Steve Phelps, whose derogatory remarks about veteran team owner Richard Childress became public during the federal antitrust suit against NASCAR, has decided to relinquish his position as NASCAR Commissioner and step away from the sport, NASCAR announced.

In a statement released Tuesday morning, NASCAR said Phelps “made the personal decision to step away from the company and his role as Commissioner.” Phelps, who joined NASCAR in 2005, will “transition out of the company by the end of the month.” NASCAR said no successor would be named. His duties will be delegated internally through NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell and the executive leadership team. No other leadership changes were announced.

During the antitrust suit filed against NASCAR by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, an email Phelps sent during the more than two years of Charter negotiations said, “Childress needs to be taken out back and flogged. He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to nascar.”

Phelps testified for more than four hours on day seven of the antitrust trial that ended in a settlement on the ninth day of the legal proceedings. Phelps wasn’t in attendance the day the settlement was announced.

Richard Childress (left) and Steve Phelps at Darlington in April.

“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,” Phelps said in a prepared statement. “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.”

In Phelps’ 20 years at NASCAR, the sport transformed its annual schedule, reshaped its strategic vision, expanded its international footprint, secured long-term media rights and Charter agreements, and assembled a leadership team focused on building stock car racing’s future with the fan experience at its core.

“Steve will forever be remembered as one of NASCAR’s most impactful leaders,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said in a prepared statement.

NASCAR Executive Vice Chair Lesa France Kennedy said in a prepared statement that in Phelps’ two decades at NASCAR, he had “balanced strong leadership and a consistent pursuit of excellence with a sincere commitment to our fans.”

“He has helped to bring fans some of the best, most unforgettable moments in our history, and most importantly, he’s laid an incredible foundation for continued growth and success for the entire sport,” Kennedy stated.

A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category.  During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame. 

Steve Phelps resigned as NASCAR commissioner on Tuesday, bringing an end to his tenure with the league after 21 years. With Phelps out, NASCAR will officially move into a new era beginning with the 2026 season.

Reactions from across the sport have come in the aftermath of the news. Hendrick Motorsports, one of the longest-tenured teams in NASCAR, released a statement on social media.

“We thank Steve Phelps for his leadership and dedication to NASCAR over the past two decades,” the statement read. “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.”

Phelps’ departure comes one month after NASCAR went to trial against Cup Series teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The teams filed an antitrust lawsuit against the sanctioning body and its CEO Jim France, alleging monopolistic practices. The discovery process revealed several text messages and emails which raised concerns about Phelps’ leadership.

In an August 2023 text exchange with Brian Herbst, NASCAR chief media and revenue officer, Phelps said that longtime team owner Richard Childress should be “taken out back and flogged.” Phelps called him a “stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to NASCAR.” Phelps’ comments came after Childress publicly criticized the Next Gen car and the media rights deal that was still being negotiated. During his trial testimony, Phelps expressed regret over the text messages. He said he apologized to Childress even before the messages became public.

During the trial, Bass Pro Shops CEO Johnny Morris called for Phelps to step down or be fired. Bass Pro Shops is a major sponsor for the league. One day after Morris’ open letter, the two teams settled after eight days in court.

Steve Phelps out at NASCAR ahead of 2026 season

Phelps joined the league in 2005 as vice president of corporate marketing. He was promoted in 2018 to chief operating officer before being named the fifth NASCAR president later that year. Phelps became the league’s first commissioner in the spring of 2025.

Among his accomplishments, leading NASCAR to become one of the first leagues to return to action during the COVID-19 pandemic and finish its 38-race season. Phelps helped negotiate the 2025-2031 media rights deal, worth $7.7 billion.

“Steve will forever be remembered as one of NASCAR’s most impactful leaders,” France said. “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 L.A. 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.”

Cummins, Inc., a global power technology leader and one of America’s most storied engineering and motorsports innovators for over a century, is partnering with RAM and Kaulig Racing to return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026.

The industry-leader in diesel, natural gas, and alternative power technologies will serve as a full-season primary sponsor for defending ARCA Menards Series champion Brenden Queen, as he drives the No. 12 RAM 1500 for Kaulig Racing’s brand-new Truck Series program.

.@03Butterbean‘s No. 12 Cummins Ram 1500 will look stellar at Daytona! ?@Cummins | @RamTrucks | @KauligRacing pic.twitter.com/AoAc2KGBWM

— Kaulig Trucks (@Kaulig_Trucks) January 6, 2026

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Cummins to the Kaulig Racing family,” said Chris Rice, CEO of Kaulig Racing. “Their engineering experience and commitment to innovation are a perfect match for our vision. Brenden is an exceptional talent, and we’re building a program around him that we believe can compete for wins and make a playoff run right away.”

