only two Cup Series teams to decline signing the sanctioning body’s charter agreement. Throughout a yearlong legal dispute, multiple unexpected developments unfolded, including the December 2024 granting of a preliminary injunction that permitted 23XI and FRM to compete as chartered teams in 2025.

READ MORE: Rick Hendrick gives instant opinion on NASCAR settlement before he testifiedREAD MORE: Michael Jordan shows his true colors with emphatic message to NASCAR

However, that injunction was reversed on appeal this past June, compelling the two NASCAR organizations to compete as “open” teams for the rest of the season. 23XI and FRM lost their guaranteed entry into every remaining race of the 2025 campaign and also faced financial setbacks, including diminished payouts.

They were additionally barred from receiving any portion of the TV revenue. Yet, 23XI and FRM maintained their aggressive stance against NASCAR, with Jordan’s business partner, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, delivering a confident statement last summer before a then-upcoming trial.

“All will be exposed,” Hamlin declared. Settlement negotiations also broke down, and the case proceeded to trial in North Carolina, commencing on the 1st of this month, with Jordan consistently in attendance.

A six-person jury was set to determine the case’s outcome before a settlement was reached – hours after an explosive statement from major backer Bass Pro Shops.

It came after text messages revealed during discovery showed Phelps sending “shockingly offensive” insults about veteran team owner Childress, who has been involved in NASCAR since the 1960s. Childress was a longtime Cup driver, participating in 285 races over a 12-year career spanning the 1960s and 1970s.

He established his team in 1969, which he continues to run in the sport today. As a team owner, he secured six championships with the late, great Dale Earnhardt Sr. – but was called an “idiot,” and “stupid redneck.”

NASCAR executive Phelps also stated Childress “needs to be taken out back and flogged,” and added, “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.”

The harsh criticism directed at Childress deeply troubled a long-standing NASCAR sponsor, Bass Pro Shops, which delivered a blistering letter to the sanctioning body and its owners, the France Family. Johnny Morris, the founder, majority owner, and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, harshly criticized Phelps and company for showing disrespect toward Childress in a scathing rebuke.

Bass Pro Shops, in addition to supporting RCR and Austin Dillon’s No. 3, also partners with Chase Briscoe and Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 Cup team. They maintain several other partnerships within the sport, and the legendary American brand has been closely connected to NASCAR for almost three decades.

“I’ve been a NASCAR fan since I was 7 years old when I started going to races at the fairgrounds speedway in my hometown, Springfield, MO with my Grandpa Will, who was a lineman for the Frisco Railroad. We-watched Willie Crane, Mark Martin, Ken Schrader, the Wallace brothers and others try to beat our local hero, Larry Phillips,” Morris started.

“In the years that followed, our company, Bass Pro Shops, has become a proud sponsor of NASCAR, a sport that resonates deeply not only with our own Outfitters, but with our core customer base – America’s 180 million outdoor enthusiasts and 60 million hunters and anglers.

“I speak up today on behalf of the wonderful people in our company who consider it an honor and a great source of pride to have sponsored NASCAR and our friend Richard Childress and his grandson Austin Dillon, for a very long time.

“Since Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Childress welcomed us to the sport 28 years ago, Richard has become a special friend in life. He’s a great leader, a fierce competitor and a passionate advocate for outdoor enthusiasts, and conservationists, he is a true American patriot. Most of all, to us, Richard is a long time admired and respected member of our Bass Pro Shops family! As I write this today, way too many of my fellow teammates, our valued customers, our independent dealers and respected members of the conservation and military communities… are outraged by how Richard and his family have been treated by some senior NASCAR leaders.

“We are extremely upset by the recent disclosure of shockingly offensive and false criticisms of Richard by the Commissioner of NASCAR Steve Phelps. For the Commissioner and his allies, to attack one of the pillars of the sport is incredibly irresponsible and a disservice to everyone involved in NASCAR and its partners, sponsors and fans.

