Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson releases statement on stunning Rodney Childers move

In a stunning and shocking move, Spire Motorsports parted ways Wednesday with NASCAR Cup Series Championship-winning crew chief Rodney Childers. Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson released a statement after The Athletic first reported the news, explaining why Childers is out as crew chief of the No. 7 team after just nine races.

“NASCAR is an ever-evolving sport, and the path to improvement isn’t always comfortable. The break in the Cup Series schedule gave us a chance to evaluate where we are as a program. We took the opportunity to discuss the best paths forward for everyone involved, and the team and Rodney agreed that it would be best for us to part ways,” Dickerson said. “Rodney has worked at the highest level of our sport for 20 years, and he knows what it takes to win championships. With that in mind, we collectively acknowledged challenges with the team dynamic.

“Having the right combination of talent is just as important as the results on track. As we move in a new direction it is not lost on us that Rodney has been an invaluable asset to our organization, as he will continue to be for others in this sport.”

A statement from Spire Motorsports co-owner, Jeff Dickerson. pic.twitter.com/RjKxDo3pLR

— Spire Motorsports (@SpireMotorsport) April 23, 2025

Rodney Childers out at Spire

Childers, 48, was seen as a big coup for Spire when it signed him to a multi-year deal this past June. Childers joined Spire after Stewart-Haas Racing announced it would be closing its doors after the 2024 season. In September, Justin Haley and Corey LaJoie traded places. Haley, who at the time was overperforming at Rick Ware Racing, was now driver of the No. 7 car. That meant that 2025 would be the first year of the Childers/Haley pairing.

Haley has been solid if not unspectacular. He sits 23rd in the points standings through nine races, with one top 10 finish. But clearly, Dickerson felt something was off. Look no further than the statement above where Dickerson said that Spire “collectively acknowledged challenges with the team dynamic.” For now, it’s a head scratcher. Spire has yet to announce who will replace Childers atop the pit box.

Childers should be in high demand. He has 40 career victories and won the 2014 Cup Championship with Kevin Harvick.