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Is NASCAR Done? Fans Divided After Leaked Messages Surface
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- Is NASCAR Done? Fans Divided After Leaked Messages Surface
Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
NASCAR is going through one of its most chaotic periods in recent history and the reason is the recent leak of some pretty stunning internal messages during the 23XI / Front Row Motorsports antitrust case.
It turns out that long time NASCAR president Steve Phelps had some choice words for veteran team owner Richard Childress — calling him a "stupid redneck" and basically saying he owes all his wealth to NASCAR. Not to mention the digs at other team owners and even a snide remark about the fans, have shocked the racing community.
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Now, some fans are worried that the sport is falling apart because of a leadership that's lost touch with the people they claim to care about. Others reckon it's all just a big storm that'll blow over eventually — the NASCAR machine has a way of looking out for itself, after all.
And while opinions are divided, there is one thing that pretty much everyone agrees on — the leadership's tone has basically destroyed the trust between fans and the sport.
Some people are pointing to the human side of racing — the teams, the crews, and the drivers — and saying that all the power struggles are tearing the sport apart from the inside out. They describe it as being "ripped apart at the seams" and some fans are bluntly saying : "They don't give a s*** about us, all they care about is how much they can line their own pockets."
The trial is set for December 2025 and it could determine if NASCAR got away with whatever they've been up to. But for now, the real impact is playing out with fans and on social media.
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Also Read:: New Leaked Texts Expose NASCAR Leadership Before Trial
Two ends of the NASCAR Fan Spectrum
Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
As this ugly drama plays out, fans have split into two distinct camps.
On one end are the cynics. These fans don't get riled up emotionally about it and see it all as a straight-up business calculation. Their view is pretty simple: NASCAR will weather the storm just fine, but some of the people involved in this mess are going to get burned. One fan has a pretty pesitmistic view, saying :
"When its all said and done, NASCAR will continue on, but all the personalities involved will be gone. No matter who is right, the 23XI gang have just about completed their suicide mission. Good luck living with the fallout Denny. Your partners used you."
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In the same spirit another said : "Win or lose NASCAR will be sold there been talk big media group such as Fox would like to buy NASCAR out right, this would give the France family the perfect out and not the headache their dealer with now."
It comes across as harsh, but it's a view that's rooted in decades of history. Time and time again NASCAR has come out on top in internal brawls, leaving owners, partners and even big time drivers damaged or cast aside. It's a pretty bleak outlook, but it's not entirely unrealistic either. However it seems the general consensus is on the fact that enough is enough. One fan sums it up: "NASCAR has governed with a heavy hand for decades. The our-way-or-the-highway approach doesn't fly anymore. NASCAR should have settled this case long ago but arrogance got in the way."
On the other end are the diehards, the fans who are fiercely protective of the teams and the people that make the sport. They think NASCAR is being dragged down by the wrong leadership.
As far as they're concerned, Denny Hamlin and 23XI aren't the problem. Their responses are a reflection of the frustration that's being felt at the top, and at the sport itself:
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"NASCAR from the email releases is gonna get it bad… they are done."
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"If NASCAR is done, the sport is done."
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"NASCAR has been more focused on their own pride instead of the betterment of the sport."
For this group, the crisis is about leadership. They see the current leadership as being completely out of touch with the sport's core.
Despite their differences, both sides ultimately land on the same bottom line: NASCAR's leadership has to go.
NASCAR at a Crossroads
For fans watching all this go down, the real question isn't whether NASCAR broke antitrust law. The question is what part of the sport is actually going to make it through the other side of this mess. Cynical fans figure the sport will either die or the NASCAR brand will somehow always come out on top, even if a few people get pushed out along the way. Emotional fans think the sport can recover, but it needs a serious reboot of the leadership.
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The antitrust trial is set for December 1, 2025, which leaves a few days for the legal issues to be resolved, but for many fans, NASCAR management's judgment has been already made.
Also Read:: New Leaked NASCAR Texts Reveal Contempt for Teams and Fans
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