“What Mr. Phelps may or may not be aware of is the fact that in attacking Richard Childress, the racing legend, he is also attacking one of the most respected leaders in America’s conservation community. The commissioner has repeatedly labeled Richard as ‘an idiot,’ a ‘dinosaur,’ ‘a stupid redneck’ and a ‘clown.’.

“The fact is Richard Childress has done as much to build and promote NASCAR as anyone in the history of the sport! The commissioner, in all his rant, has only managed to bring discredit to himself and the sport.

“Many of our teammates have validly expressed concern that the commissioner’s recently revealed contempt for Richard Childress makes it abundantly clear that he and his lieutenants are not capable of being fair and objective when it comes to impartially enforcing the rules and regulations that govern the sport, including the objective assessment of fines and penalties. This is a threat to the very integrity of the sport.

“We can’t help but wonder what would happen if Major League Baseball brought in a new commissioner and he or she trash talked one of the true legends who built the game like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth? Such blatant disrespect would probably not sit well with the fans – such a commissioner most likely wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, keep his or her job for very long!

“We write this letter with genuine respect for the family who gave birth to the great All-American sporting tradition of NASCAR. The France Family has always celebrated the beginning of every race with faith and prayer and saluted patriotism, with the singing of the national anthem, and remaining steadfast in going above and beyond to honor our veterans and active-duty military. They have built a sport celebrated by hardworking American families.

“It is painful for all fans to watch the current conflict and division occurring within the sport we love. We hope the France family and team owners will reflect carefully on the damage that’s being done to NASCAR in the ongoing dispute and dig deep and strive hard for compromise. We’re cheering for a prompt and fair resolution that creates a positive path to a happy and long-term future for the founding family, team owners and most importantly, the fans.

“One thing is for certain, as the leaders of NASCAR seek to grow the sport and attract new generations of fans, they must never turn their back on, or abandon, the true pioneers and especially fans who form the foundation of the sport we love.”

After more than a year of heated back-and-forth on paper, in the courtroom, and even at the track, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports reached a settlement agreement with NASCAR.

With a few immediate details and more to come in the following days, weeks, and months, here are four immediate takeaways from the trial proceedings and ultimate settlement.

Charters are permanent

The technical term used in the post-court debrief is that the charters are evergreen. Regardless of what phrasing you want to use, this means the charters will be around for a long, long time to come.

This is big because it should cause the charters to largely increase in their valuation. It’s easier for a potential investor to buy into something with a long future ahead as opposed to bidding for a contract that could be meaningless in a handful of years.

It also could benefit the sponsorship side of the teams for the same reason. Many sponsorships in modern NASCAR are brief, with sponsors claiming a handful of races during a season or signing on for a few seasons at a time. After all, it’s tough for brands to try and find a consistent identity within a team if the charters keep changing hands or teams keep shutting down.

Additionally, if teams are making more money from increased revenue, they might be able to be able to work better with their sponsors to retain or add more tenure to previous existing or new deals.

In the charter area so far, new owners have treated race teams like a new toy that they quickly lose interest in. Teams like Furniture Row Racing and Leavine Family Racing, and famous figures like Pitbull and Floyd Mayweather invested heavily to start or improve their race teams, only to leave NASCAR altogether.

The hope is that with permanent charters, owning charters will be a much bigger deal, help teams to better sustain themselves and make owning a race team worth it.

With NASCOURT Ending on a Settlement, What’s Next for NASCAR Execs?

Teams come away as winners

The court ended in a settlement rather than a verdict, meaning the parties found a way to finally come together and both sides walked out of the courtroom sporting smiles and selling how great their settlement will be.

However, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports really accomplished what they set out to do. 

When the lawsuit was filed in 2024, that was no guarantee. There was a chance NASCAR would win if the case went to trial and the teams would more or less be out of business. The two teams could stay in the game either by forcing a settlement with permanent charters or causing a massive shakeup by winning the case, but going up against NASCAR always gave the perception that they were underdogs.

