Steve Park (NASCAR)

Infobox_NASCAR_driver
Name = Steve Park


Birthdate = birth date and age|1967|8|23
Birthplace = East Northport, New York
Best_Cup_Pos = 11th - 2000 Winston Cup
Cup_Wins = 2
Cup_Top_Tens = 35
Cup_Poles = 4
First_Cup_Race = 1997 The Bud at The Glen (Watkins Glen)
First_Cup_Win = 2000 Global Crossing @ The Glen (Watkins Glen)
Last_Cup_Win = 2001 Dura Lube 400 (Rockingham)
Last_Cup_Race = 2003 Ford 400 (Homestead)
Years_In_Cup = 7
Total_Cup_Races = 181

Stephen Park (born August 23, 1967 in East Northport, New York) is a professional race car driver. Park is currently racing in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR Camping World East Series 2008.

Park began racing not in an entry-level class, but in NASCAR Modifieds on Long Island as the son of longtime National Modified Championship contender Bob Park. After establishing himself in weekly Modified racing at Riverhead Raceway, he advanced to the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series. He won several races and became a championship contender before moving on to the Busch Series.

NASCAR Career

1998-1999

Steve Park came to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series as the driver for the start-up team of seven time Winston Cup Champion Dale Earnhardt. In the 1998 season, Park drove five races until an injury from a hard crash at Atlanta Motor Speedway sidelined him. Park returned later in the year.

2000

During the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Park would grab one win at his home track of Watkins Glen winning the 2000 Global Crossing @ The Glen.

=2001 and DEI=

Trouble would strike again in 2001, during the first race of the season the 2001 Daytona 500 Dale Earnhardt would die in a last lap crash. Park would overcome this tragedy winning next weeks race the Dura Lube 400 at Rockingham in a photo finish with Bobby Labonte. While on his way to being a top ten fixture, Park had a violent crash in the Busch Series South Carolina 200 race at Darlington Raceway in a bizarre incident while driving the #31 Whelen Chevrolet owned by Ted Marsh. [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/motorsports/nascar_plus/news/2001/09/01/busch_park_crash/ CNNSI.com: Driver suffers concussion after bizarre accident] ] Park's car suddenly broke something in its steering under caution, causing the car to turn dead left. By complete chance another car was exiting the pits along the backstretch and was accelerating to rejoin the lap-down line. Park's car was T-boned on the drivers side, the crash caused bruised his brain and suffered broken ribs. It took nearly half and hour to extricate Park from his car. Many say he still has not recovered from the injury.

2002

Nevertheless, he returned to racing six races in the 2002 season and had many accidents.

2003

During the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. let Park go midway into the season, and he was effectively "traded" to Richard Childress Racing for Jeff Green, who took over the #1 car from Park with Park taking over the #30 AOL car for Childress. A few days later, he won the pole for the Winston All Star Open, but at the start of the race he jumped the start and had to start from the rear. He never made it to the next round. His best finish at RCR was a 5th place finish at Michigan that June, as he fought then teammate Robby Gordon for that position.

2004

At the end of the 2003 season, Park announced he would not return to the #30 AOL car and would join the Craftsman Truck Series the following season. He joined Las Vegas-owned team Orleans Racing and piloted the #62 truck, vacated by Brendan Gaughan who was offered a ride in the #77 Kodak Nextel Cup car for Penske Racing. Although Steve never won a race in 2004, he finished 9th in CTS driver points, and was voted Most Popular Driver by his peers.

2005

In 2005 Park won the Craftsman Truck Series American Racing Wheels 200, the second race of the season at California Speedway, but struggled the rest of the season with speeding penalties, getting caught a lap down for pitting and a caution comes out, etc. In October, right before the truck race in Martinsville, Steve Park and Orleans Racing parted ways due to Dodge pulling support and money to many truck teams.

2008

For 2008 Park has signed with NDS Motorsports and will drive the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in all 13 of the NASCAR Camping World East Series events.

References

External links

* [http://www.steve-park.com/ Steve Park's Official Web Site] [http://ggmmarketing.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php SPC - Steve Park Central]

[http://www.myspace.com/sbpfans/ Myspace Steve Park fan page ]