August 5 - 7, 1999

      NASCAR returns this weekend to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for what has quickly become one of the biggest races on the schedule. The Brickyard 400 holds special memories for Steve, despite his disappointing finish in his first attempt here last year. This is the track where Park made his triumphant return to racing after sitting out nearly half the 1998 season due to injuries.

      Steve performed well here during the open GM practice session last month. His speeds were among the top-10, and the teams' hopes were high for his year's race. The team is bringing back the same car they took to Charlotte earlier in the year, where Steve led a career high 84 laps before coming to an untimely end.

      The first practice session of the weekend was held on Thursday morning, and the team struggled to find enough speed. Park's lap time of 50.773 (177.259 mph) would not be strong enough to make the top-25, and they knew they had to step it up a notch.

      Round one qualifying ended with a disappointing run for Steve Park and the Pennzoil crew. Steve turned a lap time of 51:158 (175.926 mph) after loosing momentum after taking turn 1 too wide. His time wasn't fast enough to make the top 25, and ended up in the 40th position.

      Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon, who was the 4th driver to take to the track, waited anxiously through 51 cars to see if his time would hold and give him yet another Bud Pole Award. Jeff's time of 50.108 at 179.612 was not only good enough to give him the pole, but he also set a new track record. Mark Martin, David Green, Dale Jarrett and Michael Waltrip round out the top five.

      The team worked hard Thursday getting the #1 Pennzoil Monte Carlo ready for second round qualifying. Their speeds were down considerably in the second practice session held Thursday afternoon, only able to achieve a fast lap time of 53.022 (169.740 mph). Adjustments were made throughout the evening, preparing to improve speed in Friday morning's practice session.

      With a total of 55 drivers trying to make the Brickyard 400, it was in the best interest of the team to make a second qualifying run on Friday. Even though they still have 3 provisionals to fall back on, no one wants to rely on that, especially when a dozen drivers will be packing up and leaving after 2nd round qualifying.

      In the morning practice session held Friday, Steve turned the fastest lap with a time of 50.543 (178.066 mph), and was the only driver to top the 178 mph mark. He was unable to duplicate that speed during his qualifying run, only turning a lap time of 50.921 (176.744 mph). It was fast enough to make the field based on time, earning the 32nd starting position.

      A repeat performance of his practice speed would have made him the fastest driver in 2nd round qualifying, and would have easily got him in the field on Thursday. The team has to settle with knowing they didn't have to use one of their provisional starts, and can now concentrate on preparing the car for the race.

      Friday afternoon's Happy Hour practice gave the team their first chance to work on the race setup. Within the first 9 laps of practice Steve clocked a lap time of 52.613 (171.060 mph). The team turned a total of 18 laps, concentrating more on how the car was running, than the speeds they were achieving. Steve was in the top-15 for most of the session, but fell to the 16th fastest overall speed by the end of practice.

      Steve took the green flag from the outside of row 16, just happy to have made the race. Missing any race is heart breaking, but the pressure to perform at a race your sponsor is also sponsoring the race only increases the pressure. After their best night's sleep since arriving in Indianapolis, the team was ready to make their move.

      Park dropped a couple of positions in the shuffle of the start of the race, but it only took him 5 laps to break into the top-30. He continued his upward climb, and picked up another 4 positions within the next 5 laps. Steve continued to show his qualifying order was certainly determined by a poor qualifying effort, and not by a true show of their strength.

      By lap 12 Steve made the pass around Dave Blaney to move into the top-25. Just 2 laps later, in the midst of tight racing, Steve raced past Wally Dallenbach to pick up another position. Even though he was dropping further behind the leader, Steve was moving forward through the pack. Park passed Geoffrey Bodine on lap 17 to move up to 234d. He was just 2 seconds behind Terry Labonte, while holding a .5 second lead over Dallenbach.

      Steve continued to reel Labonte in, and by lap 22 the distance was cut to .6 seconds. He was also increasing his distance over Dallenbach. Sterling Marlin dropped off the pace, allowing Steve to pick up another position. Park and Labonte ran neck and neck, both passing Robert Pressley on lap 25. Steve held the 21st position while fighting hard to overtake Labonte. Michael Waltrip fell off the pace, and the two passed him on lap 30. By lap 33 Labonte was able to make the pass around Dale Earnhardt, but Steve was complete the pass. More drivers fell off the pace to drop onto pit road, and by lap 35 Steve was up to 15th place.

