TC Daily Pit Stop: Steve Phelps Stepping Away From NASCAR; Jesse Love Entering 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals; Chumba Casino Returns to 23XI
TC Daily Pit Stop: Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Steve Phelps Stepping Down From Role As NASCAR Commissioner
Steve Phelps is stepping away from his role as NASCAR Commissioner.
On Tuesday, the sanctioning body confirmed that Phelps, a long-time executive for America’s top motorsport, made the personal decision to step away from the company and his role as the first-ever Commissioner of NASCAR. After first joining the company more than two decades ago (in 2005), Phelps will be transitioning out of the corporate landscape by the end of the month.
The change at the top of NASCAR’s corporate structure comes less than a month after the end of a contentious antitrust lawsuit that pitted NASCAR and CEO Jim France against two NASCAR Cup Series teams (23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports), which resulted in a settlement forcing NASCAR to make concessions in the form of evergreen charters and improved financial terms.
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Jesse Love Competing in 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals
Defending NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love is getting a little bit of extra-curricular racing in during the off-season, and it comes in the form of the Chili Bowl Nationals.
The 20-year-old driver will be returning to the prestigious dirt midget event held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, every January, after taking a year off from the event. This year, though, there’s an interesting NASCAR connection at play.
Love will be piloting an entry that is owned by Blake Harris and fielded by 2nd Opinion Auto Center Racing. Harris is a regular on the NASCAR circuit, serving as crew chief for Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series.
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Chumba Casino Expands Relationship with 23XI Racing
Chumba Casino, North America’s premier online Social Plus games company, will be expanding its relationship with 23XI Racing for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series campaign, supporting both Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.
The brand’s eye-catching paint scheme will return to the racetrack multiple times throughout the season and will be featured on both the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE driven by Bubba Wallace and the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE driven by Tyler Reddick.
“After an exciting first season that included a historic win at the Brickyard, we’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Chumba Casino to include more races with Tyler, along with the brand’s ongoing engagement with Bubba,” said Steve Lauletta, 23XI team president. “Last year we had a great reception from both Chumba Casino and NASCAR fans, and we look forward to another impactful year of growth and success on and off the track.”
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Other NASCAR Headlines:
Timmy Hill, Hill Motorsports Planning 17-Race Truck Schedule in 2026
Cummins Joins Kaulig RAM Truck Program as Sponsor for Brenden Queen
Zeigler Auto Group Returns to Spire Motorsports for 11 Races in 2026
Justin Alexander Joins LEGACY MOTOR CLUB as Shot-Caller for Erik Jones
Baltazar Leguizamon Running Multi-Race O’Reilly Schedule for Barrett-Cope Racing
Defending Champ Larson Getting Refreshed Valvoline Scheme for 2026
Matt Weber Promoted to Crew Chief for Jeremy Clements Racing