Veteran NASCAR Cup-winning crew chief Rodney Childers has announced his departure from Spire Motorsports and their No. 7 team. This has prompted a thought among fans that he could soon lend his expertise to a driver like Kyle Busch, who has been stuck in a winless rut for over one and a half years now.
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Childers joined Spire during the offseason after an 11-year stint with Stewart-Haas Racing, which shut its doors at the end of the 2024 season. Although he signed a multi-year deal with Spire last July, his on-track partnership with Justin Haley only began this season. While Haley has shown marginal improvement over his previous performances, the results have fallen short of the expectations that came with Childers’ arrival.
Going to Talladega Superspeedway this weekend, Haley sits P23 in the driver standings, with his best finish from nine starts so far — a tenth place — coming at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Meanwhile, Rodney Childers, a well-known crew chief in the Cup Series garage, holds 40 wins to his name. 37 of these came during his long-standing partnership with Kevin Harvick. Together, the duo struck gold in 2014, winning the Cup Series championship in their very first season at Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick hung up his helmet at the end of the 2023 season, and now, Childers has also turned a page.
Sharing news of his departure from Spire Motorsports, Rodney Childers took to social media and wrote: “I know this is a shock. But also know that not everything works out perfect all the time. That’s how life works.
“This was just one of those things that just wasn’t working for either of us. I appreciate my time at Spire, working with JH and the entire 7 team… Also want to say thank you to everyone at Chevrolet, Mr. (Rick Hendrick) and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for my time working with them again…”
He continued, “For me, I’m going to take a little time. Focus on the important things like my family and friends. And honestly just see what the racing world holds for me next. I know the man above will lead me in a direction that is best for me.”
— Rodney Childers (@RodneyChilders4) April 23, 2025
Childers’ message struck a chord with fans, sparking speculations and suggestions about where his next stop in NASCAR might unfold. One fan cut straight to the chase, declaring, “Kyle Busch needs you,” while another took aim at RCR leadership, urging, “Richard Childress needs to make a call. Randall Burnett needs to be moved to be in charge of the brooms.”
Echoing the sentiment, a third fan posted, “It’s time for you to team up with @KyleBusch,” while others rallied around the idea, even tagging RCR directly: “Please @RCRracing hire this man!!!” and “Please @RCRracing try and hire him for the 8. Pleaseeeree.”
Busch, who is a two-time Cup Series champion, is currently stuck in a rough patch. With only one top-five and four top-10 finishes this season, he sits 15th in the standings and far below his usual standards. Given the championship pedigree both Kyle Busch and Rodney Childers bring to the table, fans are beginning to envision them as a great pairing—one that could potentially mirror the success seen with the Harvick-Childers alliance.
