From Rodney Childers’ point of view, Stewart-Haas Racing made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Nevertheless, the impending departure of the crew chief of the No. 55 Toyota will leave a major void at Michael Waltrip Racing.
Childers, a well-respected talent in the garage, will serve as Kevin Harvick’s crew chief at SHR next season, leaving MWR with the unenviable task of trying to replace him as Brian Vickers takes the seat of the No. 55 Camry full-time.
“He’s not going to be easy to replace–he’s very, very good at what he does,” Martin Truex Jr., Vickers’ teammate, told the NASCAR Wire Service Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. “He’s been a big part of Michael Waltrip Racing, obviously. He was there long before I was. He’s very smart and I really enjoyed my time there working with him, because we did work very closely together with all our teams.
“He brought a ton to the table. It’s going to be hard to replace him for sure, especially this late in the season. He’s definitely a special talent, (but) that’s part of the sport–people change and find things and better opportunities elsewhere, and I wish Rodney the best of luck.
“Hopefully, we’ll find somebody good to fill that position.”
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