Most drivers, crews, and teams will look to unwind after the season finale in Phoenix next month. Rodney Childers, however, will gear up for a new chapter in life.
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The former crew chief for Kevin Harvick isn’t taking his foot off the gas just yet and is set to dive headfirst into his new role atop the No. 1 pit-box for JR Motorsports, which is owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., in a move that was confirmed in September. Childers will call the shots for the No. 1 Chevrolet in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, a ride shared by Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch.
A 40-time Cup Series winner, Childers now turns the page to his first full-time stint as a crew chief in NASCAR’s second-tier division. His most recent Cup Series role came with Spire’s No. 7 Chevrolet team, but his most successful years were spent alongside Harvick and Josh Berry at Stewart-Haas Racing.
When asked how preparations for his new stint were going, Childers said, “It’s going really well so far. Like you said, I mean, everybody else is ready for a break, and I’ve had enough break. I’m ready, I’m ready to go.”
“So, going to be a little bit odd for me over the next couple months as everybody kind of spends their time with their families and Thanksgiving and Christmas and everything else, where I’ve been at home a lot over the past six months and ready to get going.”
Childers then outlined his early groundwork for the JRM Xfinity Series program. “For me, it’s just been a lot of walking around, meeting people, talking to people, getting different people’s opinions, asking lots and lots of questions. Looking at the cars, the details, taking notes of little tiny things that maybe could be better, and just trying to take it all in,” he said.
With two JRM cars still alive in the Championship 4 hunt, the shop has a lot going on. Childers said he has spent a lot of time with the guys, figuring things out one day at a time. “But it’s definitely a busy time inside these walls,” he noted.
Although the Cup championship-winning crew chief had planned to visit Martinsville this Saturday to observe operations firsthand, NASCAR denied his request due to strict roster limits. Still, he’s been cleared to attend pre-race tech inspections to get a closer look at the Xfinity Series process. He won’t be on the ground for Martinsville or Phoenix, but by the looks of it, he’s already gearing up to make the most of his new role.
