California 500 Philippe Lopez resigns Pontiac Excitement 400 Paul Andrews joins DEI The Winston Coca-Cola 600

      Winston Cup arrived at Fontana on Friday April, 30th, but so did Mother Nature. A storm front moved over the track in the morning and stalled out for several hours. The rain had stopped by the time qualifying was to begin, but NASCAR had decided to postpone it. Their first priority was to get the BGN drivers on the track for practice before their race on Saturday morning. As it was, they only had a short time left once the track was dried, leaving no time for the Cup drivers. NASCAR decided at that point there wouldn't be enough time the next day, and canceled qualifying altogether.

      Skies were clear come Saturday, and an early practice session was scheduled. Steve had the 15th fastest car, turning a fastest lap time of 40.261 (178.833 mph). Happy Hour went on as scheduled in the evening, but Steve's ranking dropped considerably. He was only 41st fastest, with a fastest lap time of 41.132 (175.046 mph).

      Since there was no qualifying, starting positions will be determined by the points standings. That puts Steve on the outside of row 15, now ranked 30th after his disappointing finish at Talladega last week. It would have been nice to have seen Steve have the opportunity to improve his starting position by getting the chance to run in qualifying. Although he has not driven at California Speedway in the Winston Cup level, DW ran strong here last year. The #1 team posted a season best 11th place start, and Waltrip earned them their best ever finish of 5th. In 1997 Steve set the Busch Grand National qualifying record at 175.157 mph (41.106 seconds). It was his first and only pole of the year, and he still holds the record. Steve finished that race in 2nd, and would have won if Todd Bodine had not had such great gas mileage! See story on the BGN page.

      Steve began making a hard charge from the drop of the green flag on Sunday. Steve had moved up to 26th when the first caution came out on lap 3. After the restart he continued his climb upward, reaching 18th by lap 25. The second caution came out shortly after that, bringing on the first round of pit stops. Park dropped to 22nd by the restart. From there he shuffled up and down some, but was not able to make any substantial gains. By lap 109 the leaders caught up to Steve, passing him to put him a lap down. When the 3rd caution came out during the next round of pit stops,

      The 3rd caution flag flew just a few laps after Park pitted and a few laps before the leaders were to visit pit road. Many drivers were forced to restart in front of the leader. Within a couple of laps of the restart, Steve went down a second lap. Two laps later Joe Nemechek's tire went flat, sending him into the wall so hard it bent his seat. Many drivers got their laps back, however Steve wasn't one of them. All of those drivers now had the ability to pull around the track.

      Many drivers, Steve included, came down pit road during the 4th caution of the day. Steve sat on pit road with the hood up as the team changed out a carburetor that had been troubling them most of the day. He only lost 3 positions. The restart on lap 144 showed Steve in 33rd, his lowest position of the race, still only 2 laps down. When he returned to the track the quick lap times returned making him one of the fastest cars on the track again.

      The last 90 laps of the race went caution free, allowing the field to continue to spread out. Other than a couple of cars Steve was able to race past, most of the positions he gained from there were due to cars dropping out of the race. Steve was 24th by lap 212, the last car 2 laps down, which is where he remained the rest of the day. Despite a mediocre finish, Park gained one position in the standings. Jeff Gordon was the race winner; achieving his 45th career win.

      Steve went to Richmond to test on Monday April 26th and Tuesday April 27th. He had the fourth fastest time on Monday with a speed of 124.309. He was 2 mph slower than Tony Stewart who was fastest on the day. On Tuesday Steve had the fastest car there, turning a fast lap of 125.757 mph! No fan of Park's can forget his victory at RIR in 1997. Last year he missed the spring race, but in the fall he turned a 40th place start into a 27th place finish.


      Rain seems to be following NASCAR at every turn this season. Once again qualifying was postponed, however this time there was enough time on Saturday to get in one round. They dried the track off early enough to allow the Winston Cup drivers to practice until 6 pm Friday evening. Steve was 11th fastest after running a total of 19 laps, achieving a quickest lap time of 21.579 (125.121 mph). Saturday morning Park picked up a little speed turning a fast lap of 21.549 (125.295 mph), however it was only the 21st fastest time.

