Heading into the 2025 season, Spire Motorsports sought to bolster their organization, bringing in two new drivers and hiring a championship-winning Crew Chief in the form of Rodney Childers. However, just nine races into the season, the team has decided to part ways with Childers, and Carson Hocevar has had his say on the development.
Childers carried with him the experience of 600 cup races, which included 40 wins. He also served as Kevin Harvick’s Crew Chief during his 2014 Cup Championship triumph. The 48-year-old joined Spire Motorsports after Stewart-Haas Racing shut down its operations, having worked with them since 2014. Childers was also responsible for handing Michael Waltrip their first two wins as a team, as well as their last before shutting down.
Carson Hocevar Shares His Take on Rodney Childers’ Departure
Childers had signed on to serve as Justin Haley’s Crew Chief, marking his latest venture in NASCAR. Since his onboarding, all three Spire cars showed flashes of speed, including Hocevar earning a runner-up finish in Atlanta.
However, none of it was enough, as after just nine races, the organization decided to part ways with Childers.
Speaking to Frontstretch about the firing, Hocevar has shared his take on the matter, claiming everyone inside the organization could see it coming sooner or later.
“Everything was a strategic play, and I think you saw that. It doesn’t look fun and great from the outside optics, but from within, the blueprint, the gameplan of Jack Dickerson, and everybody in that office and the office space is still the same, and it hasn’t changed, and this is just another aggressive strategic move by them.”
"We all could [see it coming]."@CarsonHocevar comments on the firing of Rodney Childers, hanging out with Cleetus McFarland, and still wanting to race during the off week. pic.twitter.com/Trm5XOnp48
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 26, 2025
When asked about the predictability of the move, Hocevar replied, “Yeah, I mean, we all could, per se.”
Speaking on the split, Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson called NASCAR an ever-evolving sport and said that “the path to improvement isn’t always comfortable.” He added that the break in the Cup Series schedule allowed them to evaluate the team’s program, and Rodney & the team mutually agreed that it was the best way forward.
Meanwhile, Childers released his own statement and spoke about what was next for him. While addressing the fact that the news was a shock, he claimed that not everything works out perfectly all the time. He added that the team had done “a lot of good that is yet to be seen,” but the partnership wasn’t working for either party.
Moving forward, Childers said he would be taking some time off for himself and focusing on his family and friends.
With Childers gone, Ryan Sparks will take over the responsibilities of heading the No. 7 garage. The role will add to his duties as Competition Director for Spire Motorsports.