Akins Motorsports, formerly Akins-Sutton Motorsports was a NASCAR team based in Mooresville, North Carolina, which is near Charlotte. The team was formed in 1992 by Brad Akins, owner of several car dealerships in Georgia and team pit crew member, and Bob Sutton who served as the team's financial manager. At the time the team was sold to Braun Racing in 2006, it was owned by longtime team general manager Doug Stringer. The team was known for its Great Clips-sponsored #38 car in the Busch Series (now the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series), which was later fielded by Braun Racing and Turner Scott Motorsports.

Busch Series Car #38 history Akins Motorsports debuted in 1993, running the #38 Country Time Ford Thunderbird driven by Bobby Hamilton. They ran two Winston Cup races with Hamilton driving, posting a tenth-place finish at Dover International Speedway. They also ran a pair of Busch Races with Elton Sawyer driving, his best finish a 25th at Richmond International Raceway.

Sawyer went full-time with the team in 1994 with sponsorship from Ford Credit. They had six top-tens, as well as winning at Myrtle Beach Speedway, finishing fourteenth in championship points. The following season, they moved to ninth in points and Sawyer won the pole at Indianapolis Raceway Park. At the end of the year, Sawyer was replaced with Dennis Setzer with Lipton Tea sponsorship for 1996. He had two top-tens, before Sawyer came back to the team to finish out the year, posting one top-ten.

In 1997, Barbasol became primary sponsor, and Sawyer finished a then-career-best sixth in points, before moving up to fifth the following season.

Glenn Allen Jr. took over the #38 for the 1999 season, and had a fourth-place finish at The Milwaukee Mile, but was replaced during the season by Hut Stricklin, who ended the season with a pole at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 38 team was forced to shut down at the end of the season due to sponsor Barbasol departing.

Rookie Christian Elder drove the #38 in 2001 with Great Clips/Deka Batteries sponsorship for sixteen races that year, posting a best finish of 20th twice. Elder drove the 38 for eight races in 2002, sharing the ride with Mark Green before Green took over the ride permanently, posting three top-fifteen finishes.

In 2003, Akins hired Ford development driver Kasey Kahne as the team's driver. Kahne finished seventh in points and won his first career race at the Ford 300. He would take over the 9 Dodge in the Winston Cup Series for Evernham Motorsports' for the 2004 season, but continued to run Akins' Busch team, as they switched to Dodge Intrepids. He went winless in 2004, but had two poles and finished eleventh in points.

In 2005, team manager Doug Stringer assumed full ownership, and Kahne shared the car with Tyler Walker. He had two wins and three poles, while Walker did not finish better than 14th, and was released in August 2005. Mike Wallace and A. J. Foyt IV shared the driving duties with Kahne for the balance of the season.

Foyt IV was to compete for Rookie of the Year in the #38 Akins ride in 2006 but was released from the team when Doug Stringer merged Akins Motorsports with Braun Racing.

