“It just started falling apart”

Rodney Childers moved to Spire Motorsports ahead of the 2025 season. However, after only nine races together, the veteran crew chief got labelled a free agent.

The news hit the headlines following the recent week-long Easter break in the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. During an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Childers revealed why he was ejected from the team.

“You could kind of tell after we got racing a little bit that maybe it wasn’t going the way we all wanted,” Childers explained. “I wasn’t happy, and I could kind of tell they weren’t happy, and it just started falling apart a little bit. I could sense it maybe a couple weeks before that. It got quiet around there…it was one of those things that just wasn’t working.”

Rodney Childers joined Spire Motorsports as the crew chief for Justin Haley, driver of the No. 7 Chevy Camaro. Through nine races, Haley amassed only one top-10, placing 23rd in points.

Not long after Childers’ exit, Spire Motorsports appointed Ryan Sparks (Director of Competition) as Haley’s crew chief. Last Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, Haley bagged a P25 finish, which dropped him to P27 in driver standings.

Next up for Sparks and Haley is the Würth 400, scheduled for Sunday, May 4 at Texas Motor Speedway. The 267-lap event will begin 3:30 PM ET onwards. Fans can watch it on Fox Sports 1 or listen to its live radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Spire Motorsports owner breaks silence on parting ways with Rodney Childers

Rodney Childers’ expertise as a crew chief is unparalleled. During his 10-year run (2014-2023) at Stewart-Haas Racing, Kevin Harvick picked 37 wins besides making the coveted championship race on five occasions.

So when Stewart-Haas Racing ceased its operations at the end of 2024, Childers was deemed the golden goose. It was then that Jeff Dickerson, owner of Spire Motorsports, welcomed Childers to his team, hoping for him to deliver a stellar season.

But things didn’t go as planned. Detailing the same, Dickerson said (as quoted by Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck, The Athletic),

“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.”

“We collectively acknowledged challenges with the team dynamic. Having the right combination of talent is just as important as the results on track,” he added.

It’s not clear what Rodney Childers wants to do next. Per reports, he has taken a step back and is now focusing on his family.