      The pit window was open, and the leaders began pitting on lap 35. Steve came down pit road on lap 36, and once all the drivers made their stops by lap 40 he was in 21st place. He picked up a couple of positions the following lap, as all the drivers were not back up to speed yet.

      The yellow flag flew for the first time on lap 44 after Geoffrey Bodine made contact with Chad Little, sending him hard into the wall and out of the race. The caution was just what Steve needed to pull back closer to the leader again. None of the leaders made pit stops so shortly after pitting, so there wasn't any shuffling of the order.

      Park continued to move forward though the field, but at a much slower rate than earlier. He began to drop further and further behind the race leader, but was able to stay close with his immediate competition. Steve followed closely behind Dallenbach for many laps, with Ricky Rudd in close pursuit behind him. He finally passed Dallenbach on lap 66, only to have fall back behind him two laps later. Park was up to 17th place, and running strong.

      It wasn't until lap 72 that Steve finally broke back into the top-15, and on the following lap caution was out again. Kyle Petty encountered some debris, and cut down his right front tire while approaching the turn. After slamming into the outside wall, the front end irrupted in fire. Heat and smoke took its toll on Petty as he was forced to lie down momentarily on the track after he got out of his car.

      All the cars came down pit road during the caution, only a few laps short of their pit window. Steve only slipped one position in the pits, but was shuffled back to 20th just 2 laps after racing resumed on lap 77. Cars in the middle pack were running deep, and Steve fell as far as 22nd before climbing his way back up. Steve's speed had fallen, but he moved into 21st once his speed picked up again.

      Park moved in on Johnny Benson, and passed him on lap 84. Steve set his sights on Terry Labonte once again, and was able to take the position away from him just 2 laps later. When Steve crossed the line for lap 87 he was a full second behind Sterling Marlin, but was able to pass him within the next 3 laps. Racing was tight, with Rudd just .2 seconds ahead of Park.

      Hut Stricklin dropped off the pace on lap 91, moving Steve up to 17th. Steve dove inside of Rudd in an attempt to pass him on lap 94, but couldn't get him. The following lap both Rudd and Park were able to successfully pass Dallenbach. On lap 101 Steve went after Jeremy Mayfield, after passing Ken Schrader and moving into the top-15. Park dove to the inside of Mayfield, but had to fall in behind. He tried again the following lap, making it stick and taking off.

      The distance to catch Rudd for position was a full 2 seconds after making the pass on Mayfield, but Steve quickly diminished the distance. Rudd passed Mike Skinner on lap 106, leaving only a .5 second gap between Skinner and Park. By lap 109 Park completed the pass on Skinner, and was up to 13th place. However, he found himself over 30 seconds behind the race leader with 50 laps to go.

      The next round of pit stops began on lap 113, with Rudd and Martin the first of the cars in front of Steve to come in. He broke into the top-10 for a brief time by staying on the track longer than some of the lead cars. Steve made his pit stop after lap 116, and was one of the last cars to come down pit road. Fuel mileage calculations were being made, with some of the front runners knowing they could not make it to the end of the race. The Pennzoil Monte Carlo has proven its fuel mileage strength, giving Steve the potential to pick up positions late in the race.

      He quickly moved up through the field once all the pitting was finished, finding himself in 15th with 40 laps to go. Park was once again racing Terry Labonte for positions, just 1.1 seconds behind him. He couldn't get around Labonte, but the two picked up a position on lap 125. Steve was dropping further behind Labonte, while increasing his lead on Dallenbach. Just 22 cars remained on the lead lap, as Jarrett passed Michael Waltrip on lap 130.

      By lap 140 Steve picked up another position by passing Rudd after Labonte did the same. Caution came out for the 3rd and final time on lap 142 when Dave Marcus began to billow smoke out of the back of his car. Steve was more than 40 seconds behind the leader at the time, so there were mixed emotions over the advantages of bunching up the field, and the fuel mileage factor being removed from the race. Pit strategy was now the key to the results of the race.

      The crew got Steve back onto the track in 16th place, after all of the leaders came down pit road on lap 114. After the other cars came down pit road, Steve found himself in 11th place, poised to break into the top-10. However when racing resumed, Park fell prey to the cars behind him.

