Rodney Childers is all set to join JR Motorsports for the 2026 NASCAR Xfinity season. The 49-year-old, Mooresville, North Carolina, native will serve as the crew chief for the team’s No. 1 car.Splitting the season as drivers of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro will be Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch. Kvapil, the former full-time driver of the car, will switch back to a part-time ride in the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. Zilisch will join the NASCAR Cup Series next year as well, so he now has a dual responsibility.In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Rodney Childers said,“The last 12 months haven't been the way that we wanted it to go, but everything happens for a reason. When Dale called me, and we sat down and talked about this, I was blown away honestly. What Dale means to me, what Kelly (Earnhardt Miller) means to me, what Mr. H (Rick Hendrick) means to me...it's just a dream come true.”This will mark Rodney Childers’ first season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, which will be rebranded to O’Reilly in 2026. Before this, he served as the crew chief of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports team in the NASCAR Cup Series.Childers served as the crew chief for former Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, from 2014 until 2023, when Harvick retired from full-time racing. The duo earned 37 trips to victory lane, 148 top-fives, 230 top-10s, besides making the Championship 4 five times. Rodney Childers and Kevin Harvick together won the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series championship as well.Dale Earnhardt Jr. opens up on adding Rodney Childers to his Xfinity teamDale Earnhardt Jr., owner of JR Motorsports, has known Rodney Childers since his childhood. Needless to say, the NASCAR Hall of Famer was happy that he could get Childers on board.“Rodney’s resume and career speak for itself,” Earnhardt said of Rodney Childers. “Rodney and I grew up together and have known each other since we were kids. That’s a relationship that has always been close and has remained close to this day.”“We’ve always had interest in working together in motorsports and I’m thankful that this opportunity came about and we could bring him into the JRM family,” the two-time Xfinity Series champion said.Childers will be seen atop the pit box of the No. 1 JRM team, starting from the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at Daytona in February 2026. Both Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch, drivers that JRM has for its No. 1 ride in 2026, are currently in their rookie seasons in the Xfinity Series.For now, all eyes are on the Round of 12 playoff race at Kansas Speedway. Named Kansas Lottery 300, the 200-lap event will be televised on CW (September 27, 4 PM ET) with live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.