Richard Childress Says He Had “No Choice” During NASCAR Charter Negotiations

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Richard Childress has purchased a PBR team.

Richard Childress delivered important testimony on Day 7 of the NASCAR antitrust trial in Charlotte, describing how the 2025 Charter Agreement left his team with few choices. Childress, who has owned Richard Childress Racing for decades, explained that the financial structure of the sport made the signing decision unavoidable.

His comments came on the same day NASCAR Chairman Jim France and Commissioner Steve Phelps also took the stand. The case, brought by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, challenges NASCAR’s control over charters and revenue distribution. Childress’s testimony added new details about how teams responded to the deadline and how the charter model affects long-term stability.

Richard Childress Describes Why He Signed the Agreement

Richard Childress told the court that refusing to sign the charter agreement would have meant shutting down his team. In reporting by Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Childress said, “Financially, I can’t lose my charters.” He explained that charters guarantee access to races and key revenue streams, making them central to a team’s survival.

Childress said he wants RCR to last for decades, but the current model can’t support that future. He added he signed only after being told to do so before midnight or lose his charters. “I would like for it (Richard Childress Racing) to be running 60 years from now, but with this current business model, we can’t do it.” He also explained that he did not sign willingly, adding, “They told us we had until midnight or you lose ’em.”

Richard Childress said his organization did not have the luxury of refusing the deal. Williams reported him saying, “We are a blue-collar operation and proud of it. If we didn’t sign the Charter agreement in 2024, we would have lost them.”

He also said he repeatedly asked NASCAR leadership to make charters permanent. According to Deb William of Autoweek, Childress testified that France told him, “We don’t know where the sport is going to be in seven years” when discussing future media-rights revenue.

France and Phelps Respond in Court

NASCAR Chairman Jim France addressed the charter structure directly. In The Athletic’s reporting, France said, “We did not do evergreen or permanent charters, no.” He also supported the firm deadline for signing, stating, “I knew we needed to get them signed.”

Phelps gave his own account of the negotiations. According to The Athletic, when asked if NASCAR used its authority to push teams into the deal, Phelps responded that it was “absolutely not” true.

He was also questioned about a past conversation regarding permanent charters. When asked whether he once told Hendrick Motorsports, “We wish we could give you permanent charters, but Jim doesn’t want that,” Phelps replied, “I don’t deny doing it, but I don’t remember.”

Both France and Phelps stated that the charter system offers stability, even as teams have argued that the terms limit their ability to manage costs and build long-term value.

Teams Describe Financial Pressure

Richard Childress also told the court how financial realities shaped his decision. Gluck and Bianchi reported that he said his race team would “go broke” without support from his other businesses. He explained that while the charter system provides some protection, it is insufficient to secure the team’s future in the long term.

Richard Childress also said the current arrangement does not reflect the effort teams put in, telling The Athletic, “It’s keeping us alive is all it’s doing right now.”

As the trial moves toward closing arguments, the testimony from Day 7 reveals the sharp differences between team owners and NASCAR leadership regarding the charter system. The court will decide whether NASCAR’s structure unfairly limits teams or falls within the organization’s authority to manage the sport.

Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce