AKINS MOTORSPORTS HIRES TIM SHUTT AS CREW CHIEF FOR NO. 38 GREAT CLIPS TEAM

AKINS MOTORSPORTS HIRES TIM SHUTT AS CREW CHIEF FOR NO. 38 GREAT CLIPS TEAM 
AND DRIVER KASEY KAHNE


MOORESVILLE, NC - Akins Motorsports team owners Doug Stringer and Brad Akins 
announced today that Tim Shutt, 34, has been named as crew chief of the No. 38 
Great Clips team, effective immediately. The team's previous crew chief, Wes 
Ward, has accepted a position with ppc Racing.

"We are very excited to have Tim on board at Akins Motorsports and anticipate 
much success this season as he brings new and innovative ideas to the table," 
said Stringer.  "We had an extremely successful relationship with Wes and I 
respect his desire to pursue this opportunity with ppc Racing.

"Kasey Kahne and this entire Great Clips team are proven winners, so we are 
confident that Tim will step right in and continue where we left off in 2003, 
and that was in victory lane."

Prior to joining Akins Motorsports, Shutt was employed by Joe Gibbs Racing as 
crew chief for Mike Bliss and Mike McLaughlin.  He began racing go-karts at 
an early age in his home state of Pennsylvania, and through the years worked in 
the United States Auto Club (USAC) as both crew chief and driver on midget 
and sprint cars. In 1996, he began working in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series 
with driver Randy Tolsma and joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 1999.    

"I am so excited about this opportunity with Akins Motorsports," said Shutt.  
"It's been remarkable how everything has worked out, and I know this is going 
to be a really good relationship.  

"Kasey has so much focus and the quality of guys on this team is unrivaled.  
Kasey is a methodical thinker and is able to interpret different situations in 
different ways, and I think that will fit perfectly with my style of working. 
 We've got similar backgrounds as far as racing in different series, so I'm 
confident that we'll hit the ground running."

"I'm thrilled that Tim has joined our Great Clips team," said Kahne.  "His 
background is similar to mine because he's worked with sprints and midgets, 
plus, he's raced before, so he's got that understanding of what it feels like to 
get behind the wheel.  His experience will be key in helping us move to the 
next level, which will be grabbing more Bud poles and winning more races."  

Kahne finished the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series season seventh in points with one 
victory (Homestead-Miami Speedway), one Bud Pole (Michigan International 
Speedway), four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.  He will compete in the NASCAR 
Busch Series in the No. 38 Great Clips Dodge as well as the Nextel Cup Series in 
the No. 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge.    

###