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Steve was involved in a serious crash on Friday, March 6th at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He underwent successful surgery Friday night at Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta to repair a broken right femur. He also suffered a broken right shoulder blade, broken left collarbone, and two chipped front teeth. Luckily, doctors reported no head or internal injuries. He returned to Charlotte on Tuesday, March 10th, where he spent a few days in a private room at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Saturday, March 14th, he returned to his Cornelius, North Carolina home. He has begun rehabilitation under the care of Dr. Walt Beaver, an orthopedic surgeon. See the updates section for quotes from Steve.
Steve was exiting Turn 4 when his car slammed into the outside wall, after something apparently failed on the right-front suspension. He blacked out at this point, and the car came off the wall, continued on down the track, and smacked the wall twice more before shooting across the grassy apron and slamming into the pit road wall head on. The car then bounced off the wall and spun to a stop facing the grandstand. Once the car stopped on pit road, he was attended to by emergency medical technicians. It took the safety crews nearly 15 minutes to cut through the twisted sheet metal to remove him. By this point he was conscious, as he was telling the medics how to take care of him. Park was removed from the car on a backboard and wearing a cervical collar. He was taken to the infield care center and then airlifted by helicopter to Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta for further examination.
"After the accident the rescue crew didn't know where to go first, because his shoulder hurt, his leg hurt and his mouth was bleeding. We knew Steve was OK because he was telling them how to get him out, and he was telling them how he didn't like their splint and how it was designed. He was telling them how they could re-design it. That was the 'Earnhardt' in him, and I guess that's why Dale loves him so much." - Ty Norris, DEI Director of Motorsports
Right now, the car is back at the DEI compound in Mooresville, and thorough investigation of the cause of the crash will be conducted when the team returns home. All that is know right now is that something mechanical obviously broke in the right front end.
For anyone who didn't see the crash, NASCAR Online has an avi file of the crash on the home page. (or click here)
UPDATES AS THEY CAME IN
UPDATE - JULY 10TH - Quotes from Steve at an informal press conference in Louden.
UPDATE - JUNE 30TH - Steve's return at Brickyard made official.
UPDATE - JUNE 24TH - Steve gets into the car again for the fisrt time in 109 days.
UPDATE - MAY 31ST - Quotes from Steve, and future plans - both medical and driving.
UPDATE - MAY 18TH - Brickyard Bound - Steve's story at www.country.com.
UPDATE - APRIL 22ND - Medical Update & Quotes
UPDATE - MARCH 28TH - Rehabilitaion quotes
UPDATE - SUNDAY, MARCH 15TH - Steve said he is still in pain from the injury but uses crutches to move around his house. He made the following comments on Sunday:
"I only remember the car was running great and we were all pumped up. We were doing qualifying runs just trying to make sure the car was fast enough for a top five or to sit on the front row. It was just a routine day. Something happened in turn four. I think something broke on the right front of the Pennzoil car and made it do a hard right into the retaining wall. That is all I remember until I woke up with the workers pulling me out of the car." How Do You Feel? "From the accident standpoint I feel a lot better today than I did the day of the accident. At least I'm now home. I can fend for myself. My shoulders have healed up enough to where I can use my arms and hands. Although, everything is bruised and banged up, the leg is still the main thing. That has caused me the most pain. It is a pain that fluctuates constantly from bad to worse. I declined to take any of the morphine-based painkillers because of the way it made me feel. I wanted off them as soon as possible. The painkillers I'm taking now make the pain go from the worst kind of pain to just making it hurt bad. I can't sit back and relax. My leg won't let me forget about it. My teeth are OK except I'd like to get them fixed pretty soon." Thoughts on the Accident: "This is something that is part of the sport. I hate that it came during my rookie season. I wanted a good clean season to get some track time. It's been a little disappointing. I mean we were running decent at Daytona and Rockingham. We had a really competitive car in Atlanta and it got destroyed in the wreck. I think we could have qualified in the top five that afternoon. "I'm not down or depressed. I've had a lot of support from the drivers who've been through this before. Kyle Petty's been by and so has Bill Elliott. Those guys have been through this and have been real encouraging. They told me I'm not going to hop back in the Pennzoil Monte Carlo next week and go racing again. When you realize that it gives you more time to sit back and heal your own body and take care of yourself. I've got to go through the rehabilitation and get back even better than I was before." When Do You Plan on Returning? "My time frame is to return as soon as possible. The doctors have generalized that I will be back in 3 to 6 months. I'm not going to rush anything. I'm going to do what they tell me to do and get through the rehabilitation so the leg and whole rest of the body will be as good as they need to be to compete in Winston Cup. I will get back in the car as soon as I feel strong enough to be competitive and strong enough to survive another hit." Thoughts on Rookie of the Year? "It hurts that I can't be part of the rookie battle because it would certainly have been a blast racing Kenny Irwin, Jerry Nadeau and Kevin LePage all year. I'm going to return before the end of the year so I doubt I'll get a chance to win the rookie award. Our goals are more than just that award. We want to win