Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 team will be without its mastermind atop the pit box this weekend during the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Rodney Childers, the team’s crew chief, will complete his two-race suspension stemming from a penalty after the Texas race two weeks ago.
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In Childers’ place will be long-time crew chief Tony Gibson.
On NASCAR America, Kyle Petty and former crew chief Ray Evernham discussed how Childers’ absence will impact Harvick’s quest for a second Cup title in the best season of his career.
“I think without Rodney Childers there it takes a little bit of that edge away from the 4 car for Kevin,” Evernham said. “Because no matter how good Kevin is, he can’t control and see everything from inside that car. ... There’s just a lot of intangible stuff that a crew chief makes a decision on that Rodney won’t be able to see.”
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