Ultimately, the two teams got what they and many of the other team owners wanted by settling for permanent charters. Make no mistake, this was only done when NASCAR arrived at a point where it felt it might actually lose the trial.

For every moment that NASCAR felt it had a fighting chance, it did its best to shut out the two teams that stood up against the sanctioning body. Things got tense, especially in court filings and the early, lengthy days in the courtroom trial.

At some point, NASCAR must have realized the teams had the upper hand, both currently and down the road had NASCAR lost and appealed. That, in turn, led to NASCAR opening up to a settlement.

That’s not all, though. It appears the teams — all of them — are going to have a bigger say in future NASCAR decisions. 

This is where we wait to see what official terms and definitions are drafted up, but the teams have regained a level of power to veto certain decisions that NASCAR attempts to make. Additionally, the teams also appear to be earning a larger slice of the revenue pie following the settlement.

There are still many details to come out about what concessions were made by either side, but the initial look is that NASCAR is the side giving the most while the teams have the most gained so far.

NASCAR Vs. 23XI/FRM Lawsuit Final Day Recap

Fan perception of NASCAR leadership is at an all-time low

The talk leading up to the trial showed that the NASCAR name carries very little weight outside of Charlotte. The biggest attention-grabber was the fact that NBA legend Michael Jordan was the one taking on the racing entity.

Inside the sport, however, fans were locked in on what was made public, and it was clear that there would be some sparks.

As private emails, texts and other documents were made public through court filings, NASCAR’s insistence to control the teams became obvious when the Gold Codes — the organization’s plans to circumvent a team boycott — showed how the series intended to put on a show without its biggest teams.

Additionally, inflammatory comments made toward team owners and an apparent unwillingness to answer questions further fueled fans’ negative feelings toward NASCAR’s top brass.

Leadership also expressed major disdain for SRX, which only added to the anger. After all, many race fans may prefer NASCAR, but race fans simply like to watch racing. Summertime SRX races might have had Cup Series stars competing, but it felt like another outlet to watch racing, not something that was stealing away attention from NASCAR.

Combine this with frustrations about the Next Gen car and the still-current playoff format, fans feeling that those making the decisions at the top of NASCAR are disconnected from what race fans truly want.

Sure, both the teams and NASCAR walked out of the courtroom with smiles on their faces. But NASCAR and its leadership has a long way to go to rebuild relationships with the fans and sell the idea that all truly is well.

Future NASCAR leadership will look different

Along the same line of thought, NASCAR very well may look different at the top in the near future. For starters, NASCAR doesn’t lose, and it really doesn’t ever compromise. The fact that this trial went the way it did surely upset some of the top brass.

While fan sentiment has a little less weight on the future of leadership of the series, sponsor feelings could be a much bigger deal. With sponsors like Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops challenging the credibility of NASCAR leadership, that will certainly get a lot of attention and go a long way in propelling some change.

One person whose name was mentioned by Morris in his statement was Steve Phelps. While the burden of these shortcomings fall to many across the NASCAR world, Phelps seemingly took the brunt of much negativity.

Phelps was also noticeably absent from the post-court media opportunity, which leads to speculation that movement within the NASCAR leadership team is already occurring. 

The biggest question, however, is who NASCAR turns to in order to fill the roles. Does the France family keep its stronghold on key positions, or do they bring in some outside influence to make decisions?

Among these key takeaways, there are still plenty of questions and even more details to figure out. By the time the 2026 NASCAR season rolls around, the biggest takeaways could be completely different, and the sport could have a new outlook.

With the trial out of the way and a settlement in play, it’s time to let the healing begin while we watch and see what the teams and NASCAR decide for the sport’s future. 