      Steve drew an early qualifying time and was the 11th of 46 drivers to make his run. His time was slower than those he's turned as of late, just a tick slower than 125 mph. Park clocked a time of 21.604 (124.977 mph) that put him into second place. Naturally the position was bound to fall, and it's never easy to stand by while most of the field still has to qualify. Even though the entire field was set based on one run, his time would have been strong enough to have made the field in the first round. That run put Steve on the inside of row 9 in the 17th position for Sunday's race.

      Happy Hour was also run on Saturday due to the rainfall. After running 25 laps Steve had the 24th fastest time of 22.079 (122.288 mph). He went out and ran another 9 laps, after which his time dropped to 25th fastest. Steve logged 8 more laps his next time out, followed by another 8 laps the next time. During his last time out on the track he picked up his time, clocking a lap of 22.047 (122.465 mph). It was the 23rd fastest time when he clocked it, but after running 27 laps, it fell to only the 26th fastest time.

      The Pontiac Excitement 400 was a transitional period for this team. With the resignation of Phillip Lopez earlier in the week it meant many changes. Many of which seemed to be for the better. The first few laps of the race found Steve dropping back, but he regained his starting position again by lap 10. From there he continued to climb a position every few laps. Park was in the top ten within less than 40 laps. Dale Jarrett and Steve Park clocked the fastest speeds on the track prior to the first caution on lap 42. Steve was in 9th place when racing resumed, and once again he began picking up spots.

      By lap 75 Steve was running in the top 5, and said he was having the most fun he's had all year long. On lap 80 Steve passed Bobby Labonte for 4th, and began to make the move on Jeff Gordon. On the next lap Steve gave Gordon just enough of a nudge to get him loose, propelling Steve into 3rd. The crowd roared with cheers as they watched Gordon slide back to 8th position. Steve held the position until Labonte was able to pass him on lap 95. The field started to spread out a bit, and on lap 107 Jarrett made the move around Steve dropping him to 5th. He fell out of the top 5 three laps later when Rusty passed him.

      Park was running with the big boys, and running competitively. Unfortunately the Sophomore Jinx has taken its toll on the team this year, and if it wasn't for bad luck, they wouldn't have much luck at all. On lap 119 Steve was the next victim of the tire troubles that plagued the field as his right front started to go down. He and Derrick Cope made light contact and the tire cut down, sending Cope hard into the outside wall. Steve avoided crashing himself, but had to come into the pits. Spotter Ty Norris reported over the radio "We got a cut tire guys. Come on pit road, I'm sorry man."

      They lost a lap on their first trip to the pits, and a second lap on their next trip in. The restart on lap 129 showed Steve all the way back to 35th. The car was just not running right after that, dashing all hopes of being competitive again. A few more trips in and out of the pits put Park back to 39th, 11 laps down, by lap 140.

      The only positions gained the rest of the race were due to other cars dropping out of the race. Steve spun out and backed into the wall on lap 241, but was able to re-fire the car and get going again. The car was able to continue running the rest of the race. Despite several longer pit stops, Steve never dropped a position. He finished the race in 34th, 41 laps down.

      This was not the ending the Pennzoil team hoped for coming to Richmond. They have to know that when the bad luck finally subsides, their strong performances will shine though. Many may look back at this race and see only the numbers. That Steve started in 17th and finished in 34th, still running at the end. It doesn't begin to tell the story of one of the strongest runs of Steve's career, and of the promise that it held. THAT is what will guide the team through the rest of the season.

            The Winston is the all-star event for NASCAR, and unlike most sports it is not entirely exclusive to the biggest names. Automatic qualification for the event is set from former Winston Cup Champions, previous Winston winners, and race winners from the previous few years. However, prior to The Winston a 50 lap qualifying race is run to determine the final starting position of the race. The Winston Open, as it is known, includes drivers not already eligible for The Winston. No points will be awarded this week in Charlotte, just extra money for the teams and a lot of excitement for the fans.

      The starting order of the Winston Open is determined by the finishing order of the two No Bull 25s held on Friday night. The drivers line up for the first No Bull 25 according to their afternoon practice speeds with the first, third, fifth, etc. fastest driver making up the starting lineup. The second, fourth, sixth, etc. fastest speeds set the line up for the second No Bull 25. The winner of each race received $25,000 of a $71,000 purse set for each of the No Bull 25s. The finishers from the first No Bull 25 line up on the inside for the Winston Open, and the finishers from the second No Bull 25 line up on the outside. The Winston Open winner receives $32,000 of a $308,000 purse, and a spot in The Winston.

