Kevin Harvick and Rodney Childers deliver a heartfelt tribute after the death of former Stewart-Haas Racing ally 

NASCAR: Daytona 500-Practice - Source: Imagn
Kevin Harvick and Rodney Childers - NASCAR: Daytona 500-Practice - Source: Imagn

Kevin Harvick and Rodney Childers mourned the loss of former Stewart-Haas Racing hauler driver, Rick 'Otis' Hodges. Otis had driven the hauler for Harvick's championship-winning team in 2014.

Ad

Otis has spent more than 20 years in the sport. He began in the concrete business before driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc (DEI). SHR was the next stop after DEI, while Harvick moved on from the latter to Richard Childress Racing. The two reunited at the now disbanded SHR.

Soon after Otis's passing, Harvick's crew chief, Rodney Childers, shared a heartfelt tribute on X:

"Otis, you meant the world to me and everyone on the 4 team. We made lots of trips to victory lane and sprayed a lot of beer over the years. You were such a special part of that. My boys loved you so much. Thank you buddy! We are going to miss you every day. 💔🙏🏼"
Ad
Ad

Kevin Harvick joined in and wrote:

"I am grateful for the years spent together, from my first to my final season with SHR. Otis, this toast is for to you. 🍻"
Kevin Harvick's tribute for Otis. Source: @X/KevinHarvick
Kevin Harvick's tribute for Otis. Source: @X/KevinHarvick

Kevin Harvick and Rodney Childers recently worked together in the CARS Tour. He spent time with Harvick's team, working on Late Models. The move came after his stint at Spire Motorsports unexpectedly came to an end after nine races into the season.

Ad

Childers has now landed a gig at JR Motorsports as Connor Zilisch and Carson Kvapil's crew chief in the No.1 entry.


Kevin Harvick's son breaks record to become youngest Snowflake winner

At 13 years of age, Kevin Harvick's son, Keelan Harvick, became the youngest Snowflake 150 winner after overcoming 15-year-old Tristan McKee on Sunday, 9 December. The young driver charged to the front after a 15th-place start, before dropping down from a restart mistake. Nonetheless, he recovered to lead the field with 25 laps left, a position he'd held until checkered flag.

Ad

Rodney Childers praised Keelan for his feat, while Harvick owed it all to his father's guidance.

“It’s just really cool. [I’m thankful for] everything that everybody has sacrificed for me to get to this point. My dad took me to Italy when I was 10 to get the experience with all the other kids who are so much better. That helped me understand the value of racing and helped me get to this point," Harvick said via NASCAR's official website.

Keelan Harvick recently won his first CARS Tour race at Hickory Motor Speedway. The teen prodigy has been touring with Harvick and competing against him on multiple occasions. The season-long duel has come to be called the Harvick Cup, where the son has overcome his championship-winning father in five races.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Quick Links

Edited by Vignesh Kanna
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
Manage notifications