      While Ward Burton moved into 2nd place after a fuel only stop, drivers in the middle of the field went 4 and 5 wide down the long front stretch. Rusty Wallace and Sterling Marlin moved past Park within the first two laps, dropping Steve to 13th. Mike Skinner passed Steve on the following lap, but Park picked up his speed after the pass. Marlin dropped off the pace, pushing Steve up to 13th with just 3 laps to go. The following lap Park was shuffled down to 15th place.

The car didn't have the strength to make another push forward, but the team was happy gaining 17 positions on the day. Another top-15 finish is just the momentum this team was looking for to push on through the long stretch of racing this team will be encountering. After some much needed time off, Winston Cup will run for 3 months solid before they get another week off. The $109,610 picked up for their efforts this weekend will surely help as well.

      Series point leader Dale Jarrett went on to win his 4th race of the season by a margin of 3.3 seconds. He is now the second 2-time winner of the Brickyard 400.

      Steve moved up another position in the standings this week, and is now sitting in 26th place. He is now just 11 points shy of climbing back into the top-25, and a strong finish next weekend at Watkins Glen could easily move him up a couple of positions. A good finish is not out of the question, as Steve has had a lot of success at The Glen.

      Returning to your home state is always important to any driver. Racing in front of a driver's oldest fans brings with it a sense of pride and joy. Returning to a track that has been so pivotal in Steve Park's career only makes this weekend more special.

      Watkins Glen was the site of Steve's first ever Winston Cup race in 1997, and despite finishing a couple of laps down after landing in the "kitty litter" it was still his first. This is also the place where Dale Earnhardt took notice of Steve in 1996 after putting Joe Nemechek's Truck on the pole. Just 3 months later Steve signed on with DEI, and was launched head on into the NASCAR limelight.

      Rain followed NASCAR once again, delaying Friday's activities. The drivers practiced under wet conditions on Friday morning, allowing Steve an opportunity to run under the recently developed rain setup. He had the 23rd fastest car of the session, turning a fast lap of 1:33.847 (95.900 mph). It was considerable slower than the fastest times turned at just over 103 mph.

      Qualifying was delayed to allow a practice session under dry conditions. Park was much more successful in the second session, and was the 13th fastest drivers. His time of 1:13.852 (121.865 mph) was only a second slower than Jeff Gordon's session topping time. Rain began to fall just prior to the start of qualifying. Although the showers were brief, they were hard enough to delay qualifying for a couple more hours. Track drying began almost immediately, and soon after the sun was shining again.

      Steve was the 10th driver to take to the track, and the previous 3 drivers had all taken over the provisional pole positions. His speed was off from earlier in the day, only clocking a lap time of 1:14.944 (117.688 mph). It was the 5th fastest speed at the time he ran, but he was quickly dropping down the list. Sterling Marlin was the 36th drivers to qualify, and finally bumped Park out of the top-25. Once all 49 drivers took to the track, Steve's time dropped to 38th fastest.

      The team's hopes were high after practice Saturday morning. Steve scored the 4th fastest time of the session with a fast lap of 1:13.197 (120.496 mph). Although he was one of 23 drivers who chose to run in second round qualifying, his chances of a good starting position seemed good.

      Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans. Rain and fog settled in on the track, and second round qualifying was canceled after only 4 cars took to the track. In addition, Happy Hour was canceled, forcing the teams to rely on previous notes. Steve's experience at the track will be a plus this weekend.

      The big disappointment is that Steve was forced to use another provisional starting position. He will roll off in 39th on Sunday morning. Even though he's starting at the back of the pack, don't expect him to remain there for long. A top finish can still be anticipated from the Pennzoil Team at Watkins Glen.

      Despite a gloomy start to this weekend's activities, Sunday was bright and sunny -- filled with hope for the Pennzoil Team. Steve clearly had a much stronger car than his provisional starting position showed. His practice times were consistently fast, and his experience here would give them the advantage. Crew Chief Paul Andrews visited victory lane here with Geoffrey Bodine in 1995, only adding more promise for a successful run at The Glen.

      Patience and perseverance were the key to Park's success, and both were evident from the drop of the green flag. He quickly climbed through the pack, picking up 7 positions in the first 6 laps. When the first full course caution came out on lap 14, he had moved into 28th place. The yellow flag flew when local favorite Brett Bodine's car stopped on the track after experiencing transmission problems.

      The stage was set for varying pit strategies. Several teams decided to pit early, but Steve remained on the track along with the race leaders. When racing resumed 2 laps later, he was in 23rd place.

