CONCORD, N.C. — Spire Motorsports and veteran crew chief Rodney Childers have gone their separate ways after only nine races in the NASCAR Cup Series season.
Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson confirmed the news on social media on Wednesday.
“NASCAR is an ever-evolving sport and the path to improvement isn’t always comfortable. 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 would be best for us to part ways,” said Dickerson. “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 acknowledge challenges with the team dynamic.
“Having the right combination of talent is just as important as the results on the 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.”
Childers, who won the series championship with Kevin Harvick in 2014 and spent 11 years with Stewart-Haas Racing, joined Spire Motorsports during the offseason as crew chief for Justin Haley and the No. 7 Chevrolet.
Haley is 23rd in the standings with only one top-10 finish.
Childers posted his own statement on social media. “I know this is a shock. But also know that not everything works out perfect all the time,” Childers said. “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 7 team. We did a lot of good that is yet to be seen, and I wish them the best in the future.”
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