'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Veteran crew chief Rodney Childers, best known for his pairing with former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, took to X recently and reacted to his induction into the prestigious Tri-County Speedway Hall of Fame. Childers couldn’t show up due to his health, so his wife Katrina, along with his twin boys, went to the ceremony instead.
Childers began his career as a crew chief nearly two decades ago. However, he became a free agent after Stewart-Haas Racing closed its shutters following the 2024 season. Not long after, Spire Motorsports tabbed him to join their No. 7 team and serve as the crew chief for Corey LaJoie through 2025.
Reacting to his induction, Childers wrote,
“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.”
Trending
“Thank you to everyone Tri-County Speedway. Today is a huge honor no matter what,” he added.
Childers made the headlines in 2014 when he won his first and only Cup Series championship with Harvick. He is a 40-time winner in the series, making him the winningest active crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series.
In 660 starts as a crew chief, Childers amassed over 30 poles, 178 top-fives, and 298 top-10s. He led Harvick to eight appearances in the playoffs, including five in the coveted championship race between 2014 and 2019.
Childers’s first race of 2025 is scheduled for Sunday, February 2. The 200-lap, season-opening event will be held at Winston-Salem’s Bowman Gray Stadium from 8 pm ET onwards. Fans can watch it live on FOX or listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
NASCAR team owner reflected on having Rodney Childers onboard
During an interview reported by NASCAR a few months ago, Jeff Dickerson, owner of Spire Motorsports, revealed how Rodney Childers was brought into the organization. Hiring a new crew chief requires careful consideration, but when Childers topped the list, making the decision was easy.
“There are decisions that professional racing teams make daily that take courage, require deep thought and have some element of rolling the dice,” said Dickerson. “To be clear, this wasn’t one of them. 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.“
Childers will replace Ryan Sparks, who has been calling races for the No. 7 team for years now, while also serving as the competition director for Spire Motorsports. Notably, he was one of the guys who first talked to Dickerson about bringing Childers in.
Spire Motorsports earned its maiden victory back in the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Known to have fielded drivers like William Byron and two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch in the past, 2025 will mark its sixth year competing in the NASCAR Cup Series.
