Rodney Childrens’ tenure at Spire Motorsports continued with the team holding just nine points in the standings. The organization revealed they have parted ways with the championship-winning crew chief ahead of this weekend’s Cup Series race at Talladega. Rodney joined Spire after Stewart-Haas Racing ceased operations at the end of the 2024 season.
Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson commented, “NASCAR is constantly evolving, and sometimes progress requires uncomfortable decisions. The break in the Cup Series allowed us to evaluate our program and choose the best way forward. Rodney agreed to compete at the highest level for us, and while we’re heading in a new direction, we recognize he was a vital part of our team.”
In 2025, Rodney worked with Justin Haley in the Spire No. 7 car, but the season has been challenging so far. Haley is 23rd in the standings, with an average finish of 20.2 and just one top-10 finish, which came at Homestead where he moved up from 21st to 10th. Haley is the second-highest ranked of Spire’s three drivers, trailing Michael McDowell in 19th and ahead of Carson Josever in 25th. Zane Hocevar, who finished second in Atlanta, holds the best finish for Spire this season.
Rodney’s exit follows the departure of car chief Robert “Cheddar” Smith, who left Spire in a similar role to join Joe Gibbs Racing with Ty Gibbs. Smith had worked with Rodney since their time at Stewart-Haas Racing together.
Before the 2025 season, Rodney was highly sought after because of his success at SHR. During his career, his drivers won 40 races over 21 seasons, with Kevin Harvick accounting for all three championship wins. Rodney and Harvick teamed up at SHR in 2014, quickly securing five race wins and the championship that same year. Between 2018 and 2020, Harvick won 21 races and consistently finished in the top five in points from 2017 to 2021.
However, Harvick claimed only two race wins in his last three Cup Series seasons. In 2024, Josh Berry replaced him, achieving two top-five and four top-ten finishes with Rodney as crew chief. Meanwhile, SHR owner Gene Haas kept four charters and secured Cole Custer from the Haas Factory team, selling the other three charters to different teams.
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Fan Take: Rodney Childrens’ departure marks a significant shake-up for Spire Motorsports and signals the unpredictable nature of crew chief dynamics in NASCAR. For fans, this change highlights how pivotal leadership is to a team’s success and could reshape the competitive landscape in the coming races.