      Steve continued his forward move through the field, moving up a position before an altercation on lap 17 threatened to take him out of the race. Dale Earnhardt and Mike Skinner made contact, sending Skinner spinning right in front of Park. Earnhardt and John Andretti made contact trying to avoid Skinner, sending Earnhardt off course. All the cars turned around, avoiding a full course caution. More importantly, Steve was able to avoid contact with anyone, breaking into the top-20 by lap 18.

      Park was in 18th place when the yellow flag came out for the 2nd time, just 2 laps later. Ernie Irvan spun in the inner loop, ended up in the gravel surrounding it. The leaders made their first round of pit stops under the caution, but lost several track positions behind those who had pitted earlier. Park restarted the race in 31st on lap 22.

      The third caution came out just 6 laps later, but Steve had already broken into the top-30. Jeff Burton spun into the Styrofoam lining the track in turn 11, leaving debris scattered across the track. Park picked up 11 positions after several teams made pit stops. Racing resumed on lap 31, with Steve in 18th place. So far pit strategy was working for the Pennzoil crew instead of against them.

      Only 3 laps were run under green before the yellow flag flew again, with Park gaining another spot. David Murray's car deposited oil on the track during the previous lap, forcing the 4th full course caution. A few of the drivers made stops during the caution. When racing resumed on lap 37, Steve was in the top-15 for the first time of the day.

      Road racing specialist Boris Said quickly passed Steve on the restart, moving up quickly with fresher tires. Steve lost another position to Mark Martin by lap 41, but just 4 laps later Sterling Marlin was stuck in the gravel surrounding the inner loop, bringing out the 5th caution of the race.

      The leaders did not pit during the caution, choosing instead to come in later under green to push back their fuel window. Contrary to oval tracks, a driver looses fewer positions under a green flag pit stop than during a yellow flag stop. Steve restarted the race on lap 48 in 18th, but moved up quickly. By the time the first of those drivers pitted on lap 53, Park was in the top-15 once again.

      Steve came down pit road on lap 54, confident that it would be the team's last stop of the race. He dropped to 26th place upon returning to the track, having to wait until the drivers in front of him eventually made their stops. Rich Bickle spun in the inner loop, getting stuck in the gravel like others earlier in the race. The yellow flag flew for the sixth time of the day. The final scheduled stops were made under the caution on lap 70, and when racing resumed on lap 71 Park was once again in 15th.

      Terry Labonte and Jeff Burton both passed Steve within the first few laps after the restart, and the three drivers hooked up nose to tail behind Mike Skinner for several laps. Steve moved up to 16th place on lap 29 when Jimmy Spencer got off course. Spencer was able to keep forward momentum as he slid through the gravel, and get back onto the track without the need for a full course caution. The following lap Ricky Rudd radioed that he was stuck in 2nd gear, dropping significantly off the pace. Rudd’s team discovered a small rock had the linkage jammed, however Rudd's misfortune moved Steve back into the top-15.

      Caution was out again for the seventh and final time just 5 laps later. Johnny Benson got loose driving through the esses, eventually crashing into the surrounding guard rails. The Cherrios car was quickly hauled away, setting up a green, white, checkered flag finish.

      With only 2 laps to go on the final restart, racing became a scramble to the front. Steve passed Jeff Burton on the restart to pick up one position going into the final lap. Two drivers found themselves off course and into the gravel during the last lap. In addition, several drivers made contact with the Styrofoam lining turn 11, causing a huge scramble for the checkered flag. Steve came through clean, finishing the race in 12th.

      Park moved up an impressive 27 positions from his starting position, climbing higher through the field than any other driver. The team moves up 2 spots into 24th this week, proving once again just how strong this team is. With less than 100 points separating them from the top-20, expect a jump upward next week if the team turns a good finish.

      The team carries the momentum of 4 straight top-15 finishes heading into next weekend's race. Previous to this weekend's finish of 12th, Park recorded a 15th-place finish at Indianapolis, an 8th-place finish at Pocono, and a 12th place finish at New Hampshire. Winston Cup makes its return to Michigan Speedway, where Steve recorded his career best finish earlier in the season.

