NAPA Autocare 500 UAW-GM Quality 500 Winston 500 Rockingham 400

October 1 - 3, 1999

      Racing at Martinsville always means extra work setting up the car. Handling is paramount, as are brakes and gears that can get you through 500 laps around these tight turns. Steve has not finished well at this track in the past. However, the confidence this team has running in the top-10 for the second half of the season will make a big difference.

      In the practice session held Friday morning, Park ran the 32nd fastest time. The lap clocked in at 20.226 (93.622 mph). Steve was less than 3/10 of a second slower than the fastest car in practice. Unfortunately Steve crashed during the session, after the car spun around in turn 1. There was just enough damage to the back end that they decided to bring out the backup car.

      Park was scheduled to qualify 10th, however he was the 27 driver to take to the track. Nascar allowed them extra time to prepare the backup car. On his first lap, Steve ran a time of 20.259 (93.470 mph). He picked it up on the second lap, running a time of 20.129 (94.073 mph). It was fast enough to put him into 13th place -- bumping owner Dale Earnhardt from the bubble at the same time.

      Little by little Steve's time dropped down the list, hitting the bubble with just 2 drivers left to qualify. Jimmy Spencer ran slower than Park, however Robert Pressley ran fast enough to drop Park to 26th. Steve missed making 1st round qualifying by 5/1000 of a second!!!

      The team will most likely stand on their time. They may drop some positions, but shouldn't fall far enough to need a provisional. If they do, now that Steve is in the top-20 in the standings, it won't count against them.

      On Saturday the team continued to work on the car. During the practice session held in the morning Steve turned the 38th fastest lap with a time of 20.465 (92.528 mph). They stood on their qualifying time from Friday, and remained in the 26th starting position.

      During the afternoon Happy Hour session the focus was on preparing the car. Steve ran a total of 60 laps, the fastest of which was clocked at 20.689 (91.526 mph). It was the 38th fastest of the session, just over a mile per hour slower than the fastest time.

      Even though Park starts from the outside of row 13, often times surviving at Martinsville can equal a top finishing position. When they raced here in the spring, John Andretti went on to victory lane after starting 21st. More impressive was the fact he went a lap down early in the race. Steve may not be in position to break through with his first win, but another top-10 finish is still possible!


      Crashing during Friday morning practice could have served as an omen for this weekend. Instead the entire team worked quickly to put together their backup car in time for qualifying. Earning a 26th starting position spoke volumes for the team, but meant a lot of work to get Steve a top finish.

      Early in the race Steve struggled to drive his car as fast as his competitors. Park dropped a position after just 3 laps to Bobby Hamilton. He held the 27th position until Bobby Labonte and Dale Earnhardt moved around Steve after lap 20. The first caution came out on lap 30 when Kenny Irwin spun out after being tapped by Tony Stewart -- directly behind Park.

      The shuffling of cars moved him up to 26th, but Andrews made the call to bring him in to pit during the caution. Despite dropping to 35th, the team hoped fresher tires and a longer fuel window would make up for the lost positions.

      Park started to move forward after the restart on lap 35. He picked off 3 positions within the first 15 laps, and 2 more over the next 10. His upward climb slowed from there, as it took him almost 20 laps to reach 27th. From that point on, the significant difference in tire wear played in Park's favor. When the first round of pit stops began under green around lap 110, Park was in 24th.

      Many of the leaders had made their stop when the yellow flag came out on lap 133. The yellow flag flew for the 2nd time after another incident between Stewart and Irwin sent Irwin spinning again. Park had still not come down pit road, and was sitting in 11th place. Most of the drivers who had already pitted went a lap down, and a good pit stop put Steve back onto the track in 8th place.

      Speed still eluded the Pennzoil Monte Carlo, and 20 laps after the restart on lap 156 Hut Stricklin dropped Steve to 9th. He started driving a higher line around the track, as it was obvious he was fighting an ill handling car. Between laps 180 and 190 Park fell from 9th to 14th. On lap 201 Steve dropped another position into 15th, where he remained for over 70 laps. While Park held his position, he unfortunately lost the battle to stay on the lead lap.

