There are no guarantee's but I would look for Park to be in the car for the remainder of the year. But he may get replaced for 2004 if he doesn't perform? Wow, now isn't that a newsflash! Or at least something for the media to grab ahold of and run with. For those that don't know thats how the sport works. There are alot of drivers that may get the ax if they don't produce. Waltrip, Mayfield, R.Gordon, Schrader, Skinner are a few that come to mind and there will likely be a few more that you wouldn't guess at this point.
As for whether or not changing drivers is the answer is another issue. My guess is that in most cases it is no answer at all. Simply because I believe that substantially every driver out there is capable of getting the job done if they are put in the right situation. If they couldn't they wouldn't be involved in Winston Cup racing. Why change drivers if you are going to get another one just like the one you got rid of? Today more than ever, the success of the new driver will depend on the supporting cast and the resources available. If you can bolster those areas for the new guy, then why don't you just do the same for the driver you currently have? Its a guy you are already familiar with. You already what will and will not work. Changing the driver is the easiest thing to do, but I think in most cases its not the solution to the problem. There are and have been exceptions, but if overall you have the best team, then you automatically will have one of the best drivers. Or at least thats what his results will indicate.
As for Park and his current situation, its a new one. Again. After Paul Andrews and the crew chief of the week deal late last year Tony Gibson came on board as the former car chief of the #24 team. How much time have they had to work together? 7 races. Come on folks, even Cole Trickle couldn't get the language down that fast! But in looking at the results, it appears that things have already improved in just 7 races. The longest consecutive streak of top 25 finishes the #1 team had before Gibson came along last year was 3, when Park finished 24-20-24 at Bristol, Texas, & Martinsville. But after Gibson arrived, Park failed to finish worse than 24th over the final 7 races last year. Taking it a step further, Park only managed 3 top 20 finishes in the first 25 races. Yet in the final 7 races he finished inside the top 20 in 5 races, including his best finish of the season, 6th, and not worse than 24th. Hey its not anything to write home about for a guy that finished 11th in the points a couple of seasons ago, but from where things have been lately, its a step in the right direction. If the team continues to improve, so will Parks results. If the team does not improve, then Park takes a hike, because thats how it works in this sport.
On the sponsorship issue, yes, different sponsors contribute different amounts. But a couple of things here. First of all this team in particular was created by Dale Earnhardt. Does anyone really believe that the man would create a team that financially could not compete? Would there be any point? We are not taking about a single car team that needs just enough money to get by on, but a team owned by the 7-time champion, created to win and carry on his legacy long after his driving days were over. The team is well funded, its competitively funded period, or it wouldn't exist.
Now, does the #1 team receive as many sponsorship dollars as the #8 team? Probably not, but they are on the same team! So, substantially all of the equipment as well as the benefits realized from research and development are used by both teams. It does work that way and it has to work that way.
At the same time, and since there are different amounts of money available, some things will not be the same. Can the #1 team afford to hire Ray Evernham as crew chief? Not that his results have been so great lately, but you get the idea. No they probably couldn't do that, but instead maybe they can afford to hire someone with no crew chief experience but that has a background with a successful operation. Along those lines, a team that is better funded may also be able to spend more on crew members and motorhomes too. And yes motorhomes figure into the deal, just ask Jamie McMurray. Aside from $500,000 and 50% of the purse money, his deal included a new motorhome too. Not to mention additional testing possibilities, more wind tunnel time, etc. But they will still be in the same ballgame equipment wise.
Same goes for Terry Labonte. He has the equipment and he can still get the job done. But only if everything else is right. He didn't suddenly turn into a mediocre driver after winning his first championship. Instead it took him awhile to get things back like he needed them. Then he won another championship. I'm not sure he has time to pull that one off again, but given the right circumstances he could. After finishing 25-13-16-19 in the points did Sterling Marlin all of a sudden learn how to drive? I would say he was put in a position that allowed him to do what he could have been doing al along. The same goes for can Steve Park. Will he find that situation? My guess would be no. You see, there's just not that many drivers that get the opportunity to be in the exact, presise, perfect situation, and for the time being, he's got quite a few drivers in better situations than he is in.
The only sponsorship information I ever knew about was after Gordon's 2nd championship. It was published that Hendricks commitment to the #24 team alone in 1998 was 28 million. That sounds like alot even now.
Rusty