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Rodney Childers reacts to Noah Gragson landing No. 4 car at Front Row Motorsports

JHby:Jonathan Howard•01/03/25•

Jondean25

Rodney Childers
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

This NASCAR season, the No. 4 car will be with Front Row Motorsports with Noah Gragson behind the wheel and Drew Blickensderfer on the box. For Rodney Childers, this is a big change. The longtime No. 4 crew chief at Stewart-Haas has moved on to Spire Motorsports.

Rodney Childers won a championship as the crew chief of the No. 4 and with Kevin Harvick, the two make up a future Hall of Fame duo. So many wins, dominant moments, and even some DQs along the way.

Today, Front Row made the Noah Gragson announcement. We already knew he was with the team, but his car number and crew chief had not yet been revealed.

“Definitely gonna be extremely odd for me to see the [4] on track this year,” Childers wrote. “But I’m super happy for [Noah Gragson] and [Drew Blickensderfer] .. They will do great things.”

In NASCAR, numbers are a legacy. Rodney Childers will now have to compete against that number he spent a decade putting in victory lane. Ultimately, I think everyone involved is happy to see the number continue on in the Cup Series.

With the No. 18 car still off the track after Kyle Busch’s departure from Joe Gibbs Racing, losing the No. 4 would be too much too soon. There are a few numbers that remain iconic and when you tune in on Sundays, it feels like you should see them lined up.

Drew Blickensderfer picks up torch from Rodney Childers

Of course, Drew Blickensderfer and Rodney Childers have worked together at Stewart-Haas Racing. That relationship with Noah Gragson is important as the two make the move to Front Row Motorsports. So, at least Childers’ doesn’t have to see strangers take his number.

I’m very interested in how Childers and Justin Haley perform in 2025. I think that can be a really strong match. Spire Motorsports has poured a ton of money into the program. They are owned by the same group behind the upcoming Cadillac F1 Team.

There is a big difference between having resources and properly using resources, but with Childers in the shop, I think Spire will have the personnel to make things work.

After a decade at Stewart-Haas, Rodney Childers has moved on. So has the No. 4 car. Is Noah Gragson a good representative for the car? He has a ton of talent, a bit of an attitude – sounds like a guy who used to drive that car.