Childers, Cup champion, new crew chief in Xfinity for JR Motorsports

Rodney Childers Finds New Direction at JR Motorsports

Rodney Childers, known for leading Kevin Harvick to the 2014 Cup Series championship, has secured a new position following his departure from Spire Motorsports in April. Childers will assume the crew chief role at JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, leading the No. 1 Chevrolet, which will be shared by Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch. This will be the first time Childers serves as a crew chief in the Xfinity Series.

Rodney’s resume and background speak for themselves. Rodney and I grew up together and have known each other since we were kids. That’s a relationship that has always been close and remains so to this day. We have always been interested in working together in motorsports, and I am grateful that this opportunity came up and we were able to bring him into the JRM family.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of JR Motorsports

Childers collaborated with Justin Haley at Spire, but the team and he parted ways because the relationship didn’t work as expected. During his time at Stewart-Haas Racing, Childers achieved 40 victories and the Cup title with Harvick, and subsequently worked with Josh Berry in 2024, the final year of Stewart-Haas Racing’s existence.

NASCAR and Jusan Hamilton: End of an Era

On Saturday, NASCAR confirmed the separation of Jusan Hamilton, race director, with six races remaining to finish the season. He is no longer listed as a NASCAR employee, where his official title was general manager of competition operations. Hamilton joined NASCAR as a fellow in 2012 and returned in 2016, performing various roles. He oversaw NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, pit crew development, and NASCAR pro iRacing divisions, in addition to his role as a race director. Hamilton was fundamental in the elaboration of the annual calendar and that of each race weekend. His first event as race director was in 2018 at Pocono Raceway. In 2022, Hamilton became the first black race director to officiate the Daytona 500.