Spire Motorsports‘ NASCAR Cup driver, Justin Haley returned last week from NASCAR’s off-weekend ready for Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, only to be caught off guard by surprising news. Within hours of returning to work, Haley was informed that Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson had made the decision to release Haley’s crew chief, Rodney Childers, from the team.
Childers’ departure was unexpected and strange, considering he had only completed nine races in his role at Spire Motorsports after he joined the team when Stewart-Haas Racing fell apart at the end of the last season. Childers, known for leading Kevin Harvick to the 2014 Cup championship, is currently tied for second in wins among active crew chiefs, with his 40 Cup wins matching those of Adam Stevens. The top spot is occupied by Paul Wolfe with 42 series wins.
Haley had hoped for more time to synergize with Childers but it seems Dickerson had other plans. Haley, who is yet to secure a win this season and holds a disappointing 23rd position in the NASCAR Cup standings, had no involvement in Childers’ firing.
“We had our normal 8 am meeting with the No. 7 team to strategize on winning the upcoming race,” Haley explained. “Then, after my meetings, I was notified about Childers being let go. It was unexpected, but in this sport, I’ve learned to deal with adversity and change,” he added.
At 26, Haley is in his second Cup stint with Spire Motorsports. Unlike his first experience years ago with the team, he now finds the Spire team with higher expectations and a sharpened focus on performances.
“Even though an unexpected change in the middle of a season is not ideal, I’m proud to be with a race team and owner like Jeff Dickerson who is not scared to make changes he believes might be for the better,” Haley stated. “As we compete in the Cup Series, everything has to be right on race day. If one little thing isn’t right, you’re not going to win races. That’s what Spire Motorsports is working towards—they are investing time, effort, and resources to try to win races.”
Childers’ exit is not the first surprise from Spire Motorsports this year. Six months ago veteran driver Corey LaJoie, who was expected to return for the 2025 season, was let go at the end of the 2024 campaign. Interestingly enough, Haley joined Spire Motorsports from Rick Ware Racing in the middle of last season, while LaJoie has signed up with the latter in 2025.
Ryan Sparks, Spire’s competition director and LaJoie’s former crew chief, will be stepping in as Justin Haley’s interim crew chief for the remainder of this season.
“NASCAR is an ever-evolving sport and the path to improvement isn’t always comfortable,” Dickerson stated. “Rodney has worked at the highest level of our sport for 20 years, he knows what it takes to win championships. But we face challenges with the team dynamic now. It’s clear to all of us that having the right combination of talent is just as important as results on the track.”
Childers addressed his unforeseen departure from Spire Motorsports in a recent statement: “I know this is a shock. But also know that not everything works out perfect all the time. That’s how life works. This was just one of those things that just wasn’t working for either of us. I appreciate my time at Spire, working with JH (Haley) and the entire 7 team. We did a lot of good that is yet to be seen, and I wish them the best in the future.”
Going forward, all eyes will be on Spire Motorsports and Justin Haley to see how these sudden changes impact performance on the track and shape the future of the team.
