ESPN Sprint Cup

ESPN.com preseason rank: No. 7

2009 Outlook

Things have to get better for Kenseth in 2009.

He is hopeful that new crew chief Drew Blickensderfer will show him the way to rebound from what Kenseth considered a "trying" 2008, during which he never scored a victory.

Blickensderfer was Carl Edwards' crew chief in the Nationwide Series, but like a football team that tinkers frequently with its coordinators, Kenseth, who had worked with crew chief Robbie Reiser for eight seasons, is now breaking in his third crew chief in three seasons.

Reiser was elevated to the role of Roush Fenway Racing general manager last season, and team engineer Chip Bolin became Kenseth's crew chief.

Kenseth said Blickensderfer's addition adds energy and "a spark to the team. I think [he] will really help with team morale and stay on top of the pit stops and be in the shop all the time working with them. I think it's going to make our team stronger."

2008 Review

Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are the only two active drivers to make the Chase each year since it's inception in 2004. Last season, Kenseth finished 11th in the final standings, his first finish outside the top 10 since 2001.

He did have 20 top-10 finishes, including nine in the top 5, but Kenseth failed to win a race in 2008 for the first time since the 2001 season.

"You look at the numbers, and it was probably our worst season since 2001," Kenseth said. "To me, it was a disappointing season. I think we know we can do better than that. We've got a better group than that. We've got better equipment than that. I think we really underachieved most of the season last year."

He has a shot at the title if: Kenseth and new crew chief Drew Blickensderfer find chemistry early in the season.

He won't win because: It's too difficult to establish a driver-crew chief bond early to carry them through the long season.

-- Angelique S. Chengelis