Rodney Childers’ departure from Spire Motorsports caught many fans off guard. While plenty are still rooting for him to eventually link up with Kyle Busch — especially given Busch’s recent struggles — the news of Childers’ split from the #7 team also raised eyebrows for Denny Hamlin, who recently weighed in on what might have gone wrong.
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According to Hamlin, while Justin Haley’s results under Childers this season reflected improvement, largely thanks to Spire’s steady year-over-year progress, some of the numbers might paint a rosier picture than reality. That said, Hamlin acknowledged Haley has been far more competitive this year.
When reflecting on Childers, Hamlin described him as a real game-changer during the Gen 6 era and earlier, a crew chief who truly left his fingerprints on the car and stood among the best in the business.
However, in the Next Gen era, the results haven’t told the same story, though Hamlin stressed that with so many variables at play, it’s unfair to pin the struggles on one factor alone. The margin for error is thin, and every minute detail counts, an area where Childers has always excelled.
In Hamlin’s eyes, the split seemed more about a culture clash than performance shortcomings. Given that Childers and Kevin Harvick had stormed to a title together in their debut season in 2014, Hamlin believes that when a name as big as Childers steps into a new environment, it automatically brings towering expectations.
What struck Hamlin most, though, was how disconnected Childers sounded from the outset. He said, “One thing that kind of just rubbed me a little bit, kind of the ick, was an interview I heard with him on SiriusXM.”
Recalling that interview from the offseason, Hamlin noted that when asked about adjusting to the new team, Childers nonchalantly replied, “Ah, just kind of keep to myself. And we just had a meeting, just to have a meeting.”
Denny Hamlin pointed out that such a lukewarm approach was hardly the best way to set the tone with a new team. Ultimately, as he put it, the partnership simply ran its course — after nine or ten races, both sides realized it was time to head in different directions.
Carson Hocevar’s reaction to Childers’ split with Spire
After Rodney Childers and Spire Motorsports dropped the news over the Easter weekend, Carson Hocevar, who pilots the #77 car for the team, made it clear he wasn’t taken aback. Speaking during a media session at Talladega Superspeedway, Hocevar emphasized that strategic, aggressive moves are part and parcel of how his team operates.
He remarked, “I don’t think it’s a surprise for Spire. I don’t think it’s a surprise for even the industry. It’s just a big surprise for everybody outside.” Placing trust in Jeff Dickerson’s decision-making, Hocevar voiced his belief that the move would eventually serve everyone’s best interests.
Meanwhile, Justin Haley — the driver Childers had been supporting from the pit box since the start of the season — admitted he was caught off guard by the announcement. Interestingly, the #7 driver revealed on Saturday that he had not even been included in the decision-making process.
