Will Hendrick driver rebound with familiar face back as crew chief?
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Team: Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet
Rank in final 2014 standings: 15th
Wins: 1 (Atlanta Motor Speedway)
Year in photos: Kasey Kahne 2014 highlights
Strides: Kahne has qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in each of his three years at Hendrick Motorsports, but after a career best fourth-place finish in the 2012 championship standings, he hasn't fared as well. A 17-time race winner in the Sprint Cup Series who has visited Victory Lane in eight of his 11 full-time seasons, Kahne has impressed team owner Rick Hendrick enough to earn a three-year extension on his contract during the offseason. His clutch victory at Atlanta is a reminder of the potential championship-caliber effort that has made him one of NASCAR's elite drivers.
Setbacks: After securing a place in the Chase with a win in the next to last regular season race, Kahne only managed a single top-10 in the season's remaining 11 races and never seriously challenged to move past the Contender Round. His three top-fives were his lowest season total since 2007. Last year marked the first time in his career that Kahne went consecutive seasons without winning a pole.
Quoteworthy: "I'd say our season was just okay. We didn't have a lot of speed this year. A few races we ran up front, but not often enough. … Hopefully we hit on something a little better this year (2015) that fits my driving style better than we did last year. This past year we just never hit on it like I'd like to."
What's next: Kahne is one of nearly a dozen drivers with a new crew chief atop the pit box in 2015. Longtime crew chief Kenny Francis, who has been with Kahne for all but five races since the end of the 2005 season, will move into the "vehicle technical director" position at Hendrick while Kahne's former engineer Keith Rodden takes over the No. 5 crew after spending a year as the crew chief for Jamie McMurray and the No. 1 team at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
"I think change is good and we needed a change," Kahne said. "Keith has been with me before. We have a good working relationship and a friendship. He's aggressive and gets the job done. He likes our team … just needs each one of us to step up and do a better job. I think Keith will be a great leader and take us into a good direction."