Spire Motorsports, Childers split

Spire Motorsports and Rodney Childers have mutually agreed to part ways.

Childers was crew chief of the No. 7 Chevrolet with Justin Haley. The duo worked together for the first nine races of the NASCAR Cup Series season and earned one top-10 finish, a 10th-place, at Homestead Miami Speedway. Haley is 23rd in the championship standings.

“I know this is a shock. But (I) also know that not everything works out perfect all the time. That’s how life works,” Childers said in a statement released via social media. “This was just one of those things that just wasn’t working for either of us. I appreciate my time at Spire, working with (Justin Haley) and the entire 7 team. We did a lot of good that is yet to be seen, and I wish them the best in the future.

“Also want to say thank you to everyone at Chevrolet, (Rick Hendrick) and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for my time working with them again. It was a pleasure. Thank you to NASCAR, the officials, and most importantly the fans for your support. For me, I’m going to take a little time. Focus on the important things like my family and friends. And honestly just see what the racing world holds for me next. I know the man above will lead me in a direction that is best for me.”

“NASCAR is an ever-evolving sport and the path to improvement isn’t always comfortable,” Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a separate statement. “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.”

Spire Motorsports has not named who will work with Haley and the No. 7 team going forward. Cup Series teams embark on 28 consecutive weeks of racing beginning Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

Childers was hired by Spire Motorsports following the announcement in May 2024 that Stewart-Haas Racing was shutting down. A veteran of the NASCAR garage, Childers had guided the No. 4 team at Stewart-Haas to immense success beginning with the 2014 season, including a series championship with Kevin Harvick. He has 40 victories as a Cup Series crew chief in 685 starts.