Car No. 38 results Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Pts 1993 Bobby Hamilton 38 Ford DAY CAR RCH DAR BRI HCY23 ROU MAR31 NZH CLT DOV MYB GLN MLW TAL IRP9 MCH NHA BRI DAR Elton Sawyer RCH25 DOV ROU CLT36 MAR CAR HCY ATL 1994 DAY20 CAR12 RCH4 ATLDNQ MAR22 DAR13 HCY28 BRI ROU31 NHADNQ NZH2 CLT21 DOV13 MYB1 GLN35 MLW8 SBO17 TAL21 HCY14 IRP22 MCH20 BRI15 DAR9 RCH31 DOV13 CLT5 MAR19 CAR39 1995 DAY39 CAR32 RCH15 ATL10 NSV30 DAR38 BRI18 HCY26 NHA2 NZH8 CLT27 DOV12 MYB10 GLN22 MLW14 TAL10 SBO7 IRP2 MCH13 BRI26 DAR8 RCH10 DOV17 CLT20 CAR14 HOM12 1996 Dennis Setzer DAY27 CAR31 RCH22 ATLDNQ NSV37 DAR36 BRIDNQ HCYDNQ NZH20 CLTDNQ DOV33 SBO11 MYB8 GLN11 MLW24 NHA24 TALDNQ IRP6 Elton Sawyer MCH25 BRI12 DAR16 RCH22 DOV8 CLT19 CAR14 HOM15 1997 DAY16 CAR12 RCH11 ATL2 LVS31 DAR17 HCY6 TEX11 BRI32 NSV17 TAL42 NHA4 NZH23 CLT43 DOV9 SBO5 GLN19 MLW6 MYB5 GTY4 IRP3 MCH16 BRI34 DAR13 RCH31 DOV16 CLT22 CAL19 CAR12 HOM32 8th 3419 1998 DAY28 CAR14 LVS30 NSV10 DAR11 BRI4 TEX27 HCY27 TAL10 NHA27 NZH36 CLT8 DOV8 RCH18 PPR4 GLN11 MLW2 MYB11 CAL12 SBO25 IRP8 MCH8 BRI18 DAR12 RCH33 DOV3 CLT13 GTY38 CAR32 ATL13 HOM26 5th 3533 1999 Glenn Allen Jr. DAY16 CARDNQ LVSDNQ ATL9 DAR30 TEX27 NSV29 BRI26 CAL21 NHA28 RCH26 NZH14 CLTDNQ DOV24 SBODNQ GLN29 MLW4 MYBDNQ PPR37 GTY33 IRP24 MCHDNQ BRIDNQ 26th 2358 Chevy TAL13 Hut Stricklin Ford DAR22 RCHDNQ DOV16 CLT21 CARDNQ MEM42 PHO29 HOM21 2001 Christian Elder DAYDNQ CAR LVS23 ATL26 DAR BRI20 TEX NSH TAL26 CAL24 RCH NHA NZH28 CLT37 DOV20 KEN24 MLW GLN CHI29 GTY30 PPR IRP MCH BRI35 DAR RCH DOV KAN27 CLT40 MEM PHO28 CAR HOM43 41st 1259 2002 DAY36 CAR37 LVS38 TEX31 TAL43 CAL43 KEN26 DAY29 CHIINQ† 31st 2351 Mark Green DAR17 BRI17 RCH28 NHA NZH33 CLT35 DOV15 NSH12 MLW22 CHI41 GTY22 PPR19 IRP MCH BRI37 DAR RCH16 DOV20 KAN16 CLT30 MEM38 ATL28 CAR19 PHO14 HOM30 2003 Kasey Kahne DAY8 CAR26 LVS11 DAR8 BRI13 TEX9 TAL37 NSH29 CAL4 RCH18 GTY31 NZH12 CLT6 DOV8 NSH25 KEN11 MLW16 DAY38 CHI28 NHA9 PPR10 IRP14 MCH2 BRI14 DAR6 RCH12 DOV4 KAN30 CLT8 MEM15 ATL7 PHO27 CAR18 HOM1 9th 4104 2004 Dodge DAY43 CAR26 LVS2 DAR11 BRI27 TEX32 NSH3 TAL38 CAL5 GTY13 RCH10 NZH16 CLT25 DOV7 NSH6 KEN17 DAY6 CHI4 NHA4 MCH5 BRI34 CAL4 RCH9 DOV3 KAN13 CLT36 ATL4 PHO11 DAR11 HOM18 7th 4219 Shane Hmiel MLW4 IRP12 Tyler Walker PPR27 MEM12 2005 Kasey Kahne DAY5 LVS20 ATL5 TEX1 DAR34 DOV13 DAY25 CHI12 MCH27 CLT12 23rd 3213 Tyler Walker CAL39 MXC24 NSH17 BRI35 PHO42 RCH28 CLT14 NSH19 KEN19 MLW40 NHA19 PPR23 GTY17 IRP37 GLN36 Casey Mears TAL26 Mike Wallace BRI14 CAL29 RCH26 DOV31 KAN21 A. J. Foyt IV MEM32 TEX39 PHO42 HOM24 2006 DAY42 CAL38 MXC21 LVS37 ATL33 BRI35 TEX41 NSH 18th 3554 Ryan Moore Chevy PHO29 TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA MAR GTY IRP GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM

Car #58 history Akins added a second car to its stable in 2005, with Brent Sherman driving a Serta Mattress and Hickory Farms-sponsored Dodge. However, following the sale of team to Doug Stringer the team consolidated its operations to the #38 and sold the #58 to Glynn Motorsports.

