NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps Resigns Following Landmark Court Case

NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps, announced his resignation on Tuesday, less than a month after the series reached a legal settlement with two of its teams over an anti-trust lawsuit.

Phelps had been with the organization for 20 years and was elevated from President to the newly-created Commissioner position in March 2025.

During the legal proceedings, fiery text messages that Phelps had sent were disclosed, including several that levied insults at longtime team owner Richard Childress, whom he referred to as a “redneck” and “ass-clown.”

NASCAR said his departure was a “personal decision” and that he will leave before the end of January.

“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 news release. “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 that he will be pursuing opportunities in “sports and other industries.”

NASCAR said that the Commissioner role will not be filled at this time and that Phelp’s responsibilities would be distributed among the other executives.

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“Steve will forever be remembered as one of NASCAR’s most impactful leaders,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO, Jim 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 LA 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.”

The 2026 NASCAR season kicks off with the exhibition Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray stadium on Feb. 1, followed by the Daytona Duels and Daytona 500 from Feb. 12-15.

The series has not yet announced the championship format for the 2026 season, but it is expected to move away from the current playoffs system and winner-take-all title race.