Cummins has a long history of involvement in NASCAR, including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. From 1996 to 1998, the brand partnered with Petty Enterprises to sponsor the No. 43 for Rich Bickle and Jimmy Hensley, netting a single victory at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

“Cummins has racing in its DNA,” said Brett Merritt, Vice President and President, Engine Business, Cummins. “From Clessie Cummins winning the first Indianapolis 500 as a crew member to our leadership in commercial power, we’ve always pushed the limits of what’s possible. Brenden Queen represents that same spirit – talented, hardworking, and full of momentum. Partnering with both Kaulig Racing and RAM provides the opportunity for us to continue to write our motorsports legacy.”

Queen, known affectionately as ‘Butterbean’, is a fan-favorite driver from the world of short track racing, who last season got the opportunity to have a breakout season on a national platform and won the ARCA Menards Series title for Pinnacle Racing Group.

The Chesapeake, Virginia-native was also tested with select starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series, where he delivered solid results. Those performances turned heads and led to him being named one of Kaulig Racing’s five drivers for the RAM program.

“To have a company with Cummins’ history and worldwide reputation support me is incredible,” Queen said. “I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of this RAM 1500 and represent Cummins and Kaulig Racing every weekend. This is the type of opportunity that every driver dreams about.”

Queen will make his debut in the No. 12 Cummins RAM 1500 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, set to take place Friday, February 13 at 7:30 PM ET on FS1, NASCAR Radio Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Illinois’ opaque budget process handed $12 million to NASCAR. Fast and furious is no way to treat taxpayers’ money.

Illinois’ 2026 budget included $12 million for NASCAR, but the cash was handed out too fast for anyone to see exactly where it was going.

A $5 million grant to NASCAR from the general revenue fund is for “costs associated with operating expenses.” Another $5 million grant is from the Build Illinois Bond Fund for “costs associated with capital improvements, including prior year costs.” No details were provided about those costs.

Another $2 million grant to Enjoy Illinois Tourism for NASCAR is also for unspecified “operating expenses.” It is possibly for its sponsorship of the Enjoy Illinois 300, held in September in Madison, Illinois, where the title sponsor is the state tourism department.

NASCAR is a private organization that runs high-end stock car racing events and owns the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet. In past years, they have held events in Chicago, converting city streets for use in large-scale events. The event is not taking place in 2026, which raises more questions about why NASCAR needs millions from taxpayers.

Lawmakers claimed the 2026 budget contained no pork, but a closer look shows 2,815 items over $200,000 lawmakers decided to fund in the final hours of the legislative session – rushed, harmful to taxpayers and with no time for public scrutiny. They included $40 million for a high school sports complex at the alma mater of Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch.

The justification commonly given for using state funds to fund activities and events is they help generate tourism and could potentially break even depending on the contract. However, such a method of spurring tourism often ignores substantial hidden costs such as increased police presence.

It also uses the heavy hand of government to pick winners and losers. A better way to increase tourism would be making it cheaper to visit the state, such as eliminating hotel taxes.

NASCAR generated $102.6 million in profit in 2024. They are financially able to cover the costs of events themselves. Plus, the key infrastructure of racetracks already has been built in most locations.

Competitive grants with objective evaluation criteria and reporting requirements should be scored and tracked by a state agency. This ensures the funds are allocated and used properly.

By contrast, earmarks such as NASCAR grants are problematic because they lack transparency. Taxpayers do not know why the appropriations were made or how the funds will be spent.

Illinois’ opaque budgeting process enables this kind of spending to slip through without public review. Lawmakers pass the budget in a rush, with limited time for open debate and no requirement to justify or audit earmarks.

Illinois faces low economic growth, high debt and ballooning pensions – all because state lawmakers are taking ever-more from taxpayers and driving out jobs and working families.

Illinois doesn’t need to funnel $12 million in taxpayer dollars to giant sports associations. It needs to fix its broken budget process.

Reforms such as spending caps, mandatory public review periods and requiring detailed grant disclosures would help restore transparency and trust in Springfield.

Want to see the 2,815 earmarks and questionable spending state lawmakers put in this year’s budget? Use our look-up tool below.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The fallout from NASCAR’s federal antitrust trial continued into the new year as NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps announced his resignation Tuesday after more than 20 years with the top racing series in the United States.

His resignation comes after last month’s trial in which inflammatory texts Phelps sent during contentious revenue-sharing negotiations were revealed. Phelps will leave the company at the end of the month, ahead of the start of the first exhibition race of the season on Feb. 1.

He was named NASCAR’s first commissioner last season after a courting process for the same role by the PGA Tour. The opportunity with the PGA Tour was revealed during December testimony of the antitrust trial brought by two race teams against NASCAR, and Phelps testified he pulled out of consideration for that role upon the NASCAR promotion from president.

The top executive at NASCAR was deeply bruised during the trial — and the discovery process leading into it — when communications he exchanged with his leadership team were exposed. In one exchange, Phelps called Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress “a stupid redneck” who “needs to be taken out back and flogged.”

That led Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, an ardent supporter of both NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing, to write a damning letter demanding Phelps’ removal as commissioner.

After he concluded his testimony in the nine-day trial last month, Phelps left the stand with his jaw clenched, his face red, and he made no eye contact with NASCAR’s owners as he briskly headed directly out of the courtroom. His fiancée trailed after him as he even refused to look in her direction.

