Hendrick Motorsports driver looks ahead with new crew chief Keith Rodden
Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live | Vote: Ultimate Daytona Challenge
Kasey Kahne wasn't happy with his 2014 performance on the track.
" … I wanted to be better," Kahne said of last year during Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour presented by Technocom. "I wanted to do better and when I didn't at times, things crossed my mind like 'Man, what's my problem? Can I not figure this out?'"
The driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet had glimmers of stardom sprinkled throughout the year. He won a thriller in August at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which qualified him to compete in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He also nabbed top-10 finishes at 11 races, including the prestigious event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (sixth).
But when compared with his previous multi-win runs in the Sprint Cup Series, Kahne's season was considered otherwise subpar.
In walks Keith Rodden, the new No. 5 team crew chief with arms full of knowledge, leadership and confidence in his driver.
"I feel like Kasey's a great driver at every track," Rodden said. "We just need to put it all together, get everyone on the team pointed the same direction and get going."
And Rodden isn't a stranger to the team. Despite Kahne's longtime kinship with former crew chief Kenny Francis -- who moved into a vehicle technical director position for Hendrick Motorsports at the end of 2014 -- the Kahne-Rodden duo has been strong for years.
"It's been a long time since I've changed crew chiefs," Kahne said of the staffing change. "This is only the third one I've had in the Sprint Cup Series. So that's going to be a big change for us.
"But as far as myself and Keith ... first time we worked together was in 2004 and that's before myself and Kenny worked together. And we've had a long relationship together -- Communication has been really solid between us over the years and we're friends."
Rodden served as a team engineer for Kahne from 2004 until 2013, when he left to pursue a crew chief position with Jamie McMurray at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
"It's been a lot of fun being back in the 5/24 shop, back with all the guys I used to work with," Rodden said. "Everyone's welcomed me back with open arms and we've really hit the ground running getting ready for the season."
With Rodden back on his side, Kahne believes his team will be steered in the right direction.
"Keith, he's a motivator, he's a team guy, he pushes you," Kahne said. "He asks for everything you've got and if you make a mistake, you're going to know it. ... We're going to figure out why and what it was, make it better and go from there.
"He's also going to go after what he wants and what he needs and that's something that a crew chief needs to have at HMS to be competitive."
Rodden's appointment was not the only change made in the offseason. During the few months of downtime on the NASCAR schedule, Kahne has worked on bettering another area of his No. 5 crew -- the ever-forgotten aspect of camaraderie.
"The thing that I feel that I can help with -- and I can be a part of -- is just being part of the team and being part of the group," Kahne said. "We have a strong group of guys, and I don't think we've been a strong enough team to compete like some of the other ones.
"That's something that we worked on during the offseason and we'll carry on through the regular season as well. Being together, knowing each other better, working hard for each other. ... We hold each other responsible, work hard and when we make mistakes, we make gains at the same time."
During the offseason, the squad has convened several times off the track to build a brotherhood needed for cohesiveness on the asphalt. It's a door that hasn't been touched much -- and one that the soft-spoken driver felt he and his team needed to crack open.
Because for Kahne, trust and accountability with his pit crew becomes even more important during the swift 12 seconds of a NASCAR pit stop.
"There's so much that goes on in the pit stops and everything happens so quickly that the smallest mistake you lose two or three spots," Kahne said. "That cost you 30 minutes on the racetrack to get back to where you need to be ... (the pit crew's) role is a big role and (Rodden) knows that."
With that understanding, Kahne believes his old pal Rodden will be just the guy to lead his team to Victory Lane in 2015.
"Oh man, I'm ready to get started," Kahne said with a smile. "I want to get started and see where we stack up. I feel like Keith's going to do a really nice job with the cars and the team and the guys."
And what he added later alludes to his confidence in his No. 5 team -- and himself.
"It's racing -- I love it and know I can do it," Kahne said. "If we put the right situation together, we're going to win a lot of races still."