championships. The best way for us to do that is get me back in the Pennzoil Monte Carlo as soon as possible to get as much experience as I can." Rehabilitation Progress So Far: "I'm in the early stages doing therapy about an hour a day. Right now its just getting the muscles from the zero stage to where they can react to what your brain tells it. Right now my brain tells my leg to move and it doesn't and that is kind of discouraging. Despite that, it's been going pretty good. Kyle Petty has been around before and after some of my therapy sessions. He's said he was amazed at how far the leg has come in little more than a week. He said, 'Hey man, my leg wouldn't bend that much in the first three weeks after my wreck.' That has been encouraging." Return to the Racetrack: "I have plans to get back to the racetrack as soon as possible. I'd like to come to maybe Bristol or Martinsville. I was really looking forward to participating as a competitor. Right now, I want to get well enough to where I can get back in the shop and help the team. Heck, I don't care if it's just on a scooter or something I have to wheel around on. I want to come back to the race shop soon." What Have You Told Your Team? "This team is going to continue to grow and I hope to help the new driver with whatever I can. I told the team I'm still part of this team and I don't want them to think that just because I have an injury that I'm discouraged. They are my team and I want them to work hard just as if I was there. We are all a bunch of new guys from different teams who've come to almost a new family. To lose one of your leaders doesn't mean you should give up or quit." Difficulties Watching Your Car On The Track: "This isn't my first racing related injury. It's always hard to see someone else in your car. Actually it's Teresa and Dale's car so it really isn't my car. But, I take pride in the Pennzoil team and its going to be hard watching them without me. We want to be a team that wins championships down the road and this shouldn't change a thing. If reaching those goals means I'm going to have to be a consultant for a while then that's what I plan to do. We have to go forward together." Kyle Petty's Help: "Kyle has been very supportive. He has made me laugh through this whole ordeal. He helped me through this crisis, but told me he expected me to help someone else through a crisis down the road." Fans & Friends: "You find out who your friends are in a situation like this. I'm thankful for the medical trauma unit at the track that helped me out of the car and got me to the care center. I guess that is where seconds count and you are most vulnerable. I'm also thankful for the infield care that got me stabilized and off to Georgia Baptist and then to the Carolinas Medical Center. Dr. Walt Beaver is watching over me now and will run my rehabilitation. I also appreciate all the fans' thoughts and prayers. There is no way I could respond to everyone who has visited, called or just thought about me. But, I'm thankful for all their efforts." Long Term View: "When I started this year I told everyone that I've waited 30 years to live my dream and drive in Winston Cup. Waiting a few more months to continue that dream in our Pennzoil Monte Carlo isn't going to be a big deal. I can handle this."
What Do You Remember About The Accident?
UPDATE - TUESDAY, MARCH 10TH - Ty Norris, General Manger of Dale Earnhardt Inc., released the following statement:
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"Steve is hurting pretty bad, but the doctors have assured us that everything that is broken will heal. We flew him to Charlotte this morning (Tuesday) and he'll be in Carolinas Medical Center for a couple of days. I think getting Steve back home has been the best medicine so far because today has been his best day. He's laughing and joking with family and friends, but it's going to be a few more days before he can talk to the media because of all the medication he is taking. Steve is in for a lot of rehabilitation, but I have no doubt that he will come back stronger than ever. Steve started a workout regimen earlier this year and that conditioning is going to help shorten the recovery period.
We have acquired the services of Dr. Walt Beaver, an orthopedic surgeon who works closely with the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets, and we have great confidence that Steve is in the best care. However, according to Dr. Beaver, it will take several months of healing and rehabilitation before Steve can return.
"We are not going to rush Steve back in the car. He's young and has his whole career in front of him and we want it to be with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. We look at this as one of the defining moments for this team. We put this team together for Steve and a lot of talented people came to DEI because of Steve and we will all be together when he returns. We may win the next 10 races or we may not make another race, whatever the case this Pennzoil team is and will always be Steve Park's team no matter who is filling in for him in 1998.
"Ron Hornaday is testing at Darlington this week and we will make an evaluation after that test as to whom will drive the Pennzoil Monte Carlo at Darlington. Our intent is to have Ron drive at Bristol. But following Bristol, Ron will be busy with the truck series and we will have to name an interim driver until Steve returns. That will be a community decision between Dale, Don Hawk, Pennzoil and our team, which will be made sometime in the next two weeks."
UPDATE - SUNDAY, MARCH 8TH - ABC interviewed Tommy Baldwin Jr. about his visit with Steve on Saturday. Tommy was Steve's former crew chief in the Modified days, and is currently Dick Trickle's crew chief. The following is what he had to say about visiting with Steve:
"He said something definitely broke in the right font area, suspension or something. He felt the car drop a little bit, and after he hit the wall the first time, I think he got blacked out right then. He's got a bunch of good guys working on that car. I don't know what broke, but I hope everything's gonna be alright."
