CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Longtime NASCAR team owner Richard Childress is considering legal action after leaked text messages showed the sport's commissioner making derogatory comments about him, his organization announced Tuesday.

Richard Childress Racing said it is discussing potential legal action with counsel following the revelation of text messages in which NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps said Childress "needs to be taken out back and flogged" and called him "a stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to nascar."

"RCR and Richard Childress are deeply disappointed by the insensitive and defamatory statements made about Mr. Childress in recently surfaced text messages between NASCAR executives Steve Phelps and Brian Herbst," the organization said in a statement.

The texts were disclos

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