Childers, Ex-Champion Cup, New Crew Chief in Xfinity Series

Rodney Childers Finds New Direction at JR Motorsports

The renowned engineer 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 serve as crew chief in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports. At JR Motorsports, Childers will be in charge of the No. 1 Chevrolet, which will be driven by Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch. This will be the first time Childers takes on the role of 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’ve always had an interest in working together in motorsports, and I’m grateful that this opportunity came along 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 team and crew chief parted ways because the relationship didn’t work out as expected. During his time at Stewart-Haas Racing with Harvick, Childers achieved 40 victories and a Cup title. Subsequently, he worked with Josh Berry in 2024, coinciding with the final year of Stewart-Haas Racing’s existence.

NASCAR Parts Ways with Jusan Hamilton

NASCAR confirmed its separation from race director Jusan Hamilton, with six races remaining to finish the season. Hamilton is no longer listed as a NASCAR employee, where his official title was general manager of competition operations. Hamilton began his NASCAR career as an intern in 2012 and returned in 2016, performing various roles. He oversaw NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, pit crew development, and NASCAR’s iRacing professional divisions, in addition to serving as a race director. Hamilton was fundamental in setting up 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 became the first black race director to officiate the Daytona 500.