NASCAR settled the lawsuit with 23XI Racing, owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by Bob Jenkins, the day after Morris’ letter went public and two days after Phelps’ testimony.

“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,” Phelps said in a statement. “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.”

He added he will seek “new pursuits in sports and other industries” and thanked colleagues, friends and fans that “played such an important and motivational role in my career.”

He also thanked the France family, the founders and owners of NASCAR, who hired him away from the NFL two decades ago and promoted him to a position that could have netted him $5 million annually with bonuses.

“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,” Phelps concluded.

Phelps is a native of Vermont, where as a child he became a fan of local racing. He graduated from both the University of Vermont, where he set the school record in the 800 meters, and Boston College, where he earned a master’s in business administration.

NASCAR thanks Phelps for leadership

NASCAR said Phelps’ leadership transformed a stale schedule with new events, “bucket list fan experiences,” and reshaped its strategic vision. Phelps also was lauded for expanding NASCAR’s international footprint, securing long-term media rights and charter agreements and building a leadership team that is focused on building the future of stock car racing with fan experience at its core.

“Steve will forever be remembered as one of NASCAR’s most impactful leaders,” said Jim France, the NASCAR chairman and CEO. “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.”

Phelps also led NASCAR as it became the first sport to return to competition during the COVID-19 shutdown, as well as developing races inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the downtown streets of Chicago.

“Steve leaves NASCAR with a transformative legacy of innovation and collaboration with an unrelenting growth mindset,” France added.

Lesa France Kennedy, the NASCAR executive vice chair, said “while his career may take him elsewhere, he’ll always have a place in our NASCAR family.”

NASCAR did not announce any additional leadership or personnel changes and said there are no immediate plans to replace him as commissioner or to seek outside leadership. His responsibilities will be delegated internally through NASCAR’s president — now Steve O’Donnell — and the executive leadership team.

O’Donnell moved into Phelps’ role as president upon Phelps’ promotion to commissioner. Although the two were mostly in favor of improving revenue-sharing for the teams in two-plus years of bitter negotiations, the discovery process showed their growing frustration with NASCAR’s board of directors over its refusal to make the charters permanent.

The Childress texts

Phelps appeared to be an advocate for more concessions for the race teams, but as the process dragged on, he ultimately fell in line with the France family. That’s when his communications became more pointed. He testified he felt the teams had received a fair deal on the new charter agreements.

But it was the attacks on Childress that drew the most attention, and Phelps said in court he regretted his words, had apologized to Childress and explained he was venting out of frustration.

It wasn’t good enough for Morris, a longtime backer of Childress teams.

“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?” Morris wrote. “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!”

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Their team trained the AI gradually:

“It’s not plug-and-play. You have to shape how AI works and thinks.”

They adjusted wording, rules, hold policies, and fallback responses to match real dealership operations. The result? AI that feels like part of the team.

“It’s not cookie cutter… it answers, suggests, compliments, and stays in our tone.”

The Results

1. Huge efficiency gains — no extra headcount needed

Before AI:

After AI:
 → Running the store with 3 salespeople selling up to 100 cars/month

“We sell 85–100 cars a month with three sales guys.”

2. Re-engaged dormant leads = new revenue

AISA revived leads that were 3–12 months old, customers who may be ready to buy now.

“If a customer wasn’t ready to buy 4 months ago, he may be ready now.”

This created a new “hidden” pipeline without buying new lead sources.

3. Faster responses = more appointments

AISA replies instantly, even while reps are typing.

“AISA will answer the customer within a minute… it’s setting appointments for in-person or FaceTime video.”

4. Better lead filtering

AI automatically filters out unqualified shoppers, reducing noise and improving focus.

“If someone doesn’t respond to one or two messages, that’s not a customer… that’s a window shopper.”

5. Strong ROI

Just five extra deals per month pays for the system several times over.

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Compared to buying new lead sources: “CarGurus or Autotrader want at least $2,500/mo… AISA is cheaper and uses the data we already have.”

Why AutoRaptor?

1. Unmatched customization: Make rule changes instantly, no ticketing system.

“If I can go in there and make changes myself… that’s what I love.”

2. Deep CRM integration: AI leverages old upsheets, call logs, notes, customer history.

3. Real dealership language: AISA adapts to the dealership’s tone, not cookie-cutter templates.

4. Competitive necessity: Large groups have massive AI budgets. Independent dealerships need tools that level the field.

“If you’re not playing at the same level… they will crowd you out.”

The Conclusion

AutoRaptor’s AI Sales Assistant helped Ultimate Motorsport:

• Handle 1,000+ monthly leads

• Sell 85–100 cars each month

• Operate with just three salespeople

• Reactivate older leads

• Improve response time

• Reduce overhead

• And achieve off-the-charts ROI

For independent dealerships facing rising lead volume and competitive pressure, AutoRaptor’s AI Sales Assistant represents a modern, scalable solution that delivers measurable outcomes, immediately and long term.

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