Rodney Childers has been announced as the crew chief for JR Motorsports’ No. 1 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for 2026, the team revealed Sept. 24.
Childers will be atop the pit box of a car set to be split by Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch.
The move confirms Zilisch’s return to the series for 2026 during his maiden full-time NASCAR Cup Series season with Trackhouse Racing.
“Rodney’s resume and career speak for itself,” JRM owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in a team release. “Rodney and I grew up together and have known each other since we were kids. That’s a relationship that has always been close and has remained close to this day. We’ve always had interest in working together in motorsports and I’m thankful that this opportunity came about and we could bring him into the JRM family.”
“I’m so excited to be joining the JRM family,” Childers added. “To see what Dale, Kelley [Earnhardt Miller] and Mr. H [Rick Hendrick] have built here is quite amazing and their results show 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.”
The schedule for Kvapil and Zilisch in the No. 1 was not announced in the release.
Kvapil is currently the full-time driver of the No. 1. The move currently puts him as a part-time driver for 2026, barring other announcements. He has six top fives and 13 top 10s in his rookie season.
Kvapil’s team has been overseen by Andrew Overstreet, who JRM says will remain with the organization.
Zilisch has nine wins, 16 top fives and 18 top 10s in Xfinity this year, his first full-time season.
Childers was the longtime crew chief for Kevin Harvick in the Cup Series and stayed on in 2024 when Josh Berry took over Harvick’s No. 4. He initially moved to Spire Motorsports’ No. 7, driven by Justin Haley, for 2025 but departed the team in April.
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