NASCAR fans were stunned after text messages from high-ranking officials were made public in the 23XI–NASCAR trial. One message, in particular, caught attention, exposing Commissioner Steve Phelps’s offensive remarks about former driver and respected team owner Richard Childress.
Mark Martin drove against Childress’ team in the past, and he recently explained why he had his own reasons to be unhappy with the legendary owner. Still, he says he can’t support the derogatory comments Phelps made about Childress.
What Went Wrong Between Richard Childress and Mark Martin?
Martin was one of the original Roush Racing drivers and spent 16 years of his career with the team. He won 35 Cup Series races there and finished runner-up in the Championship four times.
During his prime days, he competed with the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr., who used to drive for Childress.
In a recent appearance at the “Scene Vault” podcast, Martin revealed he had reasons to be upset with Childress.
“I have a reason to not particularly care for Richard Childress, you know. I feel like he was responsible for me not winning the 1990 championship when he drug the official over there and pointed at my carburetor spacer and said, ‘Right, there it is,’ he said.
Even so, he insists it didn’t affect his appreciation for everything Childress has done for the sport. He was outraged to see a senior NASCAR figure speak so poorly of someone who’s contributed so much to the game.
“To be real honest with you, I did become totally furious with the a** clown, you know, with him (Phelps) calling him (Childress) that is totally a bridge too far,” Martin continued. “I’m gonna stick here and defend Richard Childress because I have respect for everything he’s done in his career.”
While meeting with team owners in 2023, Phelps was getting texts from league Chief Media & Revenue Officer Brian Herbst, and in those exchanges, he took multiple swipes at the six-time Cup Series–winning owner.
The meeting was part of the charter extension negotiations, where Phelps and Herbst were attempting to demonstrate the potential risks associated with the next broadcast rights deal if the industry failed to remain united over the coming decade.
Herbst was sending updates from the meeting, and Phelps repeatedly circled back to taking shots at Childress.
The tension stems from a SiriusXM NASCAR Radio appearance where Childress made comments about the charter negotiations that didn’t sit well with NASCAR leadership.
“Childress needs to be taken out back and flogged. He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to nascar,” he said.
Childress went from scraping by as a driver to owning Earnhardt’s iconic No. 3, making him one of NASCAR’s best rags-to-riches tales. That’s why many, Martin among them, believed Phelps’s comments downplayed the impact Childress has had on the sport.