What NASCAR's newly created 'commissioner' position means for the sport

The term ‘commissioner’ is something fans of most stick-and-ball sports are extremely familiar with. The NFL has Roger Goodell, the NBA has Adam Silver, the MLB has Rob Manfred, but it’s a role that hasn’t really existed in the same form in NASCAR.

Now, stock car racing has used the title before, but not in the traditional sense. It’s been purely ceremonial or limited in its actual power. But now, it’s very real with quite a lot of power behind it as Steve Phelps has been elevated to this newly established role of commissioner. Phelps will directly oversee all 15 NASCAR divisions and IMSA. Phelps has worked for NASCAR in some role for the last two decades and has been president since 2018. Where the commissioner role comes in is what’s next for the sport — as one of the pillars of Phelps’ new role will be international expansion, which has been on the sport’s radar from some time. 

NASCAR President Steve Phelps, John Hunter Nemechek, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Talks are ongoing about getting the NASCAR Cup Series into both Brazil and Canada. And NASCAR’s first international Cup race in decades is set to take place in June of this year when they head to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. Phelps will spearhead furthering these efforts as NASCAR aims to capture the interest of a more global fanbase. That will likely include a goal to expand the international presence behind the wheel as well, as the Cup Series has two international drivers competing full-time at the moment with New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen and Mexico’s Daniel Suarez.

Phelps, who was the fifth person to serve as President of NASCAR before being promoted to the newly established role of Commissioner, will also be tasked with “providing value to all stakeholders while increasing global fan engagement.”

What does that mean? While specific initiatives were not revealed, Phelps’ role may put him at the forefront of Charter dealings with the teams. The current Charter Agreement runs through 2031, but with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports suing NASCAR over alleged antitrust violations, there’s the possibility the entire system could be dissolved once the court battle is over. Beyond that, we can expect Phelps to be looking for new ways to bring value to the sport’s shareholders and offer fans a better viewing experience. How he plans to do that remains to be seen.

Steve Phelps, Nascar President

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Then there’s Steve O’Donnell, another name NASCAR fans know well. Before being named President and filling the role vacated by Phelps, he has worn many hats within the stock car racing series, but most recently, he worked as the sport’s Chief Operating Officer. In the past, O’Donnell was often NASCAR’s voice in critical moments and controversial decisions, but it seems that the vice president of competition, Elton Sawyer, has taken on that burden in recent years.

O’Donnell’s duties will not really change, but simply expand as he takes on the title of president of NASCAR. Among his many duties will be overseeing the sport’s investments and content creation/distribution through NASCAR’s brand-new production facility. NASCAR Studios, which was established in 2022, has been developing various shows and documentaries that diehard fans of the sport will love, but also with the goal of attracting new eyes. NASCAR Studios is an integral part of Netflix’s NASCAR: Full Speed — a show similar in structure to the Formula 1’s wildly successful Drive to Survive. 

Steve O’Donnell

Photo by: James Holland

O’Donnell will continue to have major sway in the on-track product, putting together the annual schedule, as well as overseeing day-to-day operations within the sport.

In the end, don’t expect to see significant changes in the way the sport is run from the outside, but internally, this change in structure means Phelps will have a lot on his plate as everyone looks to NASCAR’s ‘commissioner’ moving forward.