      Steve moved forward again by passing Johnny Benson on lap 275. Two laps later Steve moved up to 13th place. Meanwhile, some of the drivers started to make their next pit stops. The fourth caution came out on lap 291 after Rich Bickle made contact with Stewart, and Bobby Hamilton was collected by Bickle's spinning car. John Andretti didn't have enough time to slow his car as he came around the turn, and crashed hard into Hamilton. After winning here in the spring, and running with the leaders this time, Andretti's day was over.

      Park came off pit road in 10th during the caution, but Rusty Wallace passed Steve on the restart at lap 312. He ran in 11th place for 44 laps before Hut Stricklin passed Steve. Park was the last car 1 lap down.

      The 5th caution came out on lap 374 because Nascar threw the yellow flag to allow an ambulance to take one of the track officials hurt during the previous caution to the hospital. After pitting under the caution, Park returned to the track in 11th place. Racing resumed on lap 384, but caution was out again just 20 laps later to allow the ambulance to leave the track. Steve made a 2-tire pit stop under the yellow, remaining in 11th for the restart on lap 412.

      Steve had no time to advance as the yellow was brought out 6 laps later due to a multi-car incident. Shortly racing resumed on lap 425, Steve dropped a position to Jeff Burton. Stricklin made it past Park 3 laps later, leaving Steve the last car 1 lap down again. Stricklin and Park swapped positions over the next 25 laps, with Stricklin holding the advantage.

      On lap 473 Chad Little and Ricky Craven made contact in front of the leader. Everyone made it past the cars, and Park remained in 13th during the 8th and final caution. It looked as though he would finish in that position, however Stricklin spun out with 2 laps to go. Stricklin's misfortune led to a 12th place finish for Steve. Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon went on to win his 6th race of the season -- in his first race with new crew chief Brian Whitesell.

      This is the 4th consecutive top-15 finish for the Pennzoil team, and their 8th in the last 10 races. Park pulled up 2 positions in the standing, now sitting in 18th. He remains 35 points behind Jimmy Spencer in 17th, and 77 points from Wally Dallenbach in 16th. Just 10 races ago Steve was in 34th place.

      Next weekend is the return to Charlotte where Steve led 84 laps in May. The team wants to repeat the performance of the early part of the race, while reversing the outcome. Qualifying will be held on Wednesday and Thursday nights, so be sure to check back early to see where Steve qualifies.

October 6 - 10, 1999

     The entire Pennzoil team has eagerly awaited their return to Lowe's Motor Speedway. In May Steve led a career high 84 laps before a hard crash took him out of the race. They return to Charlotte with the same car, and a new sense of confidence. In the second half of the season Steve is 9th for points earned!

      Racing got off the an early start, as Winston Cup has Friday off. The first practice session was held in the late afternoon on Wednesday. Steve ran the 6th fastest time, clocking his best lap at 29.454 (183.336 mph). The car looked as good as it was when Park qualified 5th here in the spring.

      Qualifying was run Wednesday evening, beginning at sunset. Steve drew an early qualifying start and was the 9th driver to take to the track. His time of 29.444 (183.399 mph) was quick enough to put him in 4th place.

      Afterwards the enthusiasm could be heard in Park's voice, as he gave a "hats off" to the entire crew. They did a great job putting the #1 Monte Carlo back together, and gave him the same quality equipment that has earned 4 straight top-15 finishes. Steve sounded pleased with his qualifying run, adding that the car will run well during the race.

      Making an early qualifying run always wreaks havoc on the nerves -- for both the team and the fans. Steve's time was fast enough to earn him a 14th place starting position. He will start the UAW/GM Quality 500 close enough to get to the front before too long!


      The long awaited return to Charlotte had to wait for Mother Nature. Once again rain fell over the Winston Cup event -- this time postponing the race until Monday morning. The teams waited around Sunday until just after 3 pm ET for the decision to be made. Nascar concluded that there was not enough time to dry the track and run a complete race even if the rain had stopped at that moment. Speedway crews and Highway Patrol had been on duty since 7 am, as well as many crew members. The safety of the drivers was more important than rushing to get the race in on Sunday.

