USAR: Gabi DiCarlo prepares for debut

GREAT CLIPS DEVELOPMENTAL DRIVER GABI DICARLO PREPARES FOR HOOTERS PRO CUP DEBUT THIS SEASON

MOORESVILLE, NC (May 2, 2006)--Stringer Motorsports, Inc., development driver Gabi DiCarlo is preparing for her first Hooters Pro Cup Series event of the season, which will take place next Friday (May 12) at Kil-Kare Speedway in Xenia, Ohio.

Great Clips, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, has been the committed sponsor of DiCarlo and her Hooters Pro Cup team since last season when she competed in a select few events in the series.

"I am really excited that my first Hooters Pro Cup event of the season is here," said DiCarlo. "We have been working very hard to prepare for this season. I am looking forward to finally racing the Great Clips car and hopefully bringing home a good finish for Stringer Motorsports and the entire Great Clips team."

Not only does DiCarlo spend her time preparing for her first race, but she is also competing in the Auto Club Late Model Weekly Series at Irwindale Speedway. Aside from staying busy on the racetrack, DiCarlo is also spending her time preparing for exams...as a full-time student majoring in Marketing at Arizona State University.

"I am not only focused on my racing program, but also my education," said DiCarlo. "Sometimes it can be difficult trying to juggle both, but so far I haven't had too much trouble. My education is just as important to me as racing, and my goal is to excel in both."

Stringer Motorsports also fields driver Chase Pistone in the Hooters Pro Cup Series Southern Division and sits fifth in the point standings. Additionally, team owner Doug Stringer is co-owner of Braun-Akins Racing in the NASCAR Busch Series.

"We're all excited to get Gabi behind the wheel," said Stringer. "She showed a lot of potential last year in the few races that she competed in, especially considering it was her first time in a Hooters Pro Cup car. We expect bigger and better things from her this year, and we have a lot confidence in her ability. I know she wants to succeed just as much as we do, so she'll give 100 percent on the track for Great Clips."

In addition to the support of the Hooters Pro Cup sponsorship, Great Clips, Inc. is the sponsor of the No. 38 Chevy driven by Jason Leffler in the NASCAR Busch Series for Braun-Akins Racing. The team currently sits in 13th position in the NASCAR Busch Series driver point standings with two top 10s and one Busch Pole.

"We are proud to sponsor an up-and-coming developmental driver like Gabi," said Terri Miller, Vice President of Marketing for Great Clips, Inc. "She embodies all the values of Great Clips and we look forward to watching her progress throughout the season."

DiCarlo was the 2004 Star Mazda Red Line Oil Championship Rookie of the Year and finished fifth in the point standings that season. She has been racing competitively for eight years, competing in the PKRA Series 80cc Jr. Shifter and 125cc Shifter, SKUSA World Finals, SKUSA Pro Moto Tour, USAC Formula Russell, Formula Barber Dodge Western Series, SCCA and the Star Mazda Red Oil Series.

The 20-year-old driver from Phoenix, AZ, was the first female in the history of the PKRA Series to win a championship, which she captured in 2002. In 2003, DiCarlo won two SCCA Pro events in Formula Mazda. This season, DiCarlo has competed at California Speedway in the Star Mazda Series West Coast, where she qualified second in both events and finished first and third.

For additional information on Great Clips or to find the salon nearest you, please visit www.greatclips.com. For more information on Gabi DiCarlo, please visit www.gabidicarlo.com.

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