Car No. 58 results Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Pts 2004 Brent Sherman 58 Dodge DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX NSH TAL CAL GTY RCH NZH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA PPR IRP MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN37 CLT MEM37 ATL PHO DAR HOM30 75th 177 2005 DAYDNQ CAL32 MXC23 LVS32 ATL31 NSH23 BRI36 TEX34 PHO24 TAL9 DAR32 RCHDNQ CLT34 31st 2738 Regan Smith DOV20 NSH15 KEN41 MLW29 DAY19 CHI NHA PPR GTY IRP GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM

Car #98 history In 1999, Akins formed a second car, the #98 with Lysol sponsorship with Elton Sawyer driving. He won his second race at New Hampshire International Speedway and finished fifth in points again.

In 2000, Sawyer continued to drive the 98, posting fourteen top-tens.

In 2001, clothing brand Starter and Hot Tamales came on board as sponsor and in April 2001 Akins sold the #98 team to Michael Kranefuss in order to focus on the #38. Sawyer posted a career-best nineteen top-ten finishes and finished fifth in points. At the end of the year, Starter and Hot Tamales left and unable to find a sponsor, Kranefuss was forced to disband the #98 team.

Car No. 98 results Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Pts 1999 Elton Sawyer 98 Chevy DAY21 DAR2 NSV8 TAL41 5th 3891 Ford CAR7 LVS26 ATL8 TEX12 BRI3 CAL7 NHA1 RCH34 NZH32 CLT8 DOV9 SBO23 GLN11 MLW34 MYB7 PPR8 GTY13 IRP8 MCH26 BRI7 DAR14 RCH16 DOV26 CLT19 CAR14 MEM3 PHO15 HOM13 2000 DAY30 CAR12 LVS25 ATL18 DAR9 BRI12 TEX28 NSV13 TAL18 CAL9 RCH34 NHA9 CLT9 DOV9 SBO3 MYB3 GLN7 MLW6 NZH2 PPR25 GTY10 IRP6 MCH31 BRI29 DAR3 RCH19 DOV33 CLT29 CAR19 MEM2 PHO11 HOM40 7th 3776 2001 DAY43 CAR29 LVS8 ATL35 DAR9 BRI17 TEX21 NSH5 TAL6 CAL12 RCH40 NHA9 NZH11 CLT19 DOV6 KEN4 MLW6 GLN6 CHI8 GTY8 PPR30 IRP4 MCH7 BRI5 DAR2 RCH8 DOV11 KAN16 CLT9 MEM26 PHO38 CAR10 HOM2 5th 4100 2003 Mark Green DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX TAL NSH CAL RCH GTY NZH16 CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA PPR IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM ATL PHO CAR HOM 95th 115

Craftsman Truck Series Truck #38 history During the 1995 season, Akins/Sutton also fielded a Craftsman Truck Series team with Sammy Swindell full-time driving with sponsorship from Channellock, posting five top-tens and a fourth place run at Bristol, finishing twelfth in points. The team racked up an astounding seven DNFs during the 20-race season. Akins/Sutton never fielded a truck again.

Truck No. 38 results Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Pts 1995 Sammy Swindell 38 Ford PHO17 TUS7 SGS24 MMR10 POR13 EVG17 I7024 LVL13 BRI4* MLW12 CNS26 HPT21 IRP33 FLM10 RCH17 MAR36 NWS24 SON10 MMR32 PHO39 12th 2109

See also Braun Racing Glynn Motorsports Robert Yates Racing Turner Scott Motorsports

References