Childers, Cup Champion, New Crew Chief in Xfinity

Rodney Childers Finds New Direction at JR Motorsports

After his departure from Spire Motorsports in April, Rodney Childers, known for leading Kevin Harvick to the 2014 Cup Series championship, has found a new challenge in his professional career. Childers will assume the crew chief role in the Xfinity series for JR Motorsports, specifically for 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 track record 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 previously worked with Justin Haley at Spire, but the relationship came to an end when both the driver and the crew chief agreed that it wasn’t working. During his time at Stewart-Haas Racing, Childers achieved 40 victories and the Cup title with Harvick. Then, in 2024, he worked with Josh Berry, marking the last year of Stewart-Haas Racing’s existence.

NASCAR and Jusan Hamilton: End of an Era

In other relevant news, NASCAR confirmed the departure of Jusan Hamilton, who served as race director, with six races remaining in the season. Hamilton, whose official title was managing director of competition operations, is no longer listed as a NASCAR employee. Hamilton joined NASCAR initially as an intern in 2012 and returned in 2016, holding various roles. He oversaw NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, pit crew development, and NASCAR’s pro iRacing divisions, in addition to serving as a race director. Hamilton played a fundamental role in defining both the annual calendar and the calendar for each race weekend. His first event as race director was in 2018 at Pocono Raceway. In 2022, Hamilton made history by becoming the first African-American race director to officiate the Daytona 500.