      Steve had the fastest time in the am practice with a fast lap of 29.810 (181.303 mph). Only the second session is used to determine the No Bull 25s starting lineup. Park was fastest again in that session with a time of 29.621 (182.303 mph). His time was fastest of all practice sessions, including those held for the drivers already entered in The Winston. Steve therefore started from the pole position in the first No Bull 25.

      Park held the lead for the first two laps, after which Mike Skinner made the pass around him. Skinner had a full second lead by lap 8. By lap 9 Jimmy Spencer took away the 2nd Spot. He and Steve were another second behind Skinner by that point. Shortly after problems with a spark plug wire forced Steve to backslide. By lap 11 he was in 6th place, then down 3 more positions by the next lap. He was in 10th by lap 14 and finally fell to the 11th place position the following lap. Park did not lose any more positions, however continued to lose distance on the leader. When the checkers flew Steve was still in 11th, but 17.758 seconds behind. Mike Skinner never relinquished the lead, winning by a margin of just over 5 seconds.

      Steve wasn't the fastest in the final practice session for the Winston Open on Saturday. He only clocked a fast lap time of 30.976 (174.328 mph), the 15th fastest time. The team just needed the time to shake the car down, and put the disappointment of the mechanical problems the night before behind them.

      From the drop of the green flag on Saturday the #1 Pennzoil Monte Carlo took off through the field. Steve gained 6 positions by lap 5, putting him in the top 15. On lap 6 he passed by Robert Pressley, and two laps later he made the move around Jerry Nadeau for 13th. While trying to pass David Green for the next position, Park made contact with Green. While the Pennzoil car was fine, Green went into the outside wall and out of the race. Caution flew for the first time of the evening on lap 10.

Racing resumed four laps later and Steve quickly picked up another position on that first lap. By lap 10 he was able to get around both Brett Bodine and Joe Nemecheck. He couldn't hold the10th position, as Nemecheck moved back around him. It wasn't until lap 21 until Steve could finally put Joe behind him.

      The 2nd caution of the evening flew near the halfway point of the race, and most drivers chose to pit, Steve included. He took on two tires and made no other adjustments. When racing resumed on lap 29 Steve continued his move to the front. He passed Dave Marcus on the way back to the stripe, and moved around Hut Stricklin by the next lap. He passed Rich Bickle the following lap moving into 6th place. It took Steve a while, but he hooked up with Johnny Benson to eventually break into the top 5 by passing Mike Skinner on lap 39. None of the top 5 positions changed the remainder of the race.

      The Winston Open was another shining example of the talent Steve and the Pennzoil team have. Steve may not have made it into The Winston, but he showed just why he had the fastest car in practice for both sessions on Friday. If it hadn't been for the problems he had with a spark plug wire in the No Bull 25 qualifying race, he would certainly have started higher than 21st for the Winston Open. Park and new crew chief Paul Andrews started their relationship off on the right track here at Charlotte. The Coca-Cola 600 will be held here next weekend, and it's fairly safe to say they already have the car dialed in. Look for an exciting welcome for Paul Andrew's first points race with the DEI team!

      The hype surrounded teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr's first appearance in the #8 Budwiser car, leaving Steve to quietly shine. On Thursday March 6th he was the fastest car on the track in the early test session. Steve clocked a lap of 30.130 (179.223 mph), with teammate Dale Jr close behind in 4th a little more than a mile per hour slower. After the evening session Dale Jr walked away with the fastest time. It was a strong showing for this young DEI pairing. Steve's previous time dropped to 8th fastest overall, however his time of 30.059 (179.647 mph) in another car was 6th fastest.

