Steve Park (racing driver)

For other people of the same name, see Steve Park (disambiguation).

Steve Park
Born	August 23, 1967 (1967-08-23) East Northport, New York
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career
2010 position	62nd
Best finish	11th - 2000
First race	1997 The Bud At The Glen (Watkins Glen)
First win	2000 Global Crossing @ The Glen (Watkins Glen)
Last win	2001 KMart/Dura Lube 400 (Rockingham)
Wins Top tens Poles 2 35 4
NASCAR Nationwide Series career
2006 position	77th
Best finish	3rd - 1997
First race	1990 Pontiac 300 (Nazareth)
First win	1997 BellSouth Mobility / Opryland 320 (Nashville Speedway)
Last win	1997 Autolite Platinum 250 (Richmond)
Wins Top tens Poles 3 29 1
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
2009 position	90th
Best finish	9th - 2004
First race	1996 Cummins 200 (IRP)
First win	2005 American Racing Wheels 200 (California)
Last win	2005 American Racing Wheels 200 (California)
Wins Top tens Poles 1 16 1

Stephen Park (born August 23, 1967) is a professional race car driver. Park is currently racing in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

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

1996-1997

Steve Park was first hired by seven time Winston Cup Champion Dale Earnhardt in 1996. Initially, Steve refused to return Dale's phone messages, who was calling with interest to hire Steve, thinking his friends were pranking him. After finally being convinced that the real Dale Earnhardt was calling him, Steve made one start in the #31 Busch Series car in Charlotte in October that resulted in a 29th place finish. Steve was then given a full time ride in Dale's #3 AC-Delco car for the 1997 Busch Series season where he posted 3 wins and walked away with Rookie of the Year honors.

1998-1999

Steve came to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series as the driver for the start-up #1 Pennzoil team of Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI). 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.

2000-2001

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. In 2001, Park scored an emotional win for DEI by winning the Dura Lube 400 at North Carolina Speedway, as Dale Earnhardt was killed in a crash the week before at Daytona. The same season, driving in the Busch Series, Park was involved in a crash at Darlington Raceway while driving the #31 Whelen Chevrolet owned by Ted Marsh. Under caution and still driving on the track, the steering wheel came off in Park's hand, causing him to veer left. By complete chance, lap down car Larry Foyt was speeding up to join the lap down line at the same time Park turned. Park was T-boned on the drivers side upon collision with Foyt's car. The severity of the crash caused a massive brain injury as well as several broken ribs. Foyt said that the car was traveling "well over 100 miles per hour." Park was left with noticeably slurred speech as a result of the accident and some have theorized that he never fully recovered from his injuries.

2002

Park returned to race six times in the 2002 season and had many accidents. The largest incident was a flip at Pocono Raceway when he spun into, and was turned by, teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. and hit the infield barrier with tremendous velocity, flipping over. The race had a 65-minute red flag to repair the old-fashioned guardrail highway barrier that Park hit.

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, and became the tenth driver to win a race in all three of NASCAR's top racing series (one of seven drivers to accomplish the feat in the 2005 season alone). However, Park and the team struggled the rest of the season, and 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

In 2008 Park signed with NDS Motorsports and drove the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in all 13 of the NASCAR Camping World East Series events. He finished 9th in the standings with his best finish being second place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

In late 2008, Steve Park was married to long time girlfriend, Jessica Skarpalezos at Sea Island, Georgia.

2009

In 2009 Park returned to race in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR Camping World East Series. He finished 5th in the point standings. Park made a single start in the KOMA UNWIND CHEVY for Corrie Stott RacingCamping World Truck Series, starting 31st and finishing 25th.

On August 1, 2009 Steve won the Edge Hotel 150 at Adirondack International Speedway. It was Steve's first NASCAR Camping World East Series win since July 1, 1996 at Nazareth Speedway. On August 12, 2009, Park announced on his website Steve-Park.com that he and his wife are expecting their first child.

2010

In 2010 Park returned to race in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR Camping World East Series. On January 2, 2010, Park announced on his website Steve-Park.com the birth of his son Jayden Robert Park.

Park also drove the numbers 46 and 41 Vandyk Baler Corp/ Bollegraaf Toyotas in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Eddie Sharp Racing in 2010 for three races (two in the 41 and one in the 46), with a best finish of 18th at Chicagoland Speedway.

Park returned to the Sprint Cup Series in July 2010, driving the #36 Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing. In his first Sprint Cup Series series race in several years, Park started the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona from the 39th position, as qualifying was rained out. He went on to finish 13th and led one lap. Park's fan-sponsored car was painted to honor Richie Evans, a nine-time NASCAR Modified champion who was killed in a racing accident shortly after winning his final championship in 1985.

2011

Park ran one race for Tommy Baldwin Racing for two races. The fan-sponsored New Hampshire car will honor six-time Modified Series champion owner Len Boehler.

External links

• Steve Park's Official Web Site