Steve Phelps has found himself in some difficult situations during his time as president of NASCAR, but he has been able to show strength during those trying times.
That is no different as NASCAR continues to try and work its way through discussions with its teams about the next charter deal. Negotiations seemed bleak in early 2023, but it appears things might be heading in the right direction.
Nothing is imminent, but as both a driver and team owner in NASCAR's Cup Series, Denny Hamlin has plenty of confidence that Phelps will make the right decisions to improve the sport for its teams, drivers and fans.
Hamlin is never shy to voice his opinion, and he has been one of the more critical drivers and owners in the sport. He's had plenty of issues with the way some of the things are handled on the Next gen car and the policing of driver's actions on and off the track, but he recently sang praises about how lucky NASCAR is to have Phelps in a recent interview with The Athletic's Jordan Bianchi.
"Steve has had a tremendous amount of responsibility put on his shoulders," Hamlin said. "I have the utmost respect for him and what he is as a leader. He's one of the first guys that will wish you luck on the grid every Sunday, walking by nearly every car and showing his presence and showing his leadership. And then probably as soon as he gets done with the grid, having to go and have tough meetings with executives on our TV deals or tracks or something. The guy works as hard as anyone in the industry. We're all very lucky to have him."
Many fans have been skeptical about Phelps. But it's clear he cares about the sport. With Phelps having recently gotten the next TV deal done, the charter negotiations are sure to pick up speed and cross the finish line soon.
