Backed by Rick Hendrick & Co, Kevin Harvick’s Ex-Crew Chief Sets Sight on Eclipsing Roger Penske’s Veteran’s NASCAR Feat

The South Point 400 just proved how well Joey Logano and Paul Wolfe work together. Winning the race not only put the No. 22 team at the top of the championship but also found Logano a spot in the top 4. Just last week, the Team Penske driver faced elimination, rejoining dead last in the playoffs, and with one swift win, he turned the tables. However, this was not only a huge achievement for the driver, as one of the main beneficiaries of this was his crew chief.

Joey Logano is not only a two-time Cup Series champion; he also has won 35 races in his Cup career. Because of teaming up with Paul Wolfe in 2020, Joey Logano managed to win his second Cup Series title in 2022, where the crew chief was of great help. With Logano’s win at Las Vegas, Paul Wolfe just became the winningest active crew chief on the grid with 41 wins to his name. Looking at this, other crew chiefs would like some of that action, and the runner-up this year has decided to step things up.

Rodney Childers is looking at 50 wins by 2028

The competition is only fun when there are challengers to the top, and that’s exactly the kind of energy that Rodney Childers plans on bringing. After NASCAR’s official page on X shared the news of Paul Wolfe’s triumph, Rodney Childers congratulated the No. 22 team and decided to join in on the action. In NASCAR’s post on X, they mentioned, “Sunday’s win at @LVMotorSpeedway put Paul Wolfe P1 among active crew chiefs.”

While sharing the post, Childers did give a nod to his rival team for their feat, and along with that came a claim to bring his total of 40 wins to 50 in the upcoming 3 years. Rodney Childers took to X as he posted, “Congrats to Paul and the 22 guys. Paul is an amazing crew chief and friend. He and Joey are a great pair. We are all blessed to be in such good company on that list. My goal is to get to 50 in the next 3 years and a Daytona 500!”

Among the active NASCAR crew chiefs, Paul Wolfe leads the pack with an impressive 41 wins. He’s closely followed by Rodney Childers with 40 victories. Alan Gustafson rounds out the top three with 39 wins. Adam Stevens, with 37 wins, and Darian Grubb, holding 24, also show their experience and ability to consistently guide their drivers to victory lane.

Further down the list, we’ve got Chris Gabehart and Cliff Daniels, each with 22 wins under their belt. It makes for an interesting rivalry between Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. Rudy Fugle has picked up 12 victories so far. Jeremy Bullins is sitting at 10 wins. Finally, James Small wraps up the list with 8. It’s clear that every crew chief on this list has been making moves, but there’s still room for plenty of shakeups, and Childers wants to make the most of it.

Childers’s goal is an achievable one, and considering his success in the sport, it might just happen by the time he has stipulated. However, as for the 2024 season, Kevin Harvick‘s former crew chief is leading Josh Berry’s team, but next year that will change as the veteran crew chief will be moving to Spire Motorsports to work with the No. 7 team. Although Corey LaJoie was driving the No. 7 car, there have been changes in the upcoming season’s lineup.

Rodney Childers to move to Spire Motorsports in 2025

Spire Motorsports made a huge statement by signing Rodney Childers as the new crew chief for the No. 7 Chevrolet starting in 2025. Although it was Corey LaJoie in the cockpit of the No. 7, Spire Motorsports initiated a trade with Rick Ware Racing to swap drivers. The move sent LaJoie to the No. 51 team as Justin Haley came in to drive with Childers and Spire. With 40 wins and a NASCAR Cup Series championship under his belt, Childers will reshape how Spire Motorsports has performed in the past.

After Stewart-Haas Racing announced their closure at the end of the season, Childers became a free agent. Spire jumped at the opportunity. Co-owner Jeff Dickerson didn’t mince words about the impact Childers will have. “When a guy like Rodney is available, it would be malpractice if we did anything but our absolute best to bring him in. He’ll make us better the moment he walks through the door.”

This move also shifts Ryan Sparks, the current crew chief, to a full-time competition director role. Sparks was one of the first to suggest bringing Childers on board, saying, “Lots of guys say they’ll put the team first, but not everyone follows through. Ryan did.” The decision speaks volumes about Spire’s commitment to building a competitive team by investing in its people. Childers himself found this aspect of Spire appealing, saying, “If we all use the same parts, it’s the people who will make the difference.”

With that said, do you think that Rodney Childers will make the difference to propel Spire Motorsports to the front of the grid?