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Rodney Childers Reveals the Surprising Reason Why He Joined JR Motorsports for 2026

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Gowtham Ramalingam | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 10:36 PM ET

JR Motorsports announced on Wednesday evening that the iconic Rodney Childers will be joining the team as the crew chief of the No. 1 entry in 2026. The 49-year-old’s move to NASCAR’s second-highest level of competition after spending so long and achieving so much success in the Cup Series is shocking.

But it appears to be a well-thought-out decision. Following the departure from Spire Motorsports in April, he had spent long hours waiting for an opportunity worthy of his status in the Cup Series. That chance never came, and retrospection led him to go back to his roots in Late Model Stock Car Racing.

It was only in the last couple of months that his view began changing for the better. He told Motorsport.com, “I always felt like I needed to prove something and needed to win more Cup championships or the Daytona 500, but then I realized there is more to life than that.”

From 2014 to 2023, Childers had worked with Kevin Harvick at Stewart-Haas Racing. The pair won a staggering 37 races in this time, won the 2014 Cup Series championship, and secured five Championship 4 appearances.

The realization that he doesn't have to prove himself more allowed him to explore jobs in the Truck Series. When Dale Earnhardt Jr. learned of this, he was taken by surprise and saw the golden opportunity in front of him. He pitched to Childers the idea of signing for JR Motorsports, and that’s how things got going.

Childers Hasn’t Ruled Out a Return to the Cup Series

Childers explained that the notion of working with a car akin to the Gen 6 Cup Series car, spending Sundays at church with his family, and racing with two exceptional drivers [Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch will share the No. 1 entry] were compelling reasons for him to say ‘yes’ to Dale Jr.

But he hasn’t yet ruled out a return to the big show. He said, “I will learn a lot more about myself next year as we go along. Maybe I really love having Sundays at home. Maybe it’s really going to bother me that I’m not out there when I get home and they’re still racing on Sundays.”

For now, he ponders pleasingly at the possibility of winning an Xfinity Series championship or winning 40 races, as he did in the top level. As would any man worthy of such respect and admiration, Childers has taken complete responsibility for the entry that he has been given control of.

“This car is my responsibility,” he declared. “That means getting the most out of it, finding the right people, and making it go fast. It needs to win.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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