Latest news with #RodneyChilders
Newsweek
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Kevin Harvick Reacts To Rodney Childer's Shock Spire Motorsports Exit
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick has shared his surprise at the unexpected exit of Rodney Childers from Spire Motorsports. Childers, who had only worked with Justin Haley's No. 7 team for nine races, left Spire Motorsports at the end of last month. Harvick and Childers partnered at Stewart-Haas Racing, and the duo collected 37 victories together during a decade-long partnership. Speaking on the Harvick Happy Hour podcast, the former driver commented: "That one kind of caught me off guard. Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John's Ford, and his crew chief, Rodney Childers walk on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on... Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John's Ford, and his crew chief, Rodney Childers walk on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 11, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. More"I think, as you look at the statements and things that everybody shared throughout the process, it seemed like it was a mutual agreement that it wasn't working. So, it'll be interesting to see how everybody moves on." He added: "I think that, you know, the No. 7 ran — didn't run great again this weekend. I think, as you look at Rodney and his credentials, hopefully he winds up somewhere where he'll make a difference, because I think he can. He's got the credibility, and the history of results that go with it." The news broke in late April, when Spire Motorsports confirmed they were parting ways with the crew chief. A statement from Spire Motorsports co-owner, Jeff Dickerson. — Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) April 23, 2025 Childers has since spoken out about the exit. He explained during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, as previously reported by Newsweek Sports: "Going into it, I was super excited about going there," he commented. "They had treated me really well. Our announcement last year [of his hiring] was big, and there was a lot of excitement around it. We had a great off-season. I felt like we had so much fun in the offseason... our equipment looked nice, we had a ton of really good guys come into the building, we were making, what I thought, was gains on the cars and just making them look better and nicer and lighter and all those things. "Really, everything was going fine. You could kind of tell after we got racing a little bit that maybe it wasn't going the way that we all wanted, and a lot of times that's performance-based or that can be how things are going at the shop or how things are going at the racetrack, and what's the communication like, and just the chemistry of all of it. It's not one person, it's not two people, it's 200 people, and just figuring that out as we went. "I think it finally came to a point where they could kind of tell I wasn't happy, and I could tell that maybe they weren't happy. "It just kind of started falling apart a little bit, and I could sense it a little bit maybe a couple of weeks before that. It started getting quiet around there, and anytime it gets quiet, you start wondering. "Overall, it was just one of those things that just wasn't working, and they're the type of team that is willing to pull the trigger, and a lot of teams don't. They're willing to take that chance... It doesn't bother me as badly as I thought it was going to because I didn't really feel it was working either. It just fell apart. "Like I said, they were super good to me while I was there, they're good people, they have a good race team, it was fun to be in the shop with the truck guys, and I'm going to miss a lot of those guys over there. But overall, it's time to think about things and move on."
Newsweek
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Rodney Childers Gives Career Update After Abrupt Spire Motorsports Exit
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Championship-winning NASCAR crew chief Rodney Childers, who worked with Justin Haley and the No.7 team, has broken his silence about his abrupt exit from Spire Motorsports. The team, co-owned by Jeff Dickerson, announced last week that they had parted ways with Childers after just nine races. Dickerson stated at the time: "NASCAR is an ever-evolving sport and the path to improvement isn't always comfortable. "The break in the Cup Series schedule gave us a chance to evaluate where we are as a program. We took the opportunity to discuss the best paths forward for everyone involved and the team and Rodney agreed that it would be best for us to part ways. Rodney Childers, crew chief for the #4 Busch Beer Ford, driven by Kevin Harvick, stands on pit wall during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway... Rodney Childers, crew chief for the #4 Busch Beer Ford, driven by Kevin Harvick, stands on pit wall during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 16, 2018 in Fontana, California. More"Rodney has worked at the highest level of our sport for 20 years, and he knows what it takes to win championships. With that in mind, we collectively acknowledged challenges with the team dynamic. "Having the right combination of talent is just as important as the results