Spire Co-Owner on Rodney Childers Decision: “We Approached Him”
What’s Happening? By far, the most important news story from this past week is Championship-winning Crew Chief Rodney Childers’s departure from…
In a recent post on social media, former NASCAR Cup Series Crew Chief Rodney Childers opened up on how he’s felt since exiting the sport, saying he’s “more determined now than ever,” though it still appears he is yet to sign with a team for the coming season.
Rodney Childers started the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with Spire Motorsports, but, after a poor start to the season, the team parted ways with the veteran Crew Chief after nine races.
Childers, as one of the series most experienced Crew Chiefs, should be a hot commodity, but despite speculation from fans, there is no clear indication as to what his future in NASCAR looks like.
While several teams could use his talent in the Cup Series, no team has stepped forward to announce it has hired Childers for 2026, and though next season is still months away, a post from Childers on Wednesday suggests that he is still without a gig for the coming year.
In this post, Childers said that he misses competing and being the leader of a team. While he thinks he is still “better than most,” Childers then suggests that he might not have a Cup Series job for 2026, saying, “If no one is willing to take a chance in the Cup garage, I’ll win in whatever I do.”
This single post does not shut the door for the veteran, of course, he could have a job in another series, but it would be a shame if Childers did not return to NASCAR’s top level in 2026. Prior to his exit from Spire, Childers was one of the top crew chiefs in the garage on experience alone.
From 2005 to 2024, Childers called the shots for drivers like Elliott Sadler, David Reutimann, and Kevin Harvick at teams like Evernham Motorsports, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Stewart-Haas Racing. This is not to mention his 40 career wins and 2014 championship with Harvick.
When Stewart-Haas Racing announced it would cease operations at the end of the 2024 season, Childers became not only one of the top free agent Crew Chiefs but also one of the top free agents in NASCAR, with Spire moving quickly to bring him on for 2026.
Ultimately, paired with Justin Haley, the two would underperform early on, with Spire Motorsports Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson saying in April that bringing Childers into Spire was “one of those examples where things look good on paper but maybe don’t translate.”
While fans have often suggested landing spots like Richard Childress Racing’s No. 8, or Kaulig Racing’s new Ram Truck Series team, with Childers recently joking about the latter opportunity, Childers appears to still be on the market for the 2026 season.
What’s Happening? By far, the most important news story from this past week is Championship-winning Crew Chief Rodney Childers’s departure from…
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