“It had been a while”: SHR’s former member makes his feelings known about visit to Hendrick Motorsports ‘shop’

Former Stewart Haas Racing (SHR) crew chief Rodney Childress signed a contract with Spire Motorsports for the 2025 season. He joined the team after Tony Stewart's co-owned SHR announced its departure in March this year. He recently visited the car workshop and reminisced about his initial days with Cheverloete.

Childress drove the #49 Chevy Monte Carlo for Jay Robinson Racing for a single year as his debut in the Cup Series in 2000. He will now replace Spire Motorsports' crew chief Ryan Sparks as the new chief of the #7 Chevy Camaro ZL1 for the 2025 season.

The former SHR crew chief recently went to the Hendrick Motor workshop and recollected his memories from his initial days in the sport and wrote:

"It had been a while since seeing all the great people at the engine shop! @TeamHendrick @SpireMotorsport @TeamChevy"

Rodney Childress has been with Stewart Haas Racing for nearly a decade and has had a remarkable career with Stewart Haas Racing. He worked with NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick and was the crew chief for his 2014 Cup Series Champion. Spire Motorsports signed a multi-year contract with Childress and has high hopes from the former Cup Series champion's crew chief.

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“Tomorrow will be my last day”: Rodney Childress shared a heartfelt message on his last day at SHR

Stewart Haas Racing has ceased its operation after the last race of 2024 held at Phoenix Raceway on November 10, 2024. After losing major sponsors cut out their investments from the team after the former NASCAR Cup Series Champion retired.

Three-time Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart partnered with Gene Haas in 2008 and rebranded the Haas CNC Racing team to Stewart Haas Racing for the 2009 season. Stewart won his third and team's first championship title in 2011.

Kevin Harvick won the team's second title in 2014, and Rodney Childress guided him through to make it possible. SHR has competed in over 1000 races and secured 70 wins in the Cup Series and 30 races in the Xfinity Series.

November 5 marked the last day of SHR's former crew chief, and he shared an emotional post on X expressing his thoughts about his last day at work; having worked at SHR for 11 years. He wrote:

"11 years and over 4000 days of working at SHR. Office has been cleaned out and tomorrow will be my last day in the building.. Still hard to even fathom. So many great memories. But I’m excited for what’s next and blessed to be able to go be with another family of racers.. ❤️"

Childress is excited about the new change and his career at Spire Motorsports. He was signed as Corey LaJoie's crew chief, but later they decided to bring Justin Haley back in their #7 Chevy Camarao ZL1.