W
Ward Burton
Guest
In the 30 AOL car!
WELCOME, N.C. -- In a whirlwind week of high-profile hirings and firings, Jeff Green and Steve Park were essentially traded for one another.
Park on Thursday was named driver for Richard Childress Racing's No. 30 Chevrolet. The spot opened up Monday when Jeff Green was fired as driver. Park, meanwhile, was fired Tuesday from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., as driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet in favor of Green.
Both drivers will debut with their respective new teams May 17, during The Winston Open at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
"Steve is going to give the America Online team a fresh start going into the summer months of the season," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing.
"He's a proven winner in Winston Cup and I know he has what it takes to work with Mike Beam (crew chief) and the rest of the AOL team to get the program headed in the right direction. I've talked with Kevin (Harvick) and Robby (Gordon) and they're both excited about him driving for RCR."
Park, 35, from East Northport, N.Y., is in his sixth full season of NASCAR Winston Cup competition, though two have been interrupted by injuries. He has two series victories, in 2000 at Watkins Glen International and 2001 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham.
In 157 Winston Cup Series starts, Park has 11 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes and has accumulated nearly $11 million in winnings. His highest finish in the championship point standings came in 2000, when he finished 11th.
"To have the opportunity to drive for RCR and America Online is exciting," said Park. "A mentor like Richard and a change of scenery is something I'm really looking forward to.
"I'm lucky to have a primary sponsor like AOL with their marketing power behind me. My goal is to build consistency and to revitalize the AOL/RCR NASCAR Winston Cup program so we can finish the season on a high note."
In his only full season in the NASCAR Busch Series, in 1997, Park earned three victories, rookie-of-the-year honors, and finished third in the point standings.
He also has more than two dozen victories in the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series and the NASCAR Busch North Series. Park spent the past six seasons driving in the NASCAR Winston Cup and NASCAR Busch Series for DEI.
"America Online is committed to winning and we're proud to have Steve Park in the driver's seat," said Richard Taylor, Senior Vice President of Brand Promotions for America Online.
WELCOME, N.C. -- In a whirlwind week of high-profile hirings and firings, Jeff Green and Steve Park were essentially traded for one another.
Park on Thursday was named driver for Richard Childress Racing's No. 30 Chevrolet. The spot opened up Monday when Jeff Green was fired as driver. Park, meanwhile, was fired Tuesday from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., as driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet in favor of Green.
Both drivers will debut with their respective new teams May 17, during The Winston Open at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
"Steve is going to give the America Online team a fresh start going into the summer months of the season," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing.
"He's a proven winner in Winston Cup and I know he has what it takes to work with Mike Beam (crew chief) and the rest of the AOL team to get the program headed in the right direction. I've talked with Kevin (Harvick) and Robby (Gordon) and they're both excited about him driving for RCR."
Park, 35, from East Northport, N.Y., is in his sixth full season of NASCAR Winston Cup competition, though two have been interrupted by injuries. He has two series victories, in 2000 at Watkins Glen International and 2001 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham.
In 157 Winston Cup Series starts, Park has 11 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes and has accumulated nearly $11 million in winnings. His highest finish in the championship point standings came in 2000, when he finished 11th.
"To have the opportunity to drive for RCR and America Online is exciting," said Park. "A mentor like Richard and a change of scenery is something I'm really looking forward to.
"I'm lucky to have a primary sponsor like AOL with their marketing power behind me. My goal is to build consistency and to revitalize the AOL/RCR NASCAR Winston Cup program so we can finish the season on a high note."
In his only full season in the NASCAR Busch Series, in 1997, Park earned three victories, rookie-of-the-year honors, and finished third in the point standings.
He also has more than two dozen victories in the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series and the NASCAR Busch North Series. Park spent the past six seasons driving in the NASCAR Winston Cup and NASCAR Busch Series for DEI.
"America Online is committed to winning and we're proud to have Steve Park in the driver's seat," said Richard Taylor, Senior Vice President of Brand Promotions for America Online.
