Park shifting back into drive with upcoming ride
Former DEI driver says young guys have it easier than he did
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
October 5, 2006
12:44 PM EDT (16:44 GMT)
Steve Park speaks with great calculation, negotiates each word carefully in his mind, errs well on the cautionary side of every statement. This opportunity is a full year in the making, and the last thing he wants to do is jeopardize it with an inadvertent admission.
Next week we should all know his secret.
MARTY SMITH
• E-mail Marty
• Opinion Archive
Oct. 15, he says, is the proposed moment of truth, when the detail of his destiny is to be divulged. That is his hope, anyway.
"We're on the cusp of getting something pretty exciting done, to possibly get back in the Busch Series full time, or the Truck Series," Park said Wednesday.
That's as far as he'd go, really, other than to say he's working to "put this situation together with people I've worked with in the past." But the tone of the conversation said much more.
He's not just jumping in any ol' ride to, well, ride.
Park said he's had other opportunities this season -- some from Nextel Cup owners -- but held out for a sure thing. He has no desire to putt around in the back.
"Mr. Hendrick isn't calling me up, asking me to drive for him," Park joked. "You can look at the [Nextel Cup] organizations that run up front and the ones that don't. So I'm going to sit that out and go with what I can win races in -- the Busch Series and Truck Series."
He was nearly on the way to Bill Davis Racing to drive a Toyota Tundra.
"There's a lot of rumors and speculation," Park said. "One thing I can say is we had planned on going to Bill Davis Racing, and in the final hour that fell apart, fizzled out. We've got some other issues we're working on, and hopefully in less than two weeks we can make an announcement."
Steve Park's last Nextel Cup victory came the week following Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001. Credit: ASP
Inside the Numbers
Steve Park's career stats
Cup Busch Truck
Starts 181 56 61
Wins 2 3 1
Top-5s 12 15 8
Top-10s 35 29 16
Avg. Start 23.6 18.0 18.6
Avg. Finish 22.7 16.1 17.2
Best Rank 11 3 9
Last full Cup season: 2003
Last full Busch season: 1997
Last full Truck season: 2005
Judging by his want for quality equipment and admission that this potential opportunity is with a former partner, one would infer that Park's future is with an established program.
He won't budge.
"I've given up a year to make this opportunity happen, and now that it looks like it's going to happen I'm really excited about it," he said. "I've spent the past couple years in situations where the car ran good and it got me out there and got me racing.
"I enjoyed the win with the Orleans Truck team, and I know what it is to win. I know the feeling you get from it. The reason we do this is to win, so I'm not going to put myself in a situation where I can't win.
"This is a 'what have you done for me lately?' business, and unless you're winning races you haven't done justice to yourself or your team."
Park is all too aware how unforgiving, glaring, the industry eye can be; how quickly perception can shift. Before he was injured at Darlington Raceway in September 2001 he'd risen to top-10 staple, the brink of sure-thing status. He was on his way to a celebrated Cup Series career.
But after the accident left him with a brain injury, many feared the dream was over. More than five years -- five long years -- have passed and the dream is alive.
"Between getting hurt, coming back from getting hurt and winning again, and trying to get a name back for myself where people recognize that I can win races again, was something I worked towards," Park said. "Now I have to rework towards that.
"Really, it all started with Dale [Earnhardt] passing away. It was like my dad passing away. It took a toll on DEI, took a toll on myself, took a toll on all the race fans that were involved. It's been a downhill spiral since then. It's time to pull back on the rudder and come out of that tailspin."
The mission is re-establishment. Respect, really. The landscape has changed -- dramatically.
Steve Park suffered a brain injury in a Busch Series crash at Darlington in 2001. Credit: ASP
Cup Series Statistics
Steve Park before his crash
Year Starts W T5 T10 Rank
1997 5 0 0 0 51
1998 17 0 0 0 41
1999 34 0 0 5 14
2000 34 1 6 13 11
2001 24 1 5 12 32
Steve Park after his crash
Year Starts W T5 T10 Rank
2002 32 0 0 2 33
2003 35 0 1 3 32
"Enough is enough -- I need to get myself in a position to show people I can win races," Park said. "And until I can do that, prime Cup opportunities are not going to present themselves. With all these 15-, 18-year-old kids coming into the sport -- it's a different time.
"Racing has changed a lot since I've been involved. I had to win 100 short-track races a year to get an opportunity to go work for a guy like Dale Earnhardt. Now it seems like if you win a Big Wheel race you get a Roush driver development contract."
Park isn't the only veteran to chaff at the younger-is-better trend, briefly labeled Young Guns. Today's old guard didn't get in decent equipment until their early to mid-30s, had to labor for years in lesser rides, build and rebuild.
These days 20-year-olds are in championship-caliber equipment.
"That wasn't there when I was a kid," Park continued. "When I was racing short tracks there was no Driver X. Being from the Northeast, the only way you got a shot was by winning a ton of races and trying to show these people you're hungry and want the job and can win at that level. That's what I did.
"And you had to win in the Busch Series and the Cup Series. We achieved all that. And Dale passing away, and me getting hurt put the brakes on all that. It's time to pull back on the rudder and get it out of a tailspin and get back to where I need to be -- winning races."
He's not ready to completely rule out a Cup Series future, though the prospect seems bleak given the aforementioned trend. But he's happy, determined.
"I worked so hard to get to that level, and I'm strong enough to work that hard again, to get back to that level again," Park said.
"I've got a lot of race wins left in me. I just need the opportunity."
We'll know soon. Here's hoping he gets it.
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
I wish only the very best for Steve, and I was thrilled when he won a CTS Race earlier this year.
On the other hand, I worry because I would hate to see another injury end his life as he now knows it after all the trials and tribulations he has been through.