Caleb began sports writing in 2023 with The Liberty Champion, where he officially covered his first NASCAR race at Richmond in the spring. While there, Caleb met some of the guys from Frontstretch, and he joined the video editing team after graduating from Liberty University with degrees in Strategic Communications and Sports Journalism. Caleb currently work full-time as a Multi-Media Journalist with LEX 18 News in Lexington, Kentucky and contributes to Frontstretch with writing and video editing. He’s also behind-the-scenes or on camera for the Happy Hour Podcast, live every Tuesday night at 7:30!

NASCAR team owner Jeff Dickerson itched for a return to his short-track racing roots. Giovanni Scelzi sought a fresh change of scenery. Successful crew chief Eric Prutzman was available for hire. Chili’s was ready to take its corporate eatery dirt racing.

So when Jason Meyers Racing put its High Roller Club on the market — the performance-based Kubota High Limit Racing membership that guarantees long-term tour participation and financial benefits earned by 10 teams from the 2024-25 season — the move became a no-brainer.

Everything that goes into assembling a full-fledged Sprint Car program from scratch aligned seamlessly for Spire Motorsports, which on Thursday at the PRI Trade Show in Indianapolis announced that it’ll campaign on the third-year High Limit tour beginning in 2026.

“It was made at the right time, you know, with what Brad (Sweet) and Kyle (Larson) have done with the charter system and the High Limit deal,” Dickerson told FloRacing. “Certainly we have lots of experience on the charter stuff in the NASCAR world. … So it was timing, obviously, and you have the charter system, you had Jason Meyers wanting to do something different.

“When all those things kind of come together, sometimes these decisions get made for you, right?”

That’s not to mention that Dickerson, the USAC Midget mechanic-turned Cup Series co-owner, brings established relationships to the table, including his longtime connection with Kyle Larson and Kendra Jacobs.

Dickerson served as Larson’s agent and manager when the driver transitioned from dirt racing to NASCAR, helping the eventual two-time Cup champ sign his first development deal with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2013 through his Spire Sports + Entertainment that he co-founded in ’10.

Jacobs, meanwhile, worked as Knoxville Raceway marketing director when Spire managed the track’s operations.

“I think with what Brad and Kyle are doing and with the amount of transparency that they show, obviously, I’ve got longstanding relationships with both of them. Add in J.P. (Josh Peterman) and Kendra and a lot of people around High Limit and, you know, we want to go racing with our friends. … You just want to do it with people that you enjoy being with. That’s certainly the High Limit series.”

Dickerson wholeheartedly believes in High Limit’s vision, too, especially the High Roller Club that’ll take effect in 2026. According to industry sources, Dickerson purchased the series membership card from Meyers for more than $400,000.

With a $260,000 value during the 2026 season and that number only increasing in the years to come, Meyers earned the sixth membership card of the 10 awarded to the top-10 teams in the High Limit standings from the 2024-25 seasons.

Dickerson was one of the first NASCAR team owners to acquire a Cup charter, too, which has similarities to High Roller Club memberships. Two years after NASCAR instituted the Cup charter system in 2016, Dickerson’s Spire team bought Furniture Row’s charter for $6 million.

When Stewart-Haas Racing sold three charters between Front Row Motorsports, 23XI Racing and Trackhouse Racing, they went for a combined $84 million. Sprint Car racing won’t ever rival those lofty financials, but Dickerson is convinced he can add value to the discipline in similar fashion.

“Brad has been exposed to what’s good and what’s bad in this sport. I think that all those experiences, you know, led him to a place where it was no more time for words. It was time for action,” Dickerson said. “When they come up with something like a charter system, which again, that’s what skyrocketed our company from being an agency to obviously where we’re at today, was the NASCAR charter system.

“I feel like we can bring our expertise and our experience to help grow High Limit. Having the opportunity to be on the ground floor of something and doing it with our friends, both at High Limit and the guys at Clauson-Marshall Racing, (which Spire has sponsored in recent seasons). And a lot of our friends that are in that pit area. It kind of makes it a no-brainer at the end of the day.”

