In a blistering public letter released Thursday, Johnny Morris, the founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, unleashed sharp criticism against NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps for derogatory text messages that insulted veteran team owner Richard Childress.

The messages, unearthed during the ongoing antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, revealed Phelps labeling Childress as an “idiot,” “redneck,” “dinosaur,” and “total ass-clown.”

Tell us how you really feel, chief.

Childress, the current owner of Richard Childress Racing (RCR), is a NASCAR icon who has been involved in the sport since the 1960s. He won six Cup Series championships with the late Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Morris, whose outdoor retail empire has sponsored NASCAR for nearly three decades, described the remarks as “shockingly offensive” and as undermining the sport’s integrity.

“We are extremely upset by the recent disclosure of shockingly offensive and false criticisms of Richard by the Commissioner of NASCAR, Steve Phelps,” he wrote. “For the Commissioner and his allies, to attack one of the pillars of the sport is incredibly irresponsible and a disservice to everyone involved in NASCAR and its partners, sponsors, and fans.”

“What Mr. Phelps may or may not be aware of is the fact that in attacking Richard Childress, the racing legend, he is also attacking one of the most respected leaders in America’s conservation community.”

NASCAR commissioner under fire

The antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR is creating quite a mess. The insults leveled at Childress are collateral damage, but significant enough to create a major headache for Phelps.

The controversy has amplified tensions in NASCAR’s broader legal and governance battles, particularly surrounding the contentious 2025 Charter Agreement, where teams like Childress Racing have pushed back against league policies on revenue sharing and penalties.

Childress, who recently testified in the 23XI/Front Row trial, has hinted at pursuing his own legal action over the personal attacks, which he views as emblematic of deeper leadership biases.

A loss of trust in leadership in any sport is devastating.

“Many of our teammates have validly expressed concern that the commissioner’s recently revealed contempt for Richard Childress makes it abundantly clear that he and his lieutenants are not capable of being fair and objective when it comes to impartially enforcing the rules and regulations that govern the sport, including the objective assessment of fines and penalties,” Morris writes. “This is a threat to the very integrity of the sport.”

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Phelps should worry about what Childress might do

While stopping short of an explicit demand for Phelps’ ouster, Morris drew parallels to other sports icons, questioning what would happen if MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred trash-talked legends like Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron ā€” implying such disrespect would be career-ending.

“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!” he wrote.

That said, perhaps Phelps should be most concerned about what Childress himself might do in response to these insults. The 80-year-old NASCAR icon just last year said he wanted to mix it up with a driver who got into a scuffle on pit row with one of his guys.

ā€œRicky Stenhouse said that he was going to wreck the (No.) 8 car at Charlotte,ā€ he said. ā€œWell, when I see him, Iā€™m gonna tell him if he does, Iā€™m older, but Iā€™ll just change my style of fighting.ā€

ā€œHeā€™ll carry a rough a** beatinā€™.ā€

Childress, in 2011, was fined $150,000 after politely taking off his wristwatch and thenĀ punching Kyle Busch in the faceĀ several times.

At the time of the Busch fight, he was a 65-year-old grandpa. Childress is 80 years old now, and I’m guessing still ready to rumble. Better watch your back, Commish.