Rodney Childers asserts Tony Stewart and Gene Haas made “300 people really mad” with SHR decision

Rodney Childers explained how the SHR team felt about the cease announcement from the owners.

Rodney Childers asserts Tony Stewart and Gene Haas made “300 people really mad” with SHR decision

Gene Haas, Rodney Childers (In Circle) and Tony Stewart (Via IMAGO)

The NASCAR Cup Series grid as well as the whole fan nation was in shock when Tony Stewart and Gene Haas announced midway to the season that they will cease the operations of Stewart Haas Racing at the end of the 2024 season. The team is selling three of its charters alongside some huge potion of their assets, offloading a lot of crew members in the process.

The one remaining charter would be used by Gene Haas who would remain in NSASCAR with Haas Factory team with Cole Custer as the driver. They would also continue to operate their Xfinity Series team from next season as well. Recently the crew chief of the No:4 SHR team, Rodney Childers, talked about how the 300 employees of SHR felt when the decision was announced.

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Childers revealed that, he expected the team to lose one team and continue to operate as SHR, but to his dismay it didn’t happen and ruined his dreams of continuing to serve the team as he has been doing for over a decade. He admitted that all of the 300 people working with the team were mad at the team for the decision.

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I kinda expected to maybe lose one team at SHR. I never expected to lose them all. I expected to still have a home to be able to race and to do the things that we have done in the last ten and a half years. Like you said, there was 300 people that were really mad and it took a week to get over that and to kinda refocus.
Rodney Childers said via Happy Hour Podcast.
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Gene Haas and Joe Custer

Rodney Childers wanted to take his whole SHR team with him

The No:4 team featured almost most of the top-crew members at SHR and Childers wanted to take them with him to his next team. But it didn’t happen as it wasn’t a realistic goal despite it being a great proposal.

Rodney Childers
Rodney Childers
We had a lot of conversation of where we can take the whole group and the realistic part of it is that it’s not a very good option right? I mean it’s not gonna happen so the whole group has been outstanding, all of it.
Rodney Childers said.

He is set to join Spire Motorsports next-season and would lead the No:7 team. Childers is given a clean slate to work on as Spire will offload their veteran Corey LeJoie. It would be interesting to see how he can get the best out of the side.

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