In recent weeks, rumors regarding a potential crew chief change for Chase Elliott have taken center stage in the NASCAR world. Following the surprising split between Rodney Childers and Spire Motorsports midway through the 2025 season, speculation has intensified, suggesting that Chase Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports team could consider making a major shakeup atop the No. 9 pit box. Fueled by a passionate fanbase eager for better results, this possibility of replacing long-time crew chief Alan Gustafson with the newly-available Childers has transformed from internet chatter into a genuine topic of discussion. For fans and analysts alike, a crew chief change for Chase Elliott would represent not just a bold tactical move but a watershed moment for the storied Hendrick organization.
Chase Elliott’s current struggles have provided fertile ground for such speculation. Despite securing a solid position in the points standings, Elliott and his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports chevrolet/”>Chevrolet have endured a 37-race winless streak stretching back to the previous season. While Elliott sits fourth in the standings, what truly irks supporters is his lack of race-leading speed and absence of stage wins. So far, he has led just 45 laps—a stark contrast compared to his teammates’ performances. With Kyle Larson notching two victories, William Byron scoring a historic Daytona 500 win, and Alex Bowman enjoying high finishes and impressive lap-leading stats, Elliott’s relatively dry spell looms larger. The narrative has only gathered momentum after a disappointing qualifying effort at Texas, where Elliott started 29th while the rest of the Hendrick stable snared top-15 grid spots.
Social media has amplified the growing unrest, as Chase Elliott’s loyal fanbase, known as #NineNation, grows increasingly vocal about the crew chief situation. The rapid-fire nature of online commentary has led to calls for Alan Gustafson’s removal, with many urging Rick Hendrick to recruit Rodney Childers, a proven championship-winning veteran freshly on the market. During a recent episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Freddie Kraft captured the sentiment:
Judging by my Twitter replies last night, the nine nation will pay you whatever you want to go over there and get kick Alan out.
That comment highlighted the intensity of fans’ desires for change, reflecting not just frustration over results but also a deep-seated belief that a veteran like Childers could rejuvenate the No. 9 team.
Rodney Childers’ sudden availability stemmed from his brief tenure with Spire Motorsports and driver Justin Haley in 2025. Despite achieving some improvements, the partnership didn’t yield the expected chemistry or performance, prompting both parties to go their separate ways after only nine races. Childers’ resume speaks for itself—he was instrumental in Kevin Harvick’s 2014 championship run and is recognized throughout the garage as one of the best minds in pit strategy and car setup. With the crew chief market rarely offering such high-profile names, Chase Elliott’s supporters were quick to advocate for the change, seeing Childers as the ideal fit to resolve what they perceive as stagnation within the No. 9 camp.
The debate, however, is far from one-sided. Alan Gustafson’s supporters and several industry veterans argue that any potential split must be approached with caution and appreciation for what he has accomplished. Tommy Baldwin, a respected NASCAR figure, delivered a nuanced perspective during ongoing discussions:
Alan is really, really good at what he does. But they’ve been together a long time, right?
Baldwin pointed to Gustafson’s lengthy career at Hendrick Motorsports, where he has worked with stars such as Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon before pairing up with Chase Elliott in 2016. Gustafson’s record includes 18 race wins and a pivotal role in delivering Elliott’s 2020 Cup Series championship—a feat that underscored both his technical skill and ability to lead a team through the sport’s highest-stakes challenges.
Defending Gustafson further, Rodney Childers himself has spoken openly about the immense pressures crew chiefs face at elite organizations like Hendrick Motorsports.
I think Alan’s got the worst job, you know. The hardest job. I went through a few years with Kevin, there’s some people that are pretty hardcore. I had the county sheriff sitting in front of my house for like a week straight,
Childers remarked, attesting to the often-unforgiving atmosphere that surrounds NASCAR’s major teams. His words are a reminder that the expectations placed on Chase Elliott and his crew are extraordinary, and that even slight performance dips can lead to sweeping demands for change, sometimes without full appreciation of the broader challenges.
Still, the story’s momentum is undeniable. As Chase Elliott’s results have flattened, and his teammates surged ahead, public scrutiny has only sharpened. For the passionate base cheering the No. 9, Alan Gustafson’s tenure now feels lengthy enough to warrant an influx of new ideas. With each race that passes without a return to Victory Lane, the agitation grows, and the call for new leadership gets louder. The speculation has moved beyond message boards and podcasts—major NASCAR analysts are now weighing in, debating when, and not if, Rick Hendrick will trigger a crew chief shakeup for the most popular driver on the grid.
