Rodney Childers makes his emotions clear about the Riggs family after Layne Riggs’ thrilling Pocono victory

Veteran NASCAR crew chief Rodney Childers publicly expressed his appreciation for the Riggs family following Layne Riggs’ win in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Pocono. Riggs earned this spotlight on Friday at Pocono Raceway during the MillerTech Battery 200.

Childers made a post on his official X account where he reshared a photo of Layne Riggs with Childers’ daughter. The photo was originally uploaded by a user named Forrest Dunston. In his caption, Rodney Childers wrote:

“I owe so much to that family… ❤️”

After starting on pole and maintaining consistent speed, the Front Row Motorsports driver led the final 20 laps to take his first Truck Series win of the season. It was also his third career win in the series.

The race changed course when championship leader Corey Heim, who had led 48 of the 90 laps, got a flat tire just before a restart. That opened the door for Riggs. NASCAR penalized Carson Hocevar for jumping the restart, making Riggs the control car and eventual race leader.

Riggs then beat Tanner Gray to the checkered flag by 3.64 seconds. Behind them, Kaden Honeycutt, Brandon Jones, and Daniel Hemric completed the top five. Heim fell back to finish 23rd but still maintains the championship lead.

This was a full-circle moment not just for Layne Riggs, but for Rodney Childers, whose bond with the Riggs family goes back decades. Childers has worked directly with Layne through Kevin Harvick Inc., guiding him in the Late Model Stock Car ranks.

As for how long back the relationship goes, years ago, veteran driver Scott Riggs got his break in Late Model racing thanks to John Paul Linville, father-in-law to Kevin Harvick. When Scott moved up the ranks, one of his early crew chiefs was a young Rodney Childers. That pairing helped launch Riggs' career in NASCAR. Later, Layne Riggs—Scott’s son—grew up around the hauler where his dad and Childers worked. Years down the line, Harvick and Childers would bring Layne into Kevin Harvick Inc.'s Late Model program, where Childers helped guide him.

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Rodney Childers seeks a new chapter after parting with Spire Motorsports

Following a brief stint as crew chief for Justin Haley at Spire Motorsports, Rodney Childers is reportedly looking for a new opportunity. The Statesville-based Rackley W.A.R. team recently announced on X that they were hiring a new crew chief for their Late Model operations. Childers reshared the post, including a raised-hand emoji— signaling his interest.

Earlier this year, Rodney Childers joined Spire Motorsports with high expectations, but the partnership ended after just nine races. Speaking to Newsweek, Childers described the split as mutual and driven by overall team performance and fit.

“It’s not one person, it’s not two people, it’s 200 people… just figuring that out as we went,” he said. (via Newsweek)

Despite his extensive resume—including a championship with Kevin Harvick—Rodney Childers is now on the market. Rackley W.A.R. fields several entries in both Late Model and Truck Series competitions, including trucks for Kevin Harvick, Ross Chastain, and others. Given Childers’ background in both late-model racing and high-level NASCAR, the match could be a fresh start in a familiar setting.

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Edited by Anisha Chatterjee