      The Pennzoil crew couldn't be higher as they come to Michigan for this weekend's Pepsi 400. The team has finished in the top-15 the last 4 consecutive races, and Steve earned his career best finish of 6th here just a couple of month's ago. Being in the top 10 for points earned in the second half of the season only adds to the momentum the entire team is riding on. What better way for Steve to celebrate his birthday on Monday than with his first top-5 finish.

      Despite a career best finish here, the decision was made to bring the car they took to Charlotte where Steve led a career best 84 laps. Prior to coming to Michigan, Steve said this car has the potential to perform even better. The car's strength was proven in the practice session held Friday morning. Steve turned the 8th best time, with the fastest of his 12 laps being clocked at 38.660 (186.615).

      Steve was the 27th driver to make his qualifying run, and expected to do well. He picked up his speed a notch from practice, turning a lap at 38.540 (186.819 mph). Although the team predicted a starting position in the first 3 rows, the time was only 9th fastest at the time Park ran.

      For the third time this season, Steve earned a higher qualifying position than teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. In the end Steve's starting position fell out of the top-10. Park will roll off Sunday on the outside of row 6, in the 12th position.

      Steve's speeds dropped on Saturday, but after making the race on Friday the team had time to work on adjustments. In the first practice session his fastest lap time was 39.603 (181.804 mph), and he had the 25th fastest car. In Happy Hour he was the 26th fastest driver, with a time of 40.291 (178.699 mph). Look for Park to break into the top-10 quickly. His first top-5 finish in within reach, as is the potential to add to the laps led category.

      Heading into the Pepsi 400, it looked like Steve's streak of consecutive top-15 finishes would remain in tack. Unfortunately, from the drop of the green flag it was evident that Steve was struggling with his car. He needed to hold on and make adjustments during the first pit stop.

      Park fell from his starting position of 12th immediately, dropping to 15th within the first 10 laps. After loosing a couple more positions, his speed increased and he moved back up to 15th by lap 20. He held his track position through the first caution session of the race on lap 47. Although the teams wanted to wait until 50 laps elapsed to come down pit road, everyone had to take advantage of the opportunity to pit under caution.

      The Pennzoil crew turned an outstanding pit stop, getting Steve back onto the track in 9th. After Tony Stewart was black-flagged for speeding, Steve restarted the race in 8th. A career best finish looked possible again.

      Despite picking up track position, the stop did not correct the problems Park was having with his car. Once again he started to slide back through the field. He was out of the top-15 by lap 60, out of the top-20 by lap 70, and in 25th place by lap 80. He dropped to 26th place by the half way point of the race, and made his next pit stop on lap 103. After other drivers made their pit stops, Steve was back in the top 25 by lap 109, continuing to move up through the field.

      Steve lost his battle to stay on the lead lap, being passed by race leader Jeff Gordon. He remained the first car a lap down, in 21st, driving directly behind the race leaders. Steve pushed ahead of Gordon after Bobby Labonte took over the race lead, trying to get past Labonte as well. He held on as the first car a lap down, following Gordon when he recaptured the race lead, and getting in front of Labonte. Bobby Hamilton held on as the last car on the lead lap in 20th, with Steve a constant threat to get his lap back.

      Gordon was making the pass around Hamilton when the yellow flag came out on lap 129. Hamilton, Park, and Wally Dallenbach moved back onto the lead lap, but NASCAR made the questionable call that Hamilton was the only one in contention. Park and Dallenbach were sent back behind the pace car on the following lap.

      When racing resumed on lap 135, Park ran door to door with Gordon trying to get back on the lead lap. Jarrett came down on the inside, going 3-wide until he could move around them both. Park slipped in behind Gordon, and soon after both Jeff Burton and Tony Stewart passed him. On the following lap, Dallenbach dropped Steve to 22nd, and Geoffrey Bodine took another position on the next lap. The yellow flag came out on lap 140 for debris, and Steve restarted in 22nd after Dallenbach made a pit stop.

      After 6 laps of green flag racing the race was once again under yellow, when a mutli-car incident sent Dick Trickle into the outside wall. Because Steve was not on the lead lap, he moved on past the spinning cars instead of getting caught up behind them. He was too many positions behind the leaders to have any chance of getting back on the lead lap.

      Steve held his position after the restart on lap 153. Many drivers made short pit stops during the caution, restarting the race in front of the race leaders. The scramble made for some very tight racing, with Steve in the midst of 3-wide racing. By lap 156 he fell to 27th place, and when the final caution came out on lap 163 he was in 29th.

