Veteran NASCAR crew chief Rodney Childers has officially joined JR Motorsports for the 2026 season, becoming the new crew chief for their #1 Chevrolet. This major move comes after Childers’ long tenure with Stewart-Haas Racing ended when the team announced it would stop operations after 2024, and marks a pivotal step as JR Motorsports strengthens its leadership and competitive efforts in the Cup Series.
Childers’ Career Shifts After Stewart-Haas Racing Exit
Rodney Childers has been a familiar presence in NASCAR, having spent most of his career with Stewart-Haas Racing and working alongside Kevin Harvick, even celebrating a Cup Series championship win together. Following the closure of SHR after the 2024 season, Childers temporarily joined Spire Motorsports, partnering with Justin Haley for nine races before moving on. He then collaborated with Harvick again in the CARS Tour, working with Landen Lewis, but realized he was seeking a return to the NASCAR spotlight.
Faced with a crossroads in his career, Childers considered either accepting an offer from Dale Earnhardt Jr. and joining JR Motorsports or waiting for another position to open up in the NASCAR Cup Series. The decision resulted in Childers accepting the role of crew chief for JR Motorsports’ #1 Chevy for the upcoming 2026 season, uniting his experience and passion with Dale Jr.’s ambitious team.
“I’ve raced in the Cup Series only for 23 years. I had a lot of thinking to do this past year…you know, what’s the right thing for me? What’s going to make me happy? What am I going to have fun with? What’s the best thing for my family? And it was something that I had to think hard on.”
– Rodney Childers, Crew Chief
“Do you wait around and hope that the right Cup opportunity comes back around? Or do you take something where you get to work for your best friend in a way, and you also get to work with two of the sport’s young talents that have a bright future?”
– Rodney Childers, Crew Chief
New Leadership for Rising Talents at JR Motorsports
For the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts season, Childers will oversee the #1 Chevrolet at JR Motorsports, a team partially owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. The new lineup includes Trackhouse Racing driver Connor Zilisch and returning Xfinity Series competitor Carson Kvapil, both of whom are considered among the sport’s most promising young drivers. Kvapil, after completing a full-time Xfinity season for JR Motorsports in 2025, will transition to a part-time role in 2026, sharing duties and learning from Childers’ expertise.
JR Motorsports Unveils Striking 2026 Daytona 500 Livery
In early 2026, Childers shared his excitement over the new paint scheme designed for JR Motorsports’ entry in the historic Daytona 500, scheduled for February 15, 2026, at Daytona International Speedway. The team is set to field Justin Allgaier, the former Xfinity Series champion, in the #40 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, featuring a distinctive retro livery created in partnership with Traveller Whiskey No. 40.
The paint scheme prominently displays branding from Traveller’s Distillery, Buffalo Trace, and BRANDT Professional Agriculture. The design is instantly recognizable with its vivid orange number 40 outlined in black, a nod to classic NASCAR styling and representative of the team’s alliance with country star Chris Stapleton, established in November 2025. Reflecting on this creative collaboration and Stapleton’s involvement, Childers shared his impressions on social media:
“Really cool looking car for the #DAYTONA500 .. It was also awesome to have @ChrisStapleton in the shop hanging out for a while!”
– Rodney Childers, Crew Chief
Looking Ahead: Strong Prospects for JR Motorsports
Justin Allgaier’s performance in the previous Daytona 500 offered a glimpse of the team’s potential, as he qualified 19th and drove to a career-best ninth-place finish in the signature 500-mile race. With Childers now bringing his decades of Cup Series knowledge to JR Motorsports, the organization aims to build on this momentum and further develop emerging talents like Connor Zilisch and Carson Kvapil. As the 2026 season approaches, JR Motorsports, with key figures such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chris Stapleton, and Rodney Childers involved, is poised to make a significant impact in the NASCAR Cup Series, presenting both seasoned leadership and a platform for the sport’s next generation.