"Well, he really didn't say much. He's in a lot of pain right now. He's pretty broken up. I think his heart's just as much broken as his bones are. He's a pretty strong cat. I think he'll be back, probably 4 - 5 months. I just hope everybody that's with him is not gonna rush him and let him go 100%. He'll be alright. I just want to let everyone back home know he's hurt, but he'll be fine.
UPDATE - SUNDAY, MARCH 8TH - As reported above, Steve was moved to a private room, and is not longer in intensive care. He was heavily sedated yesterday with pain killers. Dale Earnhardt was interviewed on the situation by ESPN, and the focus is to get Steve healthy. He said there are a lot of decisions to be made now, and it is very important that when they do find a driver to fill in, that they don't keep changing the driver. He did elude to the fact that one of the choices could be to only race Steve in 3 more races, and run for rookie-of-the-year in 1999. Ron Hornaday will test next week in Steve's place at a scheduled test in Darlington. Right now he is the top choice to run the next two races, Darlington and Bristol, is Ron, however the following week the Craftsman Truck series resumes its schedule, and he will be unable to fill in. By then, DEI will have time to figure out what direction they want to take this team, and have found a driver to fill in.
UPDATE - SATURDAY, MARCH 7TH - A press conference with Ty Norris of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. was held in the Atlanta Motor Speedway Media Center. The following are notes from the press conference:
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As reported earlier, Mike Wallace will attempt to qualify the Pennzoil Monte Carlo today if there is qualifying at all. Ron Hornaday has been selected to drive the car at Darlington and Bristol.
After Bristol, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule gets into full swing and none of the race venues are even remotely close to Cup tracks for a while, so a decision will be made Monday or Tuesday as to a replacement driver. One thing Dale Earnhardt, Inc. doesn't want to do is have a "driver of the week." It's very difficult to go to the Busch garage and bring over a driver to the Cup Series. It was difficult for Steve last year in the Cup races that he ran.
Steve Park most likely will be released from the hospital sometime next week. His recovery is projected to be 4-5 months based on observations made when Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott and Kyle Petty were recovering from the same injury and surgery.
Steve was alert when the medics arrived and was giving them instructions on how to get him out of the car. The doctors put a splint on his leg, and he didn't like the way it was designed so he had them redesign it. "He obviously has a lot of Dale Earnhardt in him."
The cause of the accident has not yet been determined, but it was obviously something mechanical in the right front that sent him into the wall at full throttle. Because the ARCA race was getting underway, the team didn't have sufficient time to collect all the parts from the track. NASCAR has some of the parts, as well. The car was taken back to the shop this morning, covered and locked it up so a full investigation can be completed. DEI wants to know what happened as well as everyone else.
Ty Norris stated: "We put this team together to be competing for a Winston Cup championship, not a rookie championship. Steve will not sit out the remainder of the season to protect his rookie status. Our philosophy might be a little different on this from other teams. If Steve is ready, the doctors give him clearance, and if Dale Earnhardt says he's ready, he'll be back in a race car this year."
UPDATE - SATURDAY, MARCH 7TH - Steve's surgery Friday night was successful. Besides the repairs made to his leg, he also sustained a broken right shoulder blade, left collarbone and two front teeth. Doctors have reported no indication of head or internal injuries. There is an excellent story at RaceWire about this. Steve was able to talk to some family and team members before going into surgery. His parents and other family members are there with him now.
The Park family stated: "It hasn't been a fun day, but we want to thank everyone for their prayers and concern. Steve would want all his friends to know that he plans to get well and get back on the track as soon as possible. We know he appreciates everyone's thoughts and prayers."
The Park family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Motor Racing Outreach, Smith Tower, Suite 405, 5555 Highway 29 North, Harrisburg, NC. Please address all get well cards to: Steve Park Fan Club, PO Box 6005, Mooresville, NC 28115.
UPDATE - 3/6 RPM2nite reported that Steve also has busted some front teeth. He will be staying in the hospital overnight at least, and is resting comfortably right now.
UPDATE - At 6:30 p.m. EST 3/6 Steve's parents asked to release the following information:
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Steve is currently in surgery having a pin inserted into his right femur which was broken earlier today in an accident during practice. This injury is the same as that suffered by Bill Elliott at Talladega last spring.
Steve also suffered a fractured left clavicle and fractured left scapula.
I'm posting this information at 1:29 p.m. Central time, March 16th, and this is the latest I have.
Here are a list of links for further information.
RaceWire - Scroll down to the section "Latest stories off the wire" to find medical updates on Steve's condition.
NASCAR Online - There is a good story about the crash. There is also a GREAT follow-up story.
I suggest also checking back to the home page, as well as the news page for further stories.
You can also SEE the crash via an avi file there.
Steve's Official Site Finally posted something on Saturday morning. Here's a link if you're interested in seeing it. The news is the same as here, but you may want to look at other things.
OTHER ARTICLES ABOUT THE CRASH (and/or recovery)
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