      Stewart dropped to the apron of the track when Jeff Burton did not see Stewart approaching to the left. Stewart moved back up onto the track, making contact with Burton. Burton could not regain control of his car, and ended up crashing in the outside wall. With just over 40 laps remaining after the restart, every driver had enough fuel to make it through the race.

      Racing got dicey on the restart, as cars went 5-wide through the straight-aways. Clean racing prevailed, and Steve was able to move forward through the field. He was in 23rd by lap 169, but dropped a position just 3 laps later. Park moved past teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr on lap 177 to move back into 23rd.

      Park did not move up through the field again until late in the race. With just 10 laps to go he gained one position, gaining another just 5 laps later. He was able to pull a top-20 finish out in the end. This weekend's finish breaks the team's streak of top-15 finishes, but moves Steve up another position in the point standings. Steve is currently tied with Johnny Benson for 23rd in the point standings heading into next weekend's race.

      This was not the way anyone on the team hoped to celebrate Steve's birthday on Monday. Despite dropping 8 positions, Steve held on with a car he couldn't get to perform. Saturday night racing returns next weekend as NASCAR heads to Bristol Motor Speedway. Bring your Goody's Headache Powder -- there's bound to be a lot of rubbing and bumping -- the hallmark of short track racing!

      Racing under the lights as Bristol is always exciting, even if this is one of the most taxing racetracks on the schedule. The pressure is on to not only qualify in the first round, but to be on of the top-21 drivers who will use the front stretch pits. Steve struggled to find speed in practice. His fastest of 8 laps was clocked at 15.669 (122.458 mph), which was 2 miles per hour slower than the fastest car.

      In the first of two laps Steve turned a lap of 15.629 (122.772 mph). His second lap was a bit slower, being clocked at 15.741 (121.898 mph). The time was fast enough to put Steve into 17th, but the time continued to drop throughout the qualifying session. Once all 45 drivers made their run, Park's time fell to 34th.

      Steve stood on his time on Saturday, electing to use the time to prepare for the race. In the morning practice session Park had the 34th fastest time at 16.347 (117.379 mph). Second round qualifying was held following the morning practice session, and fortunately no driver qualified faster than Steve's time.

      Speed continued to elude the team during Happy Hour. Of the 74 laps Steve ran, his fastest lap was clocked at 16.432 (116.772 mph). It was only the 35th fastest time of the session. It will be a long climb up from his 34th starting position Saturday night. Pitting on the backstretch will be a disadvantage, but if Park stays out of trouble this could still be a good race for the team.

      It was a big night for Dale Earnhardt, but not a good one for the DEI team. Earnhardt won his 2nd race of the season after a controversial incident on the final lap. It appeared early on that Park would come home with a great finish, but on lap 299 he was caught in one of Bristol's trademark crashes.

      Steve's poor starting position left him with the challenge of moving forward while pitting on the back stretch. Park began his climb by picking up a position on each of the first two laps. An early caution on lap 3 pushed him up yet another position into 31st.

      Bobby Hamilton passed Steve on lap 29, but Park continued his forward assent though the field. By lap 33 he was again in 31st, having passed Kyle Petty. Just 5 laps later, he passed Kevin Lepage, breaking into the top-30. Park found the speed he had been looking for all weekend.

      By lap 70, Park broke into the top-25. On lap 79 the yellow flag flew for the 2nd time after Series leader Dale Jarrett spun out, collecting other drivers. Steve had to drive down on the apron to avoid being collected, making only slight contact on the right front of the car. The scramble pushed Steve up to 19th before making his first pit stop. Pitting on the backstretch may be a disadvantage, but the Pennzoil team returned Park to the track in 15th place.

      The third caution came out just 15 laps after the restart on lap 85. Jerry Nadeau came up to quickly on an already damaged Jarrett, sending Jarrett spinning once again. NASCAR penalized Nadeau 2 laps for the incident, but Jarrett was forced behind the wall, loosing valuable positions on the track. Steve held onto his position, as none of the leaders made pit stops under the caution.

      Racing resumed on lap 105, and just 4 laps later Park moved around Brett Bodine to move up to 14th. Steve drove in a tight pack of equally competitive cars, moving up and down for the next 30 laps. He finally broke free of traffic and was able to pass Michael Waltrip on lap 132. Five laps later, he passed Terry Labonte, then passed Jimmy Spencer by lap 140. Steve was just 2 seconds behind Geoffrey Bodine, pushing to break the top-10.

