What’s Happening?

When The Wood Brothers announced signing Josh Berry for 2025, one notable absence from the press conference was Rodney Childers, Berry’s current crew chief. While crew chiefs are rarely discussed in Silly Season conversations, Childers is one of the premier crew chiefs in NASCAR, and plenty of teams would love to bring him in.

• Childers started his career as a crew chief at MB2 Motorsports in 2005 for Scott Riggs before moving to Evernham Motorsports in 2006. However, Childers broke out in the late 2000s and early 2010s with Michael Waltrip Racing, winning two races with David Reutimann and one more with Brian Vickers. In 2014, Childers moved to Stewart-Haas Racing with Kevin Harvick, and the pair won the 2014 Cup Series Championship and 37 races in 10 seasons together.
• Plenty of teams are out there who could be looking for a big-name crew chief. Childers is arguably the best crew chief in NASCAR, and any team would love to have him on board.
• Fans were hoping that Childers would stick with Berry at the Wood Brothers. However, the probability of that is questionable at best.

Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing is making some big changes in the wake of a struggling season and Executive Vice President Andy Petree’s retirement. Could one of them be bringing in Rodney Childers as a crew chief for Kyle Busch or Austin Dillon?

With both drivers struggling, anything seems possible. Busch seems more likely to keep his crew chief, given that the pair won three races in 2023, but Busch and Childers teaming up sounds like quite the team-up.

The Wood Brothers

It’s not impossible that Childers and Berry team up once again at The Wood Brothers. However, Jon Wood said that the decision would be made with input from Roger Penske. Certainly, it would be a big win for either side to gain Childers.

However, would Childers have other opportunities on the table? If so, he might want to consider them instead of going to a non-Tier One organization.

Trackhouse

Trackouse is one of the teams reportedly in line to purchase one of SHR’s free charters for 2024. If they buy a charter, they need a crew chief, and Childers could be an interesting option. Justin Marks and Childers have a roundabout connection with Kevin Harvick, who owns the CARS Tour alongside Marks and others.

There’s also Ty Norris, an executive at Trackhouse, who Childers worked with at MWR. Maybe this is the place where Childers could connect with some older faces.

Spire Motorsports

Another team to watch is Spire Motorsports, as Michael McDowell joins in 2025. Childers joining as a crew chief could give Spire some much-needed experience and direction. McDowell is also a veteran, with whom Childers generally works well, given his success with Harvick and, in the past, with Brian Vickers and Mark Martin.

However, Spire does not consistently compete for race wins, so it would be a building project for Childers. Would Childers be willing to join someplace like this?

23XI Racing

23XI Racing is also reportedly interested in purchasing one of SHR’s charters. Childers would join an organization that competes for wins and could have Championship potential. This would be more of a “Turn-key” situation than other drivers on this list.

However, this is a Toyota team, and maybe Toyota wants to bring up their crew chief. Time will tell, but if Childers is interested, he should at least take a look.

Front Row Motorsports

Joining Front Row Motorsports could allow Childers to stay with Ford, and he would join a “Tier One” team. If Noah Gragson joins, then that’s another SHR driver that Childers could connect with.

However, Front Row has not performed well this season, with Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland outside the top 20 in points. It may not be as easy of a move as somewhere like 23XI.

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