In NASCAR, few things ignite fan outrage faster than the perception that accountability has been dodged. So when the sport’s first-ever Commissioner, Steve Phelps’s resignation became public, many fans treated it as long-overdue justice, a symbolic reset after months of legal warfare, leaked texts, and mounting distrust toward the sport’s leadership.
However, while the noise grew louder across social media and message boards, one voice refused to join the celebration. Jordan Bianchi, a veteran sports reporter known across the community as a staunch NASCAR loyalist, didn’t just push back; he doubled down, arguing that NASCAR may have just lost one of its most effective leaders at the exact moment it needs stability the most.
Fallout of Steve Phelps’ Abrupt Exit: Why Jordan Bianchi Believes NASCAR Just Lost Its Most Effective Leader
While the NASCAR nation was waiting for updates on the playoff format and clarity surrounding the 2026 season, the sport was instead hit with a stunner: Phelps stepping down from the commissioner’s chair.
The sudden move sent shockwaves through the garage and beyond, arriving at an especially fragile moment for the stock car racing giant, which is still recovering from the antitrust lawsuit and the damaging revelations that followed, most notably disparaging comments attributed to the top executive about Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress.
Predictably, a segment of NASCAR’s traditional fan base viewed Phelps’ exit as a long-overdue reset, a chance for the sport to finally turn the page. Bianchi, however, was unmoved by that sentiment.
Even amid the backlash, he stood firm in defending Phelps’ body of work, arguing that NASCAR would feel the impact of his absence. “Maybe Steve Phelps’ departure was inevitable, but NASCAR is worse off today with Phelps no longer the sport’s commissioner,” Bianchi wrote on social media. This line quickly ignited a wave of angry reactions from fans who saw the moment very differently.
The discussion grew loud enough to catch the attention of NASCAR legend Mark Martin, who tossed in a sly jab at The Athletic reporter. Yet even the overwhelming fan backlash and mounting criticism did little to shake Bianchi’s stance.
In a separate post, he wrote, “Many fans are celebrating Steve Phelps’ departure. However, many within the NASCAR industry don’t share this sentiment — especially on the team side as they view him as an ally to help make NASCAR better.”
With his full article linked in the post, Bianchi acknowledged why some fans are celebrating Phelps’ exit. The outgoing commissioner was a central figure in the charter negotiations that ultimately led to a dispute that spilled into federal court, and the release of disparaging private texts about Richard Childress only fueled the already raging fire.
Childress’s blue-collar, never-back-down persona resonates deeply with NASCAR’s core audience, and insulting a Hall of Fame team owner struck a nerve that still hasn’t healed.
From that perspective, Bianchi conceded, Phelps deserved criticism and plenty of it.
Where Bianchi diverges from the outrage is in assigning blame for the sport’s broader turmoil. According to multiple team employees who spoke with him, Phelps often served as a buffer between the garage and NASCAR’s highest level of leadership.
Testimony from the two-plus years of charter negotiations revealed that Phelps repeatedly urged Chairman Jim France to be more receptive to the team’s demands.
In Bianchi’s view, had Phelps been empowered to compromise, the lawsuit that has loomed over the sport since October 2024 may never have materialized.
That nuance, Bianchi argues, has been lost amid fan anger. To many critics, Phelps represents a corporate leadership class they believe has drifted from NASCAR’s roots. But Bianchi contends that this framing oversimplifies reality, noting that the most consequential decisions did not rest solely on Phelps’ shoulders.
His departure, whether voluntary or not, risks creating the illusion of accountability without addressing the deeper structural issues that led to the conflict.
Bianchi also cited the fact that, beyond the lawsuit, Phelps’ tenure included moments widely praised across the industry. He guided the sport through the COVID-19 shutdown, helping the sport return to competition quickly while preserving full media-rights payouts that kept teams afloat. He also played a key role in banning the Confederate flag, helping to push the sport toward a more inclusive future.
Under Phelps, NASCAR undertook bold scheduling experiments, such as street racing in Chicago, a Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and its first international Cup race in decades, each of which generated mainstream attention. As Bianchi sees it, losing that leadership without broader change won’t heal the sport’s wounds.