      On lap 151 the yellow flag flew after Steve Grissom crashed. Another good pit stop allowed Park to return to the track in 15th after pitting during the caution. Although he lost one position on the restart on lap 160, Steve quickly moved back into the top-15. He held the position through lap 205 before moving up to 14th.

      Steve briefly moved into 13th place after passing Michael Waltrip on lap 209. Waltrip continually pursued Park, making several unsuccessful attempts to pass him on the outside. By lap 220 Waltrip regained the position, pushing Steve back to 14th again. He held the position thorough the half way point, and the 5th caution that came out on lap 251.

      The crew once again beat the odds, helping Steve gain positions while pitting on the backstretch. Park restarted the race in 12th on lap 256. Just 4 laps later the race was under caution for the 6th time. Close racing between Kyle Petty, Hut Stricklin, and Johnny Benson sent Stricklin into the outside wall at the stripe. Benson spun out heading into the entrance to turn 1, eventually crashing as well. Steve was still in 12th when racing resumed.

      Both Park and Jimmy Spencer passed Brett Bodine within the first couple of laps after the restart. Rusty Wallace dropped back through the pack, suffering from a flat tire. Rusty's misfortune pushed Steve into the top-10 for the first time. Steve held the positions through lap 289, when Terry Labonte made the pass around him.

      Caution was out again on lap 192, when Chad little made contact with Jeremy Mayfield. Mayfield crashed into the wall, collecting Bill Elliott and Kenny Irwin. No sooner did racing resume, than a multi-car incident brought out the yellow flag again. Park had narrowly missed other incidents throughout the evening, but was unable to escape this time. Steve bumped into the back of Michael Waltrip, destroying his radiator. The crew replaced the radiator, and made repairs to the sheet metal.

      When Steve returned to the track 19 laps later, he was down to 33rd. His position was locked in -- 4 laps behind Jeremy Mayfield, and 29 laps ahead of Johnny Benson. Damage to Michael Waltrip's car took him out of the race several laps later, eventually pushing Park up another position. Mayfield's car required further repairs during the race, pushing Steve within a lap by lap 370. The only excitement going on in the #1 pits was watching boss Dale Earnhardt lead the race.

      The 9th caution came out on lap 411, due to a flat right front tire for Dave Marcus. Everyone pitted under the caution, although Park had no means to move up this time. Earnhardt, who was also pitting on the backstretch, lost his lead by having to pit under caution.

      With 50 laps remaining, Mayfield and Park were on the same lap, giving Steve the hope to gain another position. Steve remained in 32nd until the 10th and final caution came out on lap 494 after Mayfield crashed into the inside wall. The crash gave Steve a 31st place finish, but also set up the mayhem that the 1999 Goody's Headache Powder 500 will be known for.

Race leader Terry Labonte slowed down for the yellow flag after Mayfield's crash. Darrell Waltrip bumped into the back of Labonte, spinning him around, and out of the lead. Earnhardt inherited the lead, followed by Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. Labonte made a 4-tire pit stop, hoping to pick up the lost positions. Jimmy Spencer, Mark Martin, and Ricky Rudd made 2-tire stops in hopes of improving their positions as well.

      Racing resumed with just 5 laps to go. Labonte's fresher tires gave him the speed to quickly move up through the field, and back into the lead as the white flag flew. Earnhardt made contact with Terry while trying to regain the lead, and once again Labonte was spinning around. Earnhardt made it past Labonte with minimal damage, but many other cars were collected up behind him. Jimmy Spencer was able to avoid Labonte, moving into 2nd place. Rudd crashed hard into Labonte, but was able to limp across the stripe in 3rd place. Gordon was shuffled down to a 4th place finish, followed by Stewart who also received heavy damage on the final lap.

      The biggest story of the evening, other than the final lap incident, was the misfortune of series leader Dale Jarrett. He finished the race 162 laps down, loosing nearly 100 points in the standings. Steve remains in 24th place in the point standings, despite his poor finish. He is just 29 points behind Kenny Wallace, but still over 100 points from breaking the top-20.

      Next week will see the return to Darlington Raceway, where rain shortened the race earlier in the year. At just over a mile in length, it is the largest track they will see for over a month. Racing will be tight, and without another break for 2 months tempers are bound to flare up during that time. September is bound to be an exciting month of racing.