A storm is brewing in the NASCAR world. With the lawsuit trial on the horizon, leaked texts are revealing just how cracked the very foundations of the stock car racing world are. Recently, NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps’ messages were shared on social media, where he labelled Richard Childress a “stupid redneck” and an “idiot,” a moment that sent shock waves through the garage.

But the drama didn’t stop there. Phelps even suggested that Childress should be “taken out back and flogged.” This revelation stunned veterans and longtime insiders. And now, one of NASCAR’s most well-known outcasts steps forward to expose what he calls the sport’s “true” inner culture, and fans are siding with him in force.

Jeremy Mayfield helps paint a clear picture of NASCAR for fans

Jeremy Mayfield, who has his own rocky history with NASCAR, didn’t hesitate to respond to the exposed string of private conversations. On X, he pushed back against Phelps’s comments, writing, “If it weren’t for ‘stupid’ rednecks, those ‘suits’ wouldn’t have a job.” Fans immediately called out the sentiment, flooding the replies with support.

However, his fiery Facebook post is what takes the cake, determined to really call out NASCAR. He wrote, “These leaked messages are just confirming what some of us lived firsthand. *Challenge them and you’re the enemy. *Question them and you get crushed. *Build something without them and you’re a target. *Stop serving their agenda, and suddenly you’re just another “stupid redneck.”

Mayfield has seen it before and isn’t surprised by NASCAR’s apparent true colors. He added, ” This is who they are and who they’ve always been behind closed doors. People call it shocking. It’s not. And now their own words are doing what they tried to do to everyone else, BURYING them. ⚰️ Suddenly, all these “stupid rednecks” can read just fine. 🤣🤣 💣.”

Mayfield’s history with the league makes his reaction even more pointed. In 2009, after he admitted to using Claritin for allergies and Adderall for ADHD, NASCAR suspended him for an alleged drug violation, an accusation he fiercely contested. Tensions escalated when the then-chairman, Brian France, publicly accused Mayfield.

France believed that Mayfield had taken a performance-enhancing drug and that his prescription medications “were not the cause, and could not be the cause, or his result.” The veteran didn’t take this lightly and called it “malicious, reckless, and false” as he accused NASCAR of trying to ruin his name.

This isn’t Mayfield’s first rodeo with NASCAR. Just last month, the former Cup Series driver took aim at the league after 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, publicly criticized the organization. The veteran fired back with a blunt jab of his own, writing, “Classic NASCAR… spin it till the wheels fall off. At least they’re consistent about one thing.”

His remark captured the frustration of those who feel the sanctioning body has long operated with heavy-handed control and a mindset that protects its own interests above all else. And it can be said with much certainty that the Kentucky native will be keeping an eye out for the December one trial. But in the meantime, fans couldn’t help but be moved by his remarks in response to the leaked messages.

Fans rush in to support Mayfield’s rant

Jeremy’s sharp response to NASCAR leaked executive messages didn’t spark conversation; it unleashed a wave of fans who had been waiting years to hear from him. Taking to Reddit, the fans didn’t hold back. One fan summed up the moment bluntly, saying, “He’s going to be very loud in his opinions. Honestly, he should be.” For many who watched the veteran’s downfall unfold in real time, this controversy only reinforces a long-held suspicion about how the sport handles dissenting voices.

As the comments kept coming, the tone hardened. Long-time followers insisted this behavior was not new, just finally exposed. One fan wrote, “I’m glad everyone is finally getting to see it firsthand. They’ve swept things under a rug like drug kingpins for years, and until now, it’s all been in the dark.”

Another added, “Some of us believed in you from the beginning. We knew what was up. 🏁” The leaked messages didn’t shock them; they validated the concerns of those who felt the system punished nonconformity and protected its own interests. But one comment, proved to be a full-blown rant, saying, “What’s funny is I’m pretty sure that 90% of today’s NASCAR fans can’t drive a stick shift and they have no idea that talent has very little to do with who Wins,but this form of NASCAR racing is all they know and to them perception is reality, bless em, lol.”

Others took the moment to critique the sport’s broader direction. One fan didn’t hold back, saying, “It’s been the WWE for decades…. At least. Pretty soon they’ll have to admit it’s all staged.” Together, these reactions show a fan community that feels vindicated and a sport facing deeper trust issues than ever before