Crew Chief - Kenny Francis

Kenny Francis

Birthdate: December 1, 1969

Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

There are very few driver and crew chief combinations that have enjoyed the achievements and chemistry that Kenny Francis brings to Kasey Kahne and the Budweiser team. The Richard Petty Motorsports' duo has created a recipe for success that is championship caliber.

That recipe was evident when Francis helped Kahne and the Budweiser Dodge return to their winning ways in 2008. The team banked three victories, one at both Charlotte and Pocono. But the most distinguished of the victories, came at Lowe's Motor Speedway during the All-Star Challenge when fans voted Kahne into the All-Star race from the showdown. Francis and Kahne went on to win the All-Star and the $1 million prize that followed.
They concluded the year with two poles, four top fives and 14 top 10s.

Francis has an additional distinction. He is one of the few crew chiefs to make the Chase for three consecutive years [2004-2006] with different drivers, but within the same organization. He directed the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge driven by Jeremy Mayfield into the inaugural Chase in 2004 as the team director and crew chief. In 2005, he relinquished the day-to-day operation of crew chief, but continued as the team director. The results - the No. 19 Dodge earned a berth in The Chase for the second consecutive year.

When Ray Evernham elected to shuffle personnel within the organization, the shift sent Francis along with Mike Shiplett (car director) and Keith Rodden (engineer) to the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger driven by Kasey Kahne.

Evernham hit the right formula with the Francis-Kahne combination. With Francis making the calls from the pit box, Kahne posted a series-high six wins and earned a berth in The Chase. He finished eighth in the final point standings. In addition to the six wins, Kahne had 12 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes and started from the Bud Pole six times during the season, more poles than any other driver.

Most observers think the success the duo achieved in 2006 is only the beginning of a partnership that will continue to post wins and challenge for the Sprint Cup.

Francis started his adventure in motorsports at a very young age.

At eight years old, Francis was racing go karts around his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. His success on the local level led to a state championship and a trip around the regional and national circuits. Francis didn't stop racing when he enrolled in the University of Florida where he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering.
As Francis took the next step in his education, he did the same in racing, graduating to late model stock cars.

Racing close to school, Francis busied himself with studying, racing and working at a power company. Graduating in 1993, Francis devoted more time to racing and began traveling to places such as Myrtle Beach, S. C., and South Boston, VA. While he was competitive in late models, claiming poles and winning his share of races, he grew tired of the rigors of finding the sponsorship needed to run. The hassles of making it to the track every week, coupled with the fact that he was still working at the power company, forced Francis to make a decision.