Dickerson added that “there’s no games” with the High Limit management that “you feel like you’re getting a straight shot every time, so that makes it a lot easier to make decisions.”

“The way that High Limit does it, or at least my experience with High Limit, is you feel like you’re part of the decision making process,” Dickerson said. “You feel like you have a seat at the table.

“I think those are the things that when you’re talking about the charter system and that transparency and everybody feeling like they get a seat at the table.

“We’re all pulling in the same direction. We’re all trying to do something good for the sport and for each other. And those two things don’t have to be exclusive to each other. You can be good stewards of the sport and do something good for yourself at the same time. That’s, I think, what High Limit’s done.”

For the 24-year-old Scelzi, the tour allows him to reset after an offbeat season in which he departed KCP Racing on July 16 during Kings Royal week at Eldora Speedway and eventually finished out the High Limit season for the injured Tyler Courtney with Clauson-Marshall Racing.

“It’s cool with High Limit you get to run all the (World of ) Outlaw shows you want to run, whether it’s Volusia, Knoxville, Kings Royal, World Finals, those big events, you’re still free to run — as well as High Limit going to new racetracks,” Scelzi said on what’s most excited about joining the full-time High Limit roster. “I had never been to Texas Motor Speedway before, I never been to Path Valley (Speedway Park in Pennsylvania). There’s a lot of new racetracks they’re going to that I’ve never been to.

“High Limit is the real deal, the money that they’re putting up and the races they’re going to, and how they’re organizing their race is definitely inviting to me. How quick they get their shows done with Mike Hess being the race director and series director is a key, in my opinion.”

Dickerson sees Scelzi as a driver with “a lot to prove and that’s something I don’t want to dismiss.”

“We think that by putting him with Eric Prutzman and immersing himself in our culture that we’ll be able to extract the most out of him. … We’re certainly only doing this to win,” he added. “I just think that we give him the right tools and the right support that his ability and talent will shine through.”

From staff alone, Dickerson emphasizes just how serious his Spire team will handle its dirt operation. Of the 170-some staffers at Spire Motorsports, roughly a quarter of them have a dirt racing background of some kind.

The hiring of Prutzman, a five-time national champion at Kasey Kahne Racing with Sweet, solidifies Spire’s fledgling Sprint Car operation, giving them a foundation that’s firm to build upon and potentially win championships in the years to come.

“This is a big business. This is a real business. We are not just quote-unquote dirt racing,” Dickerson said. “The High Limit series is the majors, you know what I mean? Like your NASCAR is the majors. It’s, what is the top of your discipline? Obviously if you’re in Sprint Cars, you want to be in High Limit. In stock cars, you want to be in NASCAR. It’s the level of professionalism, it’s the quality of the drivers. When you’re at the top, you’re at the top.”

( December 11, 2025, 22:04 GMT | Official Statement) — MLex Summary: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports jointly announced their settlement of a US monopolization lawsuit brought by the racing teams against NASCAR, with the parties saying that “this resolution reflects our shared commitment to maintaining a fair and equitable framework for long-term participation in America’s premier motorsport, one that supports teams, partners and stakeholders while ensuring fans enjoy uninterrupted access to the best racing in the world.” As a condition of the settlement agreement, NASCAR will issue an amendment to existing charter holders which includes a form of evergreen charters subject to mutual agreement.Full statement follows:…

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The brand new Vermont Motorsports Hall of Fame welcomed in its inaugural class of 2025 at a ceremony in Milton this past weekend.

Nine people who were either born in Vermont, or who spent most of their career in the state, were recognized for their contribution to motorsports.

The hall of fame recognizes all motorsports, including drag racing, snowmobile and go-kart racing, and tractor pulling.

