By Andy DeLay, Staff Writer, December 14, 2025
Well, folks, you can finally put the legal briefs away and pull the earplugs back out. As of this past Thursday, the “suit suits” settled. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have their charters back, the 2026 season is safe, and we’re told that “evergreen” charters are here to stay.
As I sat on my porch this morning, coffee in hand, listening to the wind rather than the roar of an engine, I couldn’t help but wonder: The lawsuit is over, but do the folks in Daytona Beach even remember who buys the tickets?
The “Steve & Steve” Show: Time for a Rerun or Cancellation?
Let’s address the elephant in the room—or rather, the two suits in the tower. Commissioner Steve Phelps and President Steve O’Donnell. They survived the courtroom, but did their credibility survive the cross-examination?
We learned a lot during this trial. We saw text messages that made Richard Childress look like the only sane man in the room. We saw a disconnect between the polished PR statements of the executive offices and the grit of the garage area.
To the veteran fan, Phelps and O’Donnell represent the “corporatization” of our sport. They are slick, they say the right buzzwords about “global expansion” and “streaming partners,” but do they know what a lug nut is? The settlement keeps the peace, but it doesn’t fix the trust deficit. If NASCAR wants to heal, maybe it’s time for leadership that doesn’t need a focus group to know what a “good race” looks like.
The Junior Factor
This brings me to the name on everyone’s lips, every time the sport stumbles: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
During the trial, it came out that while the executives were wringing their hands, Junior was the one actually getting North Wilkesboro back on the map—dirt, sweat, and all. He did it because he loves it, not because a spreadsheet told him the ROI was positive.
Would Dale Jr. take a leadership role? He’s always said he’s happy being a broadcaster and team owner. But maybe the question isn’t what Dale wants, but what NASCAR needs. We don’t need him counting the beans; we need him ensuring the beans are worth counting. We need a “Czar of Competition” or a true liaison between the ivory tower and the grandstands. Someone who understands that you can’t franchise passion.
Franchise vs. Charters: A Rose by Any Other Name?
The settlement gave the teams “evergreen” charters. Let’s call a spade a spade: We have a Franchise System now. NASCAR can call it whatever they want to keep the France family happy, but if you have a guaranteed spot that lasts forever, you’re an NFL team with wheels.
Is this better? For the owners like Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, absolutely. It protects their investment. But for the blue-collar fan? I’m torn.
The franchise model brings stability. It stops teams from folding overnight. But it also kills the “Alan Kulwicki dream.” The idea that a guy with a truck, a trailer, and a heavy right foot can show up and beat the big boys is officially dead. The barrier to entry just got raised from a wall to a fortress. We are trading the romance of the underdog for the stability of the boardroom.
The Blue Collar Disconnect
Here is the hard truth: The current leadership has forgotten the guy who saves all year just to pull into the campground at Talladega. They are chasing the casual viewer in Los Angeles and Chicago, while the blue-collar fans at Darlington and Martinsville feel ignored.
The trial was all about hundreds of millions of dollars. Revenue splits. TV rights. Billions. Meanwhile, the average fan is wondering why a hot dog costs $12 at the track and why the next generation of cars will sound like vacuum cleaners.
To regain its dominance, NASCAR doesn’t need more lawyers or “evergreen” contracts. It needs to look in the mirror.
1. Fix the Car: The Next Gen car is safe, yes. But does it race well on short tracks? The drivers say no. The fans say no. Listen to them.
2. Lower the costs: If you want blue-collar fans, give them blue-collar prices.
3. Respect the Roots: We don’t need to be the NFL. We need to be NASCAR. We need dirt, noise, rivalries, and personalities—not sanitized press releases.
The lawsuit is settled. The lawyers got paid. But the jury is still out on the future of this sport. It’s up to us, the fans, to keep holding them accountable.
See you at the track.
Image Credit: Julian Wayne/ Seriously Fast Motorsports