Former DEI driver says young guys have it easier than he did
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
October 5, 2006
12:44 PM EDT (16:44 GMT)
Steve Park speaks with great calculation, negotiates each word carefully in his mind, errs well on the cautionary side of every statement. This opportunity is a full year in the making, and the last thing he wants to do is jeopardize it with an inadvertent admission.
Next week we should all know his secret.
MARTY SMITH
• E-mail Marty
• Opinion Archive
Oct. 15, he says, is the proposed moment of truth, when the detail of his destiny is to be divulged. That is his hope, anyway.
"We're on the cusp of getting something pretty exciting done, to possibly get back in the Busch Series full time, or the Truck Series," Park said Wednesday.
That's as far as he'd go, really, other than to say he's working to "put this situation together with people I've worked with in the past." But the tone of the conversation said much more.
He's not just jumping in any ol' ride to, well, ride.
Park said he's had other opportunities this season -- some from Nextel Cup owners -- but held out for a sure thing. He has no desire to putt around in the back.
"Mr. Hendrick isn't calling me up, asking me to drive for him," Park joked. "You can look at the [Nextel Cup] organizations that run up front and the ones that don't. So I'm going to sit that out and go with what I can win races in -- the Busch Series and Truck Series."
He was nearly on the way to Bill Davis Racing to drive a Toyota Tundra.
"There's a lot of rumors and speculation," Park said. "One thing I can say is we had planned on going to Bill Davis Racing, and in the final hour that fell apart, fizzled out. We've got some other issues we're working on, and hopefully in less than two weeks we can make an announcement."
Steve Park's last Nextel Cup victory came the week following Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001. Credit: ASP
Inside the Numbers
Steve Park's career stats
Cup Busch Truck
Starts 181 56 61
Wins 2 3 1
Top-5s 12 15 8
Top-10s 35 29 16
Avg. Start 23.6 18.0 18.6
Avg. Finish 22.7 16.1 17.2
Best Rank 11 3 9
Last full Cup season: 2003
Last full Busch season: 1997
Last full Truck season: 2005
Judging by his want for quality equipment and admission that this potential opportunity is with a former partner, one would infer that Park's future is with an established program.
He won't budge.
"I've given up a year to make this opportunity happen, and now that it looks like it's going to happen I'm really excited about it," he said. "I've spent the past couple years in situations where the car ran good and it got me out there and got me racing.
"I enjoyed the win with the Orleans Truck team, and I know what it is to win. I know the feeling you get from it. The reason we do this is to win, so I'm not going to put myself in a situation where I can't win.
"This is a 'what have you done for me lately?' business, and unless you're winning races you haven't done justice to yourself or your team."
Park is all too aware how unforgiving, glaring, the industry eye can be; how quickly perception can shift. Before he was injured at Darlington Raceway in September 2001 he'd risen to top-10 staple, the brink of sure-thing status. He was on his way to a celebrated Cup Series career.
But after the accident left him with a brain injury, many feared the dream was over. More than five years -- five long years -- have passed and the dream is alive.
"Between getting hurt, coming back from getting hurt and winning again, and trying to get a name back for myself where people recognize that I can win races again, was something I worked towards," Park said. "Now I have to rework towards that.
"Really, it all started with Dale [Earnhardt] passing away. It was like my dad passing away. It took a toll on DEI, took a toll on myself, took a toll on all the race fans that were involved. It's been a downhill spiral since then. It's time to pull back on the rudder and come out of that tailspin."
The mission is re-establishment. Respect, really. The landscape has changed -- dramatically.
Steve Park suffered a brain injury in a Busch Series crash at Darlington in 2001. Credit: ASP
Cup Series Statistics
Steve Park before his crash
Year Starts W T5 T10 Rank
1997 5 0 0 0 51
1998 17 0 0 0 41
1999 34 0 0 5 14
2000 34 1 6 13 11
2001 24 1 5 12 32
Steve Park after his crash
Year Starts W T5 T10 Rank
2002 32 0 0 2 33
2003 35 0 1 3 32
"Enough is enough -- I need to get myself in a position to show people I can win races," Park said. "And until I can do that, prime Cup opportunities are not going to present themselves. With all these 15-, 18-year-old kids coming into the sport -- it's a different time.
"Racing has changed a lot since I've been involved. I had to win 100 short-track races a year to get an opportunity to go work for a guy like Dale Earnhardt. Now it seems like if you win a Big Wheel race you get a Roush driver development contract."
Park isn't the only veteran to chaff at the younger-is-better trend, briefly labeled Young Guns. Today's old guard didn't get in decent equipment until their early to mid-30s, had to labor for years in lesser rides, build and rebuild.
These days 20-year-olds are in championship-caliber equipment.
"That wasn't there when I was a kid," Park continued. "When I was racing short tracks there was no Driver X. Being from the Northeast, the only way you got a shot was by winning a ton of races and trying to show these people you're hungry and want the job and can win at that level. That's what I did.
"And you had to win in the Busch Series and the Cup Series. We achieved all that. And Dale passing away, and me getting hurt put the brakes on all that. It's time to pull back on the rudder and get it out of a tailspin and get back to where I need to be -- winning races."
He's not ready to completely rule out a Cup Series future, though the prospect seems bleak given the aforementioned trend. But he's happy, determined.
"I worked so hard to get to that level, and I'm strong enough to work that hard again, to get back to that level again," Park said.
"I've got a lot of race wins left in me. I just need the opportunity."
We'll know soon. Here's hoping he gets it.
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
I wish only the very best for Steve, and I was thrilled when he won a CTS Race earlier this year.
On the other hand, I worry because I would hate to see another injury end his life as he now knows it after all the trials and tribulations he has been through.