"Rodney Childers gets to choose a driver" - Kenny Wallace speculates on Spire's next move after Corey LaJoie exit

NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace recently discussed Spire Motorsports’ plans involving Rodney Childers after Corey LaJoie's departure from the team. Spire, which fields three teams in the Cup Series and three teams in the Truck Series, has been making big changes for the next season.

The team announced last month that LaJoie will not return to Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet in 2025. LaJoie joined the team in 2021 and has had four top-five and six top-10 finishes so far. He also managed a fourth-place finish in the Daytona 500 in 2024.

Spire also recently hired Rodney Childers from Stewart-Haas Racing as the new crew chief for the No. 7 team. However, the new driver for 2025 is yet to be announced.

Former driver Wallace speculated that crew chief Childers will have a say in the new signing and that Spire will be targeting a high-profile driver.

"They just let Cory LaJoie go for next year so that means Rodney Childers gets to choose a driver," Wallace said (5:13).

"I think that they brought Rodney Childers in to like bring the team up to the next level. I think they're going to hire a big-time driver, uh because they're going to need one. They got Zayn Smith, they got Carson, " he said (5:26).

"Rodney Childers [is] one of the number one crew chiefs in all of NASCAR," he added (9:00).

Spire Motorsports, which is owned by Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr, currently runs the No. 7, No. 71, and No. 77 cars in the Cup Series, with Zane Smith, and Carson Hocevar as drivers of the latter two rides. They also run the same number of cars in the Truck Series, with different drivers rotating in the No. 7 truck, Rajah Caruth in the No. 71, and Chase Purdy in the No. 77.

Spire’s first Cup Series win was in 2019 with Justin Haley at Daytona. Their latest win in the Truck Series was with Kyle Busch at Texas Motor Speedway in 2024.

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Spire Motorsports bets on Rodney Childers

Rodney Childers is a highly successful crew chief who is best known for his partnership with Kevin Harvick and the 2014 Cup championship. Spire believes that Childers is one of the best in the business and will help them improve and reach new goals.

"Rodney is a Hall-of-Fame worthy, championship-winning crew chief with 40 wins. He is one of the best in the garage, and when a guy like Rodney is available, it would be malpractice if we did anything but our absolute best to bring him into our growing organization," Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in an official statement.

Childers’ first win came when Reutimann won the Coca-Cola 600 for Michael Waltrip Racing at Charlotte. They also won at Chicagoland Speedway in 2010. In three years, they had two poles, two wins, 12 top-fives and 21 top-10s.

Childers later joined the No. 4 team for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 as Harvick's crew chief. They had their first race at Phoenix Raceway and went on to clinch the Cup Series championship that season.