Last week, a ghost from NASCAR’s past came back to haunt the sport, with text chains of the sport’s top brass becoming public knowledge as part of the ongoing charter lawsuit. The revelations painted an ugly picture of the management, strengthening 23XI and FRM’s case, as the complainants blame NASCAR for monopolistic practices.
However, the biggest talking point of the text chains came when the management discussed Richard Childress. The veteran team owner became subject to immense disrespect and ridicule during the conversation, and former Cup Series driver Mark Martin has since spoken in favor of the RCR team owner.
Mark Martin Blasts NASCAR for Disrespecting a Stalwart of the Sport
The last few days have added insult to injury for NASCAR in the antitrust lawsuit, with each new development harming their chances ahead of December’s Jury Trial. Most recently, they tried to keep the famous 23XI co-owners out of the courtroom during witness testimonies, but Jeffery Kessler has found a loophole to ensure Michael Jordan stays in the room at all times.
However, the most important factor that calls for damage control on NASCAR’s part remains their conversation surrounding Childress, which has attracted immense backlash from all corners.
While most of the industry has already criticized NASCAR for disrespecting Childress, Martin has also joined the conversation, despite his seemingly uncaring attitude towards the iconic team owner.
Speaking on the ‘Scene Vault Podcast’ recently, Martin detailed how the “a** clown” comment did not sit particularly well with him, and that it was “a bridge too far” in his opinion. He said, “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. I’m gonna stick here and defend Richard Childress because I have respect for everything he’s done in his career.”
Martin’s words come in response to a text chain between Steve Phelps and Brian Herbst, where the two engaged in discussions about the future of the sport beyond 2030.
Jordan Bianchi detailed that at the time, Childress had said something critical about the operational cost of the sport in a radio interview, and the conversation was a follow-up to the same. Per the texts, Phelps allegedly wrote that the veteran team owner “needs to be taken out back and flogged. He’s a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to NASCAR.” To make matters worse for Phelps, he subsequently called Childress an “idiot” on several occasions, even deeming him a “dinosaur” and an “a**-clown.”
Taking everything into account, RCR is now reportedly exploring legal actions over everything that was said against Childress. In an official statement, the team made it clear that there will be no further comments from their side on the matter aside from the possible legal path.