Former NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief Rodney Childers and Spire Motorsports are parting ways, the team confirmed April 23.
Childers, who guided Kevin Harvick to the 2014 Cup title during the duo’s time with Stewart-Haas Racing, is now seeking for a new team after just nine races into his tenure with Spire.
He had moved to the team as the crew chief for Justin Haley‘s No. 7 in the Cup Series.
“NASCAR is an ever-evolving sport and the path to improvement isn’t always comfortable,” Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a release. “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 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.”
Haley currently sits 23rd in points with one top-10 finish this season, a 10th-place run at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March.
Spire has not announced who will replace Childers as Haley’s crew chief.
“I know this is a shock,” Childers wrote in his own statement. “But also know that not everything works out perfect all the time. That’s how life works. This was just one of those things that just wasn’t working for either of us.
“I appreciate my time at Spire, working with JH and the entire [No.] 7 team. We did a lot of good that is yet to be seen, and I wish them the best in the future.”