      The "count down to E-day" has been going on for months, as fans have eagerly anticipated Dale Earnhardt Jr's first Winston Cup event. For Steve it marks the first opportunity to race as part of this two man team. This weekend also marks a turning point for the Pennzoil team. Not only will Charlotte mark the first points race the new driver-crew chief combination work together, but it also marks the 34th start of Steve's Winston Cup career. For most drivers their 34th race would come at the season-opening race at Daytona in February. Instead, his accident at Atlanta last year knocked him out of action for 15 races making this week the start of the second season. Steve had the following to say when asked if coming to Charlotte was like Daytona for him:

      Steve should be excited, and so should the entire crew! He was fastest in the practice sessions for the Winston Open last week, and this week he was fastest in the first practice session on Wednesday May 26th. He clocked a fast lap of 29.233 (184.722 mph). Teammate Dale Jr. had the 10th fastest time, just over a mile per hour slower.

      Steve drew the 30th qualifying position, having to contain his excitement to go out and turn his lap. His best qualifying effort of the season came at Texas Motor Speedway where he started 3rd. Park burned up the track with a time of 29.247 (184.634 mph). It put him into the 3rd position, with a little less than half the field still left to qualify. "E-day" finally arrived when Dale Jr took to the track. He drew the loudest cheers of the evening. The crowd was on its feet to witness his time of 29.283 (184.407 mph), the 6th fastest time at that point. The DEI teammates showed they may be a relatively new team, but are ready to prove their strength.

      Only two drivers had the speed to surpass Steve's qualifying effort. This isn't Steve's best career start, but from where this team is sitting, it's a fine way to start of their new season. Steve will roll off on the inside of row 3, with his teammate close behind him on the outside of row 4. Dale Earnhardt Sr. surely had to feel fatherly pride watching his son qualify so well in his first race, but Dale Earnhardt the owner has both his cars in the top-10! Personally I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall to hear the good-natured ribbing he must have received over the boys beating out the old man in qualifying!

      This is only Steve's second top-5 start, but certainly a sign of things to come for the team. Steve was quick to thank the team for all the hard work and dedication they have put in to the cars.

      Three practice sessions were held on Thursday, with the first two held prior to second round qualifying. Having already locked down a starting position on the first day gave the crew more time to work on their race set-up. Many drivers used the first two sessions to build up speed for qualifying, therefore Steve was further down in the rankings. In the first session he clocked a fast lap of 30.741 (175.661 mph), the 34th fastest. In the second session he was the 24th fastest car with a time of 30.738 (175.678 mph). The third session of the day was perhaps the closest to racing conditions of any of the scheduled sessions. Steve ended up with the 11th fastest car, clocking a time of 30.420 (177.514 mph).

      There was no activity on the track on Friday, but teams were able to make adjustments in the garage. The teams practiced again come Saturday morning prior to the Busch race. Steve was only the 36th fastest car with a time of 30.58 (176.568 mph). Happy hour took place following the Carquest 300. Track conditions were much hotter than they will be during the actual race, so teams focused more on testing the car's adjustability. Steve ended up with the 10th fastest time, clocking his fastest lap early in the session at 30.784 (175.415 mph).

      Steve ran the race of a life-time at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. For the first time in his Winston Cup career he led the race. Oh sure, he led his first lap in Darlington, however that one came about due to pit rotation. This time he not only gained 5 bonus points, he led the stars of NASCAR around the track for 83 total laps.

      The race began with Park in 5th place. By lap 15 he moved up to 3rd place where he remained for 10 laps. From there he fluctuated between 4th and 6th until the yellow flag fell for the fourth time of the evening. Jeff Gordon lost a power steering seal, leaving oil on the track. The Pennzoil team decided to stay on the track while the leaders chose to make pit stops. Their decision put Steve into the lead.

      Despite having older tires than the rest of the field, he held a strong lead for 46 laps. Being out of sequence from the leaders he made his pit stop after loosing the lead, dropping back to 15th. Steve was fortunate another caution did not come out before the leaders had to make their pit stops, as it surely would have put him down a lap. Instead, once the leaders made their next round of stops Park was back in the lead. He held the lead for another 37 laps, earning his first bonus for leading at the half-way point.

      Steve needed to pit within the next couple of laps after Jeff Burton took over the lead, as he was still out of sequence on pit stops. Before he could make his stop he got tangled up with lapped traffic and spun out hard into the outside wall. He radioed the crew that he was all right, but the car was not. He came to rest directly under the flag stand, lying over the finish line.

      The team was naturally disappointed with the way the race ended for them. However, tonight they proved just how strong they are. This will not be the last time we see the yellow and black Pennzoil Monte Carlo out in front!

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