Weeks after abrupt Spire exit, Rodney Childers gives a 4-word response to address question about his NASCAR return

Rodney Childers had just four words for a fan on X who wondered when the Mooresville native would return atop the pit box at Michigan International Speedway. The two-mile, D-shaped superspeedway is set to host the 15th race of the season, named the Firekeepers Casino 400.

After nine races together, the veteran crew chief parted ways with Spire Motorsports, a four-car team operating in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. The team occasionally fields the No. 77 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series as well. Although mutual, the sudden move shocked NASCAR fans.

“When you getting back on the box? Will you be at MIS?” a fan asked Rodney Childers.

Zach Squanda

@@Reaper3468

When you getting back on the box? Will you be at MIS?

Childers replied:

“Certainly wish I knew.”

Rodney Childers

@@RodneyChilders4

Certainly wish I knew.. 🙏🏼🙏🏼

Childers is currently staying home, spending time with his family. However, this is his first time away from the track for this long. Speaking of the same during an interview, Childers got emotional.

“There’s been good days and bad days,” he said (via Yahoo Sports). “Some are tough as hell, where I pull up to a red light with tears in my eyes, and then I come home some days, thankful as hell that I get to spend so much time as home, with my mom, and Katrina. I just think that right now I’m in a position to learn a lot over the next couple of months about what life is all about.”

But the itch is still there. Rodney Childers wants to return to the series. He is a highly successful crew chief who is known for leading the now-retired Kevin Harvick to his lone championship in 2014. Childers was seen in the Cup garage at North Wilkesboro Speedway earlier this year, hinting that he may be pursuing a new role.

“I want to be here. I’m learning a lot about myself and what means the most to me, but I want to be in the Cup Series,” he added.

For now, all eyes are on the Firekeepers Casino 400, a 200-lap race scheduled for Sunday, June 8. Fans can watch the race on Amazon Prime Video from 2 p.m. ET onwards or listen to live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Rodney Childers recalled the events that led to his departure from Spire Motorsports

On July 9, 2024, Rodney Childers was named the crew chief for Justin Haley and the No. 7 Spire Motorsports group for the 2025 season. However, it took them five point events to deliver their maiden top-10 at Homestead-Miami. The team then dropped to a disappointing 28th-place finish the following week at Martinsville.

Two weeks later, after the April 13 race at Bristol Motor Speedway (where Haley finished P13), Childers and the team decided to take a step back and review their position. Reflecting on how things were at the time, Childers said (via Newsweek):

“I think it finally came to a point where they could kind of tell I wasn't happy, and I could tell that maybe they weren't happy. It just kind of started falling apart a little bit, and I could sense it a little bit maybe a couple of weeks before that. It started getting quiet around there, and anytime it gets quiet, you start wondering.”

“It doesn't bother me as badly as I thought it was going to because I didn't really feel it was working either. It just fell apart,” he added.

Ryan Sparks, Haley’s old crew chief, replaced Rodney Childers. Sparks, who joined in 2021 with Corey LaJoie, is also appointed as the Director of Competition for Spire Motorsports.