on track. As we move in a new direction it is not lost on us that Rodney has been an invaluable asset to our organization, as he will continue to be for others in this sport." A statement from Spire Motorsports co-owner, Jeff Dickerson. — Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) April 23, 2025 Rodney Childers breaks his silence Now, in conversation with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Childers has opened up on his unexpected departure. "Going into it, I was super excited about going there," he explained. "They had treated me really well. Our announcement last year [of his hiring] was big, and there was a lot of excitement around it. We had a great off-season. I felt like we had so much fun in the offseason... our equipment looked nice, we had a ton of really good guys come into the building, we were making, what I thought, was gains on the cars and just making them look better and nicer and lighter and all those things. "Really, everything was going fine. You could kind of tell after we got racing a little bit that maybe it wasn't going the way that we all wanted, and a lot of times that's performance-based or that can be how things are going at the shop or how things are going at the racetrack, and what's the communication like, and just the chemistry of all of it. It's not one person, it's not two people, it's 200 people, and just figuring that out as we went." He added: "I think it finally came to a point where they could kind of tell I wasn't happy, and I could tell that maybe they weren't happy. "It just kind of started falling apart a little bit, and I could sense it a little bit maybe a couple of weeks before that. It started getting quiet around there, and anytime it gets quiet, you start wondering. "Overall, it was just one of those things that just wasn't working, and they're the type of team that is willing to pull the trigger, and a lot of teams don't. They're willing to take that chance... It doesn't bother me as badly as I thought it was going to because I didn't really feel it was working either. It just fell apart. "Like I said, they were super good to me while I was there, they're good people, they have a good race team, it was fun to be in the shop with the truck guys, and I'm going to miss a lot of those guys over there. But overall, it's time to think about things and move on." Childers has not revealed what his next career move will be. However, he confirmed that his goal is to remain in the Cup Series. "I want to be a crew chief in the Cup Series, like I've been," Childers concluded. "I want to get past 700 races (on my resume). I want to get to that 50-win mark. I want to be with a good team and a good driver who can win races. I want that to be clear. "I'm looking forward to figuring that out over the next six months and hopefully getting back in Victory Lane."
Washington Post
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Washington Post
Spire Motorsports releases crew chief Rodney Childers after 9 races of NASCAR season
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Spire Motorsports has parted ways with championship-winning crew chief Rodney Childers after only nine races with the team. Childers, one of the winningest active crew chiefs in the Cup Series, won the 2014 championship with Kevin Harvick at Stewart-Haas Racing. When that team closed at the end of last season, Childers moved to Spire to crew chief Justin Haley.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Rodney Childers out as Spire Motorsports' No. 7 crew chief
Spire Motorsports made a crew chief change for its No. 7 Chevrolet team, announcing Wednesday that veteran Rodney Childers and the team agreed to mutually part ways during the off-week break. The move comes as the NASCAR Cup Series is set to resume this weekend with Sunday's Jack Link's 500 (3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM) at Talladega Superspeedway. Advertisement RELATED: Talladega weekend schedule | Cup Series standings Childers joined the Spire organization in the offseason after 11 years at Stewart-Haas Racing, which folded at the end of the 2024 season. Spire signed him last July with a multiyear deal, and he began this year working with driver Justin Haley. Haley ranks 23rd in the Cup Series standings. His lone top-10 finish through nine races this season was 10th last month at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Childers has 40 Cup Series wins, with all but three of those coming while paired with Kevin Harvick, who retired from competition after the 2023 season. Harvick and Childers combined to capture the 2014 Cup Series championship in their first year together at Stewart-Haas.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR podcast: Rodney Childers
Rodney Childers returned from the 2024 season finale and immediately went to work at Spire Motorsports, where he is now the crew chief for the No. 7 team and Justin Haley. It's been a busy offseason for Childers and his group as they prepare for a new NASCAR Cup Series season. Childers revealed they have done so much work and changed so many things, it's as if they are starting over. He sat down on The Racing Writer's Podcast to discuss that and much more ahead of this weekend's Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Story originally appeared on Racer
