Racing

• BIRTHDATE: DECEMBER 1, 1969
• HOMETOWN: JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
• RESIDENCE: MOORESVILLE, N.C.

If there were a list of up-and-coming crew chiefs, then Kenny Francis would have to be among the top contenders for that list. Having only served in the crew chief capacity since the 2003 season, Francis has established himself as one of the leading innovators when it comes to the crew chief position. Francis guides the efforts of Kasey Kahne and the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Team for the fourth straight season as they prepare for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

While Francis continues to build on his reputation as a leading crew chief in the NASCAR garage, it wasn’t that long ago that his career almost took a different direction. Francis’ motorsports adventure began at the tender age of 8 years old when he raced go-karts around his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. His successes on the track lead to a state championship with trips touring the regional and national go-kart circuits. Francis continued his racing career through high school and beyond when he enrolled at the University of Florida, racing during nights and weekends while studying for a degree in mechanical engineering. It was during his college days that Francis graduated to the next level in his racing career when he started competing in local late model stock car events. Francis’ schedule was full during this time in his life as he balanced school with racing and his part-time job at a local power company. In order to progress his racing career however, Francis found himself traveling to places such as Myrtle Beach, S.C. and South Boston, Va. for events. Winning poles and races, Francis was having success but it was also a taxing schedule. The schedule was so rigorous that it forced the Florida-native to make a choice. As a result, Francis climbed from behind the wheel of a race car in 1996 and started working for a local team that competed in what was then called the NASCAR Busch Series. Working under the hood of the car allowed Francis to hone his skills as a crew member where did everything from fabrication work to car set-up.

Two short years later, Francis made a move to further his career under the hood of a race car by moving to the heart of the NASCAR community in central North Carolina when he was hired by Butch Mock Motorsports to work with driver Rick Mast. Others in the NASCAR garage took notice of Francis' work ethic and he was offered a job to work for Robert Yates Racing (RYR) and driver Dale Jarrett during the 1999 season. The move to RYR proved to be insightful as Francis was able to enjoy the spoils of winning the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

Francis stayed with RYR through the 2000 season until he was offered the unique opportunity of working with one of the most respected people in NASCAR, Ray Evernham. Evernham was in the process of building his own race team and returning manufacturer Dodge to the sport. As a result, Francis joined the newly formed Richard Petty Motorsports during its inaugural season in 2001 where he worked with driver Bill Elliott and the No. 9 Dodge team as the team engineer. Francis’ work ethic, skill and diligence earned him the crew chief and team director position for the No. 19 team and driver Jeremy Mayfield one year later. By 2004, Francis had built a team that won races and was a championship contender. Under Francis’ guidance, Mayfield qualified for the Chase for the Championship during its inaugural season of 2004 and then again in 2005. Team owner Ray Evernham elected to shuffle personnel within the organization at the end of the 2005 season, electing to pair Francis with Kasey Kahne and the No. 9 Dodge Team. The result was instant success as both driver and team director achieved career-best seasons in their respective positions. With Francis making the calls from the pit box, Kahne posted a series-high six wins and earned a berth in the Chase for the Championship. 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, more than any other driver during the 2006 season.

While the 2007 season did not yield the results desired by Francis, Kahne or the entire Richard Petty Motorsports organization, the team did improve on performance as the season progressed. With a renewed sense of purpose and backing by Budweiser, Francis returned to Victory Lane three times in 2008 and amassed two poles, four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. Looking to build on their success from 2008, Francis and Kahne have proven that consistency, coupled with determination, equals championship contention.