In the history of NASCAR, the partnership between Kevin Harvick and Rodney Childers could be considered as one of the most iconic ones when it comes to a driver and a crew chief. Together in the #4 team, Harvick and Childers have combined to win over 30 races, including the 2014 Cup championship.
Advertisement
However, this partnership is coming to an end after a legendary run at the end of the current season.
Harvick is retiring and leaving behind an incredible legacy in the sport. But his partner in crime, who has been a key part of his success, has decided to carry on in his role as the crew chief of the #4 team because of one key reason.
Rodney Childers explains why Josh Berry’s appointment made him stay
Recently, Stewart Haas Racing announced that it’d be Josh Berry who would replace Harvick in their #4 team. Berry replacing Harvick was something that didn’t exactly come as a shock, considering it was rumored to be happening for a while. But the fact that it was someone like Josh Berry, a self-made, vastly experienced racecar driver with his roots in Late Model racing, was a key reason behind not just his career upgrade, but a big reason behind Rodney Childers’ decision to stay.
“It really needed to be somebody like Josh (Berry) for me to even continue to want to do it. I think it would’ve been, I’m not gonna say who, or what, or whatever, but it was going to take the right person for me to keep doing it and he’s definitely the right person and he has all the same thoughts and processes and things that I have coming from the Late Model standpoint and being able to have the same background together, have the same talks and conversations about things I think will really help us in the future,” he described.
Josh Berry is a major deciding factor in Rodney Childers wanting to keep doing this.
Also, Rodney cut his teeth running the same tracks and cars Josh did, so he admits he’s living vicariously through his next driver too. pic.twitter.com/05MlD3Tpcx
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) June 21, 2023
What does Kevin Harvick think of his replacement?
Echoing the sentiment of his crew chief, Harvick claimed that Berry is without a doubt an ideal candidate to replace him in the #4 team. He pointed to Berry’s success in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour championship as well as the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series championship as a testament to his skills and determination.
“Josh did both and won a lot of races along the way,” Harvick said as per Motorsport. “That experience allowed him to be fast and successful right off the bat when he got to the Xfinity Series, and when he had his opportunities to race in the Cup Series earlier this year, he again showed speed and an ability to race at the front.”
Harvick emphasized that he is “very happy” for Berry to be getting this opportunity and claimed that he’d be a “really good fit” with Rodney Childers in the #4 team.
