CHEWIN_DIRT
one six MAFIA
Kahne hired for Akins' No. 38 in Busch Series
MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Open-wheel standout Kasey Kahne, who was plucked out of the USAC ranks by NASCAR owner Robert Yates, has a full time NASCAR Busch Series ride for 2003.
Kahne, 22, will drive the No. 38 Great Clips Ford for Akins Motorsports in 2003, the team announced Monday.
"I'm very excited about a full-time Busch Series ride," Kahne said. "It's a great opportunity for me to move to the next level in stock car racing with a strong team and great sponsorship from Great Clips.
"I'm very impressed with what this team has done and look forward to working with crew chief Wes Ward and the rest of the guys."
Kahne, a native of Enumclaw, Wash., started 20 Busch Series races in 2002 driving the No. 98 Robert Yates Racing Ford. He scored a 10th-place finish at Michigan in August and had nine finishes in the top 20.
It was his first season behind the wheel of a full-bodied stock car after a stellar career in open wheeled cars. Kahne, like 2002 Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart, has continued to dabble in open wheel competition.
"I learned a lot about stock car racing last year," Kahne said. "With the weight of these cars being so much heavier than open-wheeled cars, I had to learn about what we had to do to make the cars drive properly.
"Last year's experience is going to be very helpful as I look forward to next season."
Brad Akins has owned a NASCAR Busch Series team since 1992 and has built his team along the same guidelines he followed to grow a small Georgia Ford franchise to one of the nation's top-30 dealerships.
In 11 seasons, Akins Motorsports has two wins, 21 top-five finishes and 53 top-10s. The team finished fifth in the series point standings in each season from 1998 through 2001.
"We're very happy with the addition of Kasey," Akins said. "It's a tremendous opportunity for our team and I'm confident he will do a very good job not only for us, but also in representing our sponsors."
"Kasey is one of the young upcoming drivers with a very competitive reputation," Doug Stringer, Akins Motorsports' general manager, said. "He's up on the wheel all the time and adds some youth to our experienced team."
MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Open-wheel standout Kasey Kahne, who was plucked out of the USAC ranks by NASCAR owner Robert Yates, has a full time NASCAR Busch Series ride for 2003.
Kahne, 22, will drive the No. 38 Great Clips Ford for Akins Motorsports in 2003, the team announced Monday.
"I'm very excited about a full-time Busch Series ride," Kahne said. "It's a great opportunity for me to move to the next level in stock car racing with a strong team and great sponsorship from Great Clips.
"I'm very impressed with what this team has done and look forward to working with crew chief Wes Ward and the rest of the guys."
Kahne, a native of Enumclaw, Wash., started 20 Busch Series races in 2002 driving the No. 98 Robert Yates Racing Ford. He scored a 10th-place finish at Michigan in August and had nine finishes in the top 20.
It was his first season behind the wheel of a full-bodied stock car after a stellar career in open wheeled cars. Kahne, like 2002 Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart, has continued to dabble in open wheel competition.
"I learned a lot about stock car racing last year," Kahne said. "With the weight of these cars being so much heavier than open-wheeled cars, I had to learn about what we had to do to make the cars drive properly.
"Last year's experience is going to be very helpful as I look forward to next season."
Brad Akins has owned a NASCAR Busch Series team since 1992 and has built his team along the same guidelines he followed to grow a small Georgia Ford franchise to one of the nation's top-30 dealerships.
In 11 seasons, Akins Motorsports has two wins, 21 top-five finishes and 53 top-10s. The team finished fifth in the series point standings in each season from 1998 through 2001.
"We're very happy with the addition of Kasey," Akins said. "It's a tremendous opportunity for our team and I'm confident he will do a very good job not only for us, but also in representing our sponsors."
"Kasey is one of the young upcoming drivers with a very competitive reputation," Doug Stringer, Akins Motorsports' general manager, said. "He's up on the wheel all the time and adds some youth to our experienced team."
