Rodney Childers’ abrupt exit from Spire Motorsports shocked the NASCAR storage and left a emptiness atop the pit field for Justin Haley and the No. 7 Chevrolet. Childers has over 20 years of expertise as a crew chief, profitable 40 races and the 2014 NASCAR Cup Collection championship with Kevin Harvick. However after Stewart-Haas Racing shut down on the finish of final season, he discovered a brand new dwelling at Spire … or so we thought.
Citing challenges within the staff dynamic, Spire determined it was greatest for the 2 events to finish their partnership after simply 9 races. Childers echoed Spire’s sentiments, saying the scenario “wasn’t working for both of us,” resulting in the mutual cut up.
Rodney Childers, Stewart-Haas Racing
Photograph by: Getty Pictures
Lower than 24 hours later, now we have an replace concerning who will exchange Childers within the important function. Ryan Sparks, who at the moment works because the Director of Competitors for the staff, will even tackle the place of crew chief for Haley for the rest of the 2025 season.
“As a comply with as much as yesterday’s information, Ryan Sparks will return to the pit field as crew chief for Justin Haley and the No. 7 staff all through the 2025 season,” an announcement from the staff learn. “Sparks will as soon as once more serve in a twin function as Crew Chief and Director of Competitors.”
This is not unfamiliar territory for Sparks, who joined Spire in 2021 with Corey LaJoie. He labored as his crew chief for a number of years till LaJoie was changed by Haley within the driver’s seat late within the 2024 season. Sparks has skilled 175 Cup races as a crew chief, incomes three high fives and 9 high tens.
Haley at the moment sits twenty third within the championship standings getting into the race weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
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Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
Justin Haley
Spire Motorsports
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