Busch Series owner Brad Akin would like to have Kasey Kahne drive for him again next year. But Akin is switching the #38 from Ford to Dodge in 2004, and Kahne is under contract with Ford. Kahne says that if he were released from that Ford commitment, he would jump to Nextel Cup and drive the #9 Evernham Motorsports Dodge. But Bill Elliott might not retire from that #9 seat after having a solid late-season run, which included winning at Rockingham and leading 189 laps at Homestead before he cut a tire.(FoxSports/Sporting News)
UPDATE: Akins Motorsports says Doug Stringer, the team’s general manager for the past five years, will become a co-owner of the team with Brad Akins. The team also announced plans to use Dodges for its #38 Busch Series entry and said Evernham Motorsports will prepare the team’s engines in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Rookie Kasey Kahne drove the team’s #38 Ford to victory in Saturday’s Ford 300 Busch Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The team ended the season seventh in driver points with one win, four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(11-17-2003)
