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Rodney Childers recalls emotional final weekend working with Kevin Harvick: 'I lost it'

JHby:Jonathan Howard•11/13/23•

Jondean25

Kevin Harvick Rodney Childers Phoenix
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

4EVER a crew chief. Rodney Childers and Kevin Harvick put together one of the most memorable decades in NASCAR. They came together to top the sport in 2014 and now, the journey is over. Childers continues on without Harvick behind the wheel.

Now that it’s been a week since Phoenix, Rodney Childers opened up about what it was like leading up to the race. The Closer, Kevin Harvick, ending his career. And he had a fast car all weekend, too. A caution or two goes one way or another, Harvick is racing for the checkered flag.

Talking on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Childers revealed the moment that really got to him. It wasn’t any of the pomp and circumstance beforehand. It was a small gesture from Delana Harvick, Kevin’s wife.

“Well, the whole weekend and the whole week was amazing, honestly,” Childers said.

He recapped all that they did together.

“Just a special weekend altogether,” Childers said. “You know, so many things going on and so many people in the sport talking about what we’ve done as a group and what he’s done. I was fine pretty much the whole weekend and Delana had sat behind me the whole race like she did in 2014 when we won the championship and she grabbed me to hug me just like she did then and I lost it at that point.

“You know I was fine once I got down off the pit box and I was worried when I got to him, I felt I would lose it again, but I was okay. Just an amazing thing to go through.”

Sometimes, it isn’t the grand ceremonies or honors, it’s the little things. The human connections and moments with people. Rodney Childers and Kevin Harvick put together one hell of a decade.

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Rodney Childers says No. 4 team mostly staying together

Soon after the race at Phoenix was over, rumors started to come out about the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team. The word was that there was a mass exodus on the crew as Harvick was leaving and that it had caused some issues with the team.

Since Rodney Childers is returning to crew chief for Josh Berry, he felt he needed to shut down those rumors. According to Childers, out of 31 members of the team, only four have left for other jobs or other teams.

Now, there is more than one team losing a driver at SHR. Is it possible that the No. 10 team, formerly Aric Almirola’s team, could have this issue? I haven’t heard anything, but maybe. For now, it seems that SHR is doing just fine, with normal turnover in the offseason.

Josh Berry is a great replacement for Kevin Harvick. His demeanor and attitude are professional and he’s got a ton of talent behind the wheel. Rodney Childers is coming back just so he can crew chief for Berry. That should tell you something about his potential.