By Neha Dwivedi, Staff Writer
Rodney Childers, a Cup Series championship-winning crew chief, was the last person anyone expected to be on the sidelines during NASCAR’s spring stretch. His sudden departure from Spire Motorsports in April 2025 came as a surprise not only to fans but also to industry insiders.
Now, in a move that turns the tide, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Childers confirmed he will join JR Motorsports (JRM) in 2026 as crew chief of the No. 1 Chevrolet, a ride split between Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch in NASCAR’s soon-to-be-named O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Most recently, Childers called the shots for Spire’s No. 7 Chevrolet in the Cup Series but his name is known in NASCAR for his run with Kevin Harvick at Stewart-Haas Racing. Together, he and Harvick formed one of the toughest pairings the sport has seen, stacking up 37 wins, 148 Top-fives, 230 Top-10s and five Championship 4 appearances, capped by the 2014 Cup championship.
When Harvick retired in 2023, Childers guided Josh Berry in his rookie Cup season, helping him bag two Top-fives and four top-10s in the No. 4 car. But when Stewart-Haas Racing shut its doors and Berry moved to Wood Brothers Racing, Childers found himself without a seat atop a Cup Series pit box.
He landed at Spire with Justin Haley but parted ways after only nine races earlier this season. Since then, he has kept his hands in the game by assisting Harvick in his CARS Late Model Series, though no Cup or Xfinity offers seemed to come his way.
That changed when Dale Earnhardt Jr. extended an invitation for Childers to lead the team’s part-time entry shared by Zilisch and Kvapil next year.
“I’m so excited to be joining the JRM family,” Childers said. “To see what Dale, Kelley and Mr. H have built here is quite amazing and their results speak for themselves. Dale and Kelley have meant a lot to me for some 30 years and I can’t wait to be part of this group. Plus, I get to be the lucky guy to lead two amazing young men that have a huge amount of talent and a big future in our sport.”
Dale Jr. was just as eager to welcome him aboard, noting both Childers’ long list of achievements and the personal bond they have shared since childhood. He admitted they had always wanted to work together in motorsports and expressed gratitude that the timing finally lined up to bring Childers into the JRM fold.