      Under sunny skies the UAW/GM got started at 10 am ET. Steve dropped back after the drop of the green flag, but by lap 10 he was up to 12th place. The raced slowed with the first caution early when Matt Kenseth spun out. The leaders made pit stops under the yellow flag, and Park restarted the race in 16th place.

      The Pennzoil Monte Carlo was a rocket ship, and by lap 42 Steve climbed to the top-10. He continued to push forward, passing Jeff Gordon for 9th place 6 laps later. He moved into 8th place 3 laps later when Tony Stewart dropped off the pace.

      Steve's car slowed down after that, but he was still running near the speeds of the leaders. He dropped back down to 10th place when the leaders began making pit stops around lap 85. Once the leaders completed their stops, Steve remained in 10th place.

      Park held his position for the next 40 laps before Ward Burton caught and passed him. The two swapped positions over the next few laps, with Burton holding the eventual advantage. Steve moved back into the top-10 by lap 140 when John Andretti dropped off the pace.

      The next round of pit stops began around lap 150, and once the leaders were done Park was in 9th place. Race leader Bobby Labonte was setting a fast pace, dropping lead lap cars like flies. Steve held on strong once Labonte put 10th place Dale Earnhardt down a lap. The yellow flag flew 14 laps later on lap 198 when Jeff Burton spun out and crashed into the outside wall. Although Park was holding Labonte off, the long awaited 2nd caution allowed Park to move back around the track. Steve remained in 9th place, the last car on the lead lap, after his pit stop.

      Shortly after the restart o lap 203, Steve moved into 8th place after Mark Martin dropped back. Five laps later, Martin moved around Park as the two passed series leader Dale Jarrett. Steve followed behind Martin, and the two passed Rusty Wallace by lap 224. Steve remained in 7th place, but lost ground on Martin. On lap 258 Dale Jarrett moved around Park to take over the position.

      The leaders made their final stops beginning at lap 267. Park climbed as high as 2nd before dropping down pit lane, unable to safely stay out to lead a lap. He returned to the track in 6th place, with all of the stops completed by the leaders. Steve's speeds were the best they had been all afternoon. Although Mayfield came within two tenths of a second by lap 278, Park looked poised to hold him off.

      Within the next two laps Park's speeds took a nose dive. His speed for lap 280 was nearly 20 miles per hour behind the leader, and Steve was once again the last car on the lead lap. He struggled to pick up speed, still nearly 6 mph slower 3 laps later. By lap 290 he was only a couple of mph slower, but he had lost a lot of ground. Within the next 10 laps Bobby Labonte put Steve down a lap.

      Park was never able to regain the fast speeds he had run earlier in the race. After dropping off of the lead lap, Kevin Lepage was able to catch and pass him with just 5 laps to go. Steve managed to hold the position for the remaining laps, earning another impressive top-10 finish.

      Steve accomplished exactly what he needed to in his pursuit to his first win by running the entire race with the leaders. He may not have finished the race on the lead lap, but only 7 drivers were able to accomplish that feat. Steve's first win is well within his sights now.

      When the DEI team came to Charlotte 5 months ago, Steve sat in 34th place in the point standings. After the UAW/GM Quality 500 he is now in 17th place. No one has gained more positions this season. He is now just 9 points behind Wally Dallenbach for 16th, and merely 42 points away from breaking into the top-15. His seat at the Waldorf is looking better every week.

      Next weekend may serve as the greatest challenge for the team for the remainder of the 1999 season. The final No Bull 5 event of the season will be held at Talladega Superspeedway. Steve has run well there in the past, but at the largest and fastest track on the circuit luck is the biggest key to success. Single car accidents are but a dream, and for 500 miles every driver holds their breath waiting for "the big one". Join us for the Winston 500, with exclusive coverage from the track.

FULL STORY at steve-park.com

October 15 - 17, 1999

      In what can only be described as the greatest moment of my life, I spent the weekend at Talladega Superspeedway with my first garage pass. I gave up my usual full-blown reporting, but please check out our full coverage at The Winston 500 race coverage page at steve-park.com.

