Overview
- Phelps will leave at the end of January after a 20-year run, less than a year after being named NASCAR’s first commissioner.
- NASCAR says it will not immediately fill the commissioner role, with responsibilities shifting to president Steve O’Donnell and the executive leadership team.
- The resignation comes weeks after court filings exposed Phelps’ disparaging texts about Hall of Fame owner Richard Childress, which drew public criticism including a letter from Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris urging his removal.
- The antitrust dispute with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports was settled in December, with reports indicating NASCAR agreed to establish permanent, or evergreen, team charters.
- Phelps was credited with guiding major media rights deals starting in 2025, leading the sport’s return during COVID, and pushing schedule innovations such as the Coliseum and Chicago street races.