“The first automobile race in Vermont was in 1903, so we’ve got quite a bit of history to cover,” said Justin St. Louis, president of the Vermont Motorsports Hall of Fame.

St. Louis, 42, grew up around racing. His father drove a stock car, and he also raced a little bit when he was younger.

He spent time working at the speedways in Vermont, and then covering racing and writing about the sport.

A few years ago he began talking with other fans about starting an organization that honors Vermont’s motorsports history.

“The hall of fame was something I wanted to be in as a kid, and then found out there wasn’t one,” St. Louis said. “I’ve been thinking about it for 25 years and then decided to do something about it.”

The ceremony was held at the Vermont SportsCar facility, which builds and modifies cars.

The Milton factory is near the site of the former Catamount Stadium, the track built by the late Vermont sportscar legend Ken Squier, who was one of the inductees.

Also among the inductees was Middlebury native Gardner Stone, who won five national tractor pulling championships during his career.

Stone is 84, and he competed in tractor pulling around the country, and in Europe, up until three years ago.

“It was great,” he said about being honored. “It was one of these once in a lifetime things to be in the inaugural run of something like that. It was overwhelming.”

The other inductees include Shirley Muldowney, who was born in Burlington and went on to become the first woman licensed to compete in National Hot Rod Association races.

John Buffum, Tom Curley, Harmon “Beaver” Dragon, Bobby Dragon, C.V. “Chuck” Elms II and C.J. Richards were also honored.

St. Louis hopes to have a physical museum one day for people to visit, but until then, he said the organization plans to have an annual induction ceremony to continue recognizing the people who built up the motorsports industry in Vermont.

“A lot of these people are starting to die,” St. Louis said. “It’s time to recognize these people before they’re all gone and get their stories, and have a record and give them a chance to celebrate, and be celebrated before it’s too late.”

The NASCAR antitrust trial has reached a settlement. Team owners like Rick Hendrick have celebrated the mutual agreement between the parties involved. Hendrick now has four permanent charters in the Cup Series, charters that will rise in value now, thanks to today’s settlement.

While most teams opted not to join this lawsuit, they will reap the rewards of it. At least, when it comes to permanent charters. That was the big ask the teams kept pursuing in negotiations, and NASCAR would not concede. There were other concessions made that will change the charter agreement.

Rick Hendrick is one of the most successful and storied team owners in the sport. He is happy to see this come to an end. As are most NASCAR fans.

“Millions of loyal NASCAR fans and thousands of hardworking people rely on our industry, and today’s resolution allows all of us to focus on what truly matters – the future of our sport,” Hendrick said in a statement. “For more than 40 years, NASCAR racing has been my passion. I believe deeply in what we can accomplish when we work together.

“This moment presents an important opportunity to strengthen our relationships and recommit ourselves to building a collaborative and prosperous future for all stakeholders. I’m incredibly optimistic about what’s ahead. When our industry is united, there’s no limit to how far we can go or how much we can grow the sport we love.”

Hendrick Motorsports stayed out of this. However, Rick Hendrick and all the other owners can thank 23XI Racing and Front Row. Those charters are only going to go up in value.

Rick Hendrick optimistic about future of NASCAR

The stability that permanent charters give to teams is going to change NASCAR. It might not be overnight, but it will be in time. Rick Hendrick has spent more than 40 years in the industry. The new agreement and charter situation is going to ensure that Hendrick Motorsports has an opportunity to exist for years to come.

Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin were happy with the settlement, obviously. We won’t know the full terms of the settlement. However, we can assume there is a large sum of money being given to the teams.

“From the beginning, this lawsuit was about progress. It was about making sure our sport evolves in a way that supports everyone: teams, drivers, partners, employees, and fans,” Jordan said in a statement released to the media. “With a foundation to build equity and invest in the future and a stronger voice in the decisions ahead, we now have the chance to grow together and make the sport even better for generations to come. I’m excited to watch our teams get back on the track and compete hard in 2026.”