Rodney Childers makes disappointing announcement about his Hall of Fame induction: “I hate I won’t be there”

Rodney Childers, the former crew chief of NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, was recently inducted into the Tri-County Speedway Hall of Fame. However, Childers was unable to attend the induction ceremony due to illness, so his wife Katrina and his sons represented him at the event instead. The 48-year-old took to X to share his disappointment.

He expressed his regret about missing the ceremony as he revealed that he was too unwell to attend. Despite his absence, Rodney Childers thanked Tri-County Speedway officials and Spire Motorsports, saying the honor meant a great deal to him.

“I never pictured waking up sick as a dog and a 102 fever on the day this was all supposed to happen. I appreciate @katrinachilders and the boys still going, and I hate I won’t be there. Thank you to everyone (at) Tri-County Speedway. Today is a huge honor no matter what,” Childers stated.

Childers is one of the most successful figures in NASCAR. With 660 starts as crew chief in a career spanning two decades, he has achieved 40 race wins, 178 top-five finishes, and 298 top-10s, along with guiding Kevin Harvick to the 2014 Cup Series championship.

However, Childers recently became a free agent after Stewart-Haas Racing shut down its charters following the 2024 season. He quickly found a new role with Spire Motorsports, taking on the position of crew chief for Justin Haley in the No. 7 car for the 2025 season.

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Rodney Childers looks forward to a new challenge with a new team

Spire Motorsports signed Rodney Childers to lead their No. 7 team shortly after it was announced late in 2024 that Justin Haley would transition from Rick Ware Racing, swapping places with Corey LaJoie. Childers, who has limited experience with Haley, shared his optimism about the partnership and the fresh challenge ahead.

Speaking about his new driver, the 48-year-old said he was eager to get to know Haley better while highlighting the positive feedback he’s heard about him from others in the sport.

“I think it’ll be good. It’ll be interesting because I’ve never been around him much. With Josh (Berry) I’ve been around him at Late Model races and his short track days. But Justin, all I know is all the good things people say about him, and just what I’ve seen from being around him in the garage,” Childers was quoted as saying by Sportsnaut.

“At this point in my career, it’s going to be fun for me to go over there because I think it will rejuvenate me. I need to be in an environment that will challenge me like I think this one will,” he added.

What will also help is the fact that Spire is also working towards a new technical partnership with Chevrolet in an attempt to give Rodney Childers the resources he needs to turn around the team's fortune.