Spire Motorsports and crew chief Rodney Childers are parting ways, according to sources briefed on the situation but not authorized to speak publicly, a shocking move that abruptly ends a short tenure for the championship-winning Cup Series crew chief who joined the NASCAR team just this season.
No reason was given why Childers is leaving Spire, where he served as crew chief for driver Justin Haley and the No. 7 team. Haley sits 23rd in points through nine races, with one top-10 finish.
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Childers is one of the successful active crew chiefs in the garage, winning 40 races and the 2014 Cup championship with driver Kevin Harvick. The Childers-Harvick combination dominated NASCAR during their 10-year run (2014-2023) at Stewart-Haas Racing, winning a series-best 37 races and qualifying for the Championship 4 playoff-deciding finale five times.
Spire and Childers did not immediately respond to separate requests for comment.
When SHR announced last spring it would cease operation after the 2024 season, Childers was sought by several teams before ultimately signing with Spire to lead its No. 7 team. His hiring was one of several high-profile, big-money moves Spire has made in recent years to become a more consistently competitive organization.
Pairing the veteran Childers with Haley, regarded as an up-and-coming talent, was viewed as a promising combination with the potential to vie for a playoff berth this season. And while they’ve yet to find consistency, there were signs of improvement. During the most recent race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Haley had an average running position of seventh and earned points in both stages before sliding back to finish 13th.
Spire has several candidates within the organization to replace Childers on an interim basis. The two leading candidates are Ryan Sparks, who previously served as crew chief for the No. 7 team before giving way to Childers to focus on his role as Spire’s competition director, and Matt McCall, who has previously worked as crew chief for both RFK Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing, before joining Spire in the offseason as its director of vehicle performance.
(Photo of Rodney Childers: Jeffrey Vest / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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