Artie Kempner has been with NASCAR since he kick-started his professional journey with FOX. With a career that spanned over three decades, he was one of the key members who took NASCAR to new heights as the director. But he ran his last laps to mark an end to his NASCAR sprint at the Talladega Superspeedway, overseeing his last race week ago. He wasn’t retiring; rather, he found his new home at ESPN, calling the shots for Monday Night NFL games, which also includes ESPN’s Super Bowl coverage in 2027.
This was indeed a big loss for NASCAR to lose out on their top executive from a trusted media partner. But with Steve Phelps at the helm as NASCAR’s new commissioner, it looked like everything was under control. As it turns out, just like ESPN, the PGA Tour is now eyeing the service of NASCAR’s right-hand man, and this could be detrimental to the overall growth of stock car racing.
PGA Tour Sets Sights on NASCAR’s Leadership Expert
According to reporting from Sports Business Journal, the PGA Tour has identified NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps as a candidate of interest in their ongoing search for a new CEO. Adam Stern confirmed this development on social media, tweeting that the “@PGATour has shown interest in hiring @NASCAR Commissioner @StevePhelps as its new CEO, people familiar with the matter tell @JoshACarpenter + @SBJ.”
.@PGATour has shown interest in hiring @NASCAR Commissioner @StevePhelps as its new CEO, people familiar with the matter tell @JoshACarpenter + @SBJ.
His interest in the job could not be immediately established, so he could wind up staying at NASCAR. https://t.co/1nlE34nNvx
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) April 29, 2025
The pursuit of Phelps is particularly notable given his recent promotion to become NASCAR’s first modern commissioner, a move that signaled the France family’s confidence in his leadership. Sources indicate that despite this recent promotion, Phelps remains “an active and attractive target” for the PGA Tour’s executive search committee. This committee, led by Arthur Blank with involvement from Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, has maintained considerable secrecy around their process, with few names emerging over the past four months.
The PGA Tour’s interest in Phelps likely stems from his successful efforts to revitalize NASCAR, which has seen renewed fan engagement and corporate interest under his guidance. Since taking over in 2018, Phelps has navigated the sport through the pandemic, implemented schedule changes to enhance competition, and oversaw the introduction of the Next Gen car. He did it all while also maintaining the delicate balance of honoring NASCAR’s traditional roots while pushing for modernization. Not to forget his significant contribution when NASCAR merged with ISC, along with the new $7.7 billion media rights deal.
While Phelps’ level of interest in the position “could not be immediately established,” according to SBJ’s reports, the mere fact that the PGA Tour is targeting him raises questions about the future direction of NASCAR’s leadership structure. If Phelps were to depart, it would mark the second major executive loss for NASCAR in recent years, following the resignation of former NASCAR President Brent Dewar in 2018.
Phelps: NASCAR’s Protective Voice in Changing Times
Steve Phelps has become NASCAR’s most visible defender, recently showcasing the leadership style that makes him valuable to both NASCAR and attractive to the PGA Tour. Following disturbing reports that driver Katherine Legge received death threats and hateful messages after the Xfinity Series race at Rockingham, Phelps took a firm stand. “I want to be crystal clear about this, we condemn this behavior. It is unacceptable, this is not appropriate for NASCAR, sports, or the world,” Phelps told CNN. “This is a woman who has competed very successfully in all forms of motorsports, and we want her here at NASCAR. They can take their opinions and their hate right out of NASCAR because there’s just no place for it.”
Last year, he also handled the Denny Hamlin vs. NASCAR lawsuit issue with a calculated approach. Despite the tensions between the two parties, he credited 23XI Racing for reaching their first-ever championship race. “It’s pretty cool that 23XI competed for a championship so soon in their life cycle of being a race team.” He knew the two issues were separate and had nothing but the best interests of the sport at heart. If anything, his promotion to the role of commissioner was a signal that he would be more involved with the trajectory of the sport and its expansion. So, needless to say, these rumors and speculations are indeed worrisome for the racing community.
However, we will have to wait for an official announcement or an update from NASCAR or the PGA before reaching any conclusion. Hopefully, this update is a positive one for NASCAR, as they cannot afford to lose their top executives to other major sporting series or leagues.
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