Getting to know Keith Rodden, race engineer for the No. 5 Chevy

CONCORD, N.C. - Now in his ninth season of racing, Keith Rodden is a race engineer for Kasey Kahne’s No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet. This is his first year with Hendrick Motorsports, and the N.C. State alum counts his team’s recent victory in the 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway as his most memorable moment so far. Meet Keith:

Full name: Keith Rodden
Hometown: Denver, N.C.
Education: I graduated from East Lincoln High School in Denver, N.C., and went on to pursue a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering at N.C. State.
Team/job duties: Race engineer for the No. 5 Chevrolet
Time at current job: First year.
Years in racing: Nine years.
First racing job: I got a job as an engineer at Andy Petree Racing right out of college.
First job overall: I worked as a cashier at Harris Teeter.
If I wasn’t in racing I would be: Lost? I love racing, but I guess without it I would be at a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. office engineering job.
Best racing memory/favorite Hendrick Motorsports win: My first win with the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet team at Charlotte in May.
Favorite track: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
Hobbies outside of racing: I’m a sports fan in general, and I love food.
Favorite sport other than racing: College football.
Favorite professional athlete: Professional tennis player Rafael Nadal.
On an off-weekend you can find me: Enjoying the beach with my family.
Favorite movie: “Groundhog Day.”
Favorite actor: Zach Galifianakis.
Favorite book: The Bible.
Favorite TV show: “Up All Night.”
Favorite music: Classic rock.
Favorite music artist: Steely Dan.
Best concert you’ve ever been to: Steve Winwood and Tom Petty.
Favorite restaurant: Joe T. Garcia’s in Fort Worth, Texas.
What you’ll find on my iPod: Steely Dan, Notorious B.I.G, George Strait and Led Zeppelin to name a few.
Favorite phone app: Scramble with friends.
If I could meet anyone, I’d meet: Jesus.
Before the race, I always: Relax.
During a pit stop, I’m thinking: Is the car full of gas?
Best part of your job: I like the people, travel and competition.
Favorite Hendrick Motorsports paint scheme: The Farmers Insurance paint scheme.