Steve Phelps will step away from NASCAR by the end of January, ending a 20-year tenure with the sanctioning body and closing a chapter that included the creation of the commissioner role, major business restructuring and some of the most significant moments in the sport’s recent history.
NASCAR announced Tuesday that Phelps made the personal decision to leave the company and his position as commissioner.
No successor will be named, and NASCAR does not plan to make any additional leadership changes. Instead, Phelps’s responsibilities will be distributed internally through the organization’s president and executive leadership team.
Phelps joined NASCAR in 2005 as vice president of corporate marketing and quickly rose through the company.
He became chief marketing officer in 2006, chief operating officer in 2018 and president later that same year.
In March 2025, NASCAR appointed him as its first commissioner, a role that gave him oversight of all NASCAR operations, IMSA and the company’s 15 owned or operated tracks.
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During his time in senior leadership, NASCAR underwent sweeping changes.
The sport completed its merger with International Speedway Corporation in 2019, consolidating track ownership and operations under one umbrella.
NASCAR also navigated the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, returning to competition before any other major U.S. sport and completing a full season under newly developed safety protocols.
Under Phelps’s leadership, NASCAR introduced the Next Gen car in 2022, reshaping the competitive and financial landscape of the Cup Series.
The sport also reworked its schedule to include new and unconventional events, expanded its international presence and secured long-term media rights agreements with FOX, NBC, Amazon Prime Video, TNT Sports and The CW that began with the 2025 season.
NASCAR leadership emphasized continuity in announcing Phelps’s departure.
Chairman and CEO Jim France credited Phelps with helping guide the sport through transformational moments and executing an ambitious vision for growth.
Executive vice chair Lesa France Kennedy pointed to his ability to balance leadership with a focus on fans and long-term stability.
The timing of Phelps’s exit comes shortly after NASCAR settled a high-profile antitrust lawsuit brought by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, a case that placed the sport’s governance and decision-making under public scrutiny.
NASCAR did not reference the lawsuit in its announcement, and there was no indication that the legal dispute played a role in Phelps’s decision.
NASCAR stated it has no immediate plans to replace the commissioner role or seek outside leadership, signaling confidence in its current executive structure.
For now, the organization appears focused on maintaining stability rather than redefining its leadership model.
Phelps leaves NASCAR during a period of relative business strength but continued evolution, with questions remaining about how the sport will balance growth, competition and governance in the years ahead.
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