Major NASCAR sponsor speaks out amid antitrust trial

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Johnny Morris, the head of major NASCAR sponsor and retail store Bass Pro Shops, spoke out on behalf of Richard Childress who was the center of revelations made in the ongoing antitrust trial.

Text messages revealed NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps described Childress, the longtime team owner and NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, as a “stupid redneck.” Morris, who sponsors Richard Childress Racing, spoke out in defense of Childress in a letter issued Wednesday.

Bass Pro Shops has sponsored Childress’s team for decades, stretching back to the days of Dale Earnhardt and the No. 3 car in the 1990s. Their sponsorship has also extended to other teams such as Stewart-Haas Racing with Tony Stewart and Joe Gibbs Racing with Martin Truex Jr. and now Chase Briscoe.

Childress testified Tuesday in the trial.

Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com