To understand why this saga resonates so deeply, one must consider Hendrick Motorsports’ storied tradition of making difficult but ultimately transformative personnel decisions. Rick Hendrick has long cultivated a reputation for placing the organization’s needs above sentiment or history. The departure of Kyle Busch at the end of the 2007 season, to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr., still reverberates years later. Busch reflected,
It could have been fixed. It wasn’t a relationship to terminate, but it ended up happening.
Similar stories have played out with crew chiefs: Lance McGrew and Kenny Francis, both widely respected, found themselves replaced after periods of inconsistent results. Even championship crew chief Darian Grubb was let go after guiding Tony Stewart to a Cup title, a stark illustration that no past success guarantees future security at Hendrick.
Drivers like Casey Mears and Kasey Kahne have experienced the organization’s relentless pursuit of on-track excellence firsthand, being released after performances that, while respectable by general standards, fell short of the franchise’s ambitious benchmarks. Such moves, while often controversial among fans, have nonetheless been crucial to keeping Hendrick Motorsports at the very front of the Cup Series pack. In each instance, the team’s actions have underscored one central truth: results and chemistry matter above all else.
The current scrutiny directed toward Chase Elliott’s team can therefore be seen as part of a larger pattern. Rick Hendrick’s affinity for decisive, forward-looking change is exactly what fuels both hope and anxiety within his teams and fanbase. A crew chief change for Chase Elliott, especially one involving a veteran like Childers, would be consistent with the kind of bold strategy that has allowed Hendrick Motorsports to adapt and thrive amid NASCAR’s shifting competitive landscape.
What remains ambiguous, however, is whether such a change is actually the answer for the No. 9 squad. Alan Gustafson’s resume—eighteen wins, a championship, years of experience guiding racing legends—cannot be dismissed lightly. His defenders argue that stability and deep-rooted rapport, especially with a young star like Chase Elliott, are sometimes more valuable than fresh perspectives or short-term fixes. Moreover, Gustafson’s in-depth knowledge of Hendrick resources, engineering partners, and Chevy development nuances could very well be the hidden ingredient waiting to reawaken the team’s full potential.
In contrast, proponents of the switch highlight the protracted winless run, lack of innovative strategy, and apparent plateau in performance. They argue that bringing in Rodney Childers would offer a fresh approach, perhaps re-energizing Chase Elliott and injecting new ideas into race-day strategy and car preparation. Childers’ proven ability to get the most out of his drivers, and adapt to NASCAR’s ever-changing rule book, stands as a tantalizing “what if” for those desperate to see Elliott return to dominance.
For Chase Elliott himself, rumors swirling about a possible crew chief change are both an opportunity and a challenge. The pressures of being NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver are immense, and the weight of expectations only grows heavier when recent results don’t meet the fervor of fans or the standards of his own team. Elliott, known for his calm and thoughtful approach both in and out of the car, has avoided directly addressing calls for change but has acknowledged the need to find “another gear” in the races ahead. Whether that comes from a new partnership atop the pit box, a renewed working relationship with Gustafson, or some other creative solution remains shrouded in uncertainty.
The broader impact for NASCAR, should Chase Elliott undergo a crew chief change in 2025, could be profound. Elliott’s resurgence would not only satisfy his massive fanbase but also inject new excitement into the championship hunt, bringing additional attention and narrative drama to the sport. For Hendrick Motorsports, the move would signal another chapter in its legacy of adapting aggressively to maintain its edge. For Alan Gustafson and Rodney Childers, the outcome might define the next phase of storied careers, whether in collaboration or through new challenges entirely.
As of now, Rick Hendrick has made no public statements confirming or denying any immediate shakeup for the No. 9 team. However, observers agree that the topic is no longer idle gossip. With the playoff push looming, every race, strategic misstep, and garage rumor takes on magnified significance. If recent Hendrick history is any guide, decisions will hinge less on short-term optics and more on long-term potential. The stakes are enormous, and so too is the intrigue surrounding Chase Elliott’s next chapter.
For fans of Chase Elliott, the weeks ahead promise a blend of nervous anticipation and hopeful optimism. Social media continues to pulse with theories and wish lists, while trackside conversations return again and again to the possibility that a high-profile crew chief change could unlock another championship run. Whether Alan Gustafson remains in place to write a redemption story or gives way to Rodney Childers for a bold new push, the events surrounding Chase Elliott’s team in 2025 are poised to become one of NASCAR’s defining storylines.
Ultimately, the rumors surrounding a crew chief change for Chase Elliott reflect the high-stakes, high-drama world that is modern NASCAR. Every decision is layered with expectation, loyalty, and the unyielding demand for results. What happens next will not only shape Chase Elliott’s immediate fortunes but could also redefine the competitive order in the sport. For now, all eyes remain on Hendrick Motorsports, waiting to see whether this wave of speculation will result in one of the biggest moves of the season—or remain another chapter in the long, unbroken thread of NASCAR rumor and legend.
