Childers, former Cup champion, takes over as team principal in Xfinity

Rodney Childers Finds New Direction at JR Motorsports

Rodney Childers, known for leading Kevin Harvick to the Cup championship in 2014, 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, 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 career 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 has remained so to this day. We have always been interested in working together in motorsports, and I am grateful that this opportunity has presented itself and we have been able to bring him into the JRM family.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of JR Motorsports

Childers worked with Justin Haley at Spire, but the team parted ways with him when both the driver and crew chief indicated that the relationship wasn’t working. Childers achieved 40 victories and a Cup title at Stewart-Haas Racing with Harvick, and then worked with Josh Berry in 2024, when Harvick retired. That was the last year of Stewart-Haas Racing’s existence.

NASCAR and Jusan Hamilton: End of an Era

On Saturday, NASCAR confirmed the separation with race director Jusan Hamilton, 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 started in NASCAR as an intern in 2012 and returned in 2016 under 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 the elaboration of the annual calendar and the calendar 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.