      Be sure to check out the WINSTON 500 PHOTO/VIDEO ALBUM - made possible by yours truly. I will put up some more of the pictures I shot at Talladega when I get them back! I also made all the arrangements to bring streaming video to Steve's site for the first time ever.

      Steve struggled in qualifying, settling for a 35th place starting position. However, he made up for it come race day. He raced his way up to 3rd place early in the race, climbing as high as 2nd for a brief time. Steve raced with the leaders all day, and showed just how strong this Pennzoil team is.

      When racing resumed after the 3rd and final caution, Steve was in 7th place. He raced his way up to 4th place and it looked like he was going to get his first top-5 finish. The Talladega do-di-do took its toll in the final stages of the race. Park had to settle for a 14th place finish.

      This was the first Talladega race the team has been running in at the conclusion of the race, and they did it in grand style. Steve drove up beside boss Dale Earnhardt to congratulate his 74th win just after the checkered flag flew. His impressive run earned him another position in the point standings -- now just 23 points behind Sterling Marlin to break into the top-15. In addition, Steve has finished in the top-15 in 6 out of the last 7 races.

October 22 - 24, 1999

      The Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 will be held Sunday October 24 at 12:30pm. First round qualifying is set to begin Friday at 2pm ET.

      Fresh of their spectacular run at Talladega, the Pennzoil team headed to "The Rock". This is the final race in a 3-month, non-stop schedule that has everyone exhausted. Next weekend's break in the action couldn't come at a better time.

      In the first practice session held Friday morning, Steve had the 34th fastest time. His best lap clocked at 23.891 (153.245 mph). In the 2nd session Park ran a fast time of 23.830 (153.638 mph). Of the 9 laps he ran, his best was the 31st fastest overall.

      Park's qualifying draw put him on the track 28th of the 47 drivers entered into the event. His lap time of 23.708 (154.429 mph) was 22nd fastest at the time. Four drivers later Steve was out of the top-25. When the session concluded, his time dropped to 38th overall.

      Saturday is a big day for Park, so it will be a carefully calculated decision whether to run in 2nd round qualifying or not. The session begins at 9:30 am ET, and Steve has a news conference scheduled to begin at 10 am to discuss his plans for the 2000 season.

      The team got off to a better start on Saturday. In the morning practice session Steve ran the 26th fastest time with a 24.530 (149.253 mph) lap time. Park stood on his qualifying time, taking a provisional and starting 39th. Happy Hour was held after the conclusion of the Busch Grand National race, and Park's times were nearly identical. His fastest lap time of 24.529 (149.260 mph) was 20th fastest of the session.

      Earlier on Saturday Steve Park held a news conference to discuss his plans for the 2000 season. In addition to a full-time Winston Cup schedule, he will run 15 races for Marsh Racing in the Busch Grand National division. Click here for more details       From the early stages of the race, Park's #1 Monte Carlo ran strong. Starting from a provisional in 39th place, he had a long way to go to find the front. Steve picked up 2 positions by lap 8 and 4 more positions 5 laps later. From there Park hooked up with Dale Earnhardt and the two moved toward the front.

      By lap 40 Park climbed to 20th place, and he made the pass around Earnhardt. Although the two still ran next to each other, now it was the student following the teacher. Within the next 30 laps Steve reached the top-15 for the first time. His car was consistently one of the fastest cars on the track, and was the fastest for lap 67. Steve continued his forward drive through the pack.

      The first round of pit stops began under green with Park coming down pit road on lap 81. He had climbed as high as 10th place upon entering pit road, but once the leaders cycled through he fell to 13th. Steve found himself back in the top-10 by lap 119 and as high as 9th just 15 laps later.

      The field stretched out under green flag conditions, leaving only 13 cars on the lead lap when the 2nd round of pit stops began. Park entered the pits in 10th place, but fell to 11th when all the leaders cycled through. He briefly rose to 10th place, but his speeds were not as fast as earlier in the race. When the first caution finally came out on lap 180, Park had dropped to 12th place -- the last car on the lead lap.

      Park struggled to gain positions after the restart, briefly climbing as high as 10th. He remained on the lead lap through the 3rd round of pit stops, running in 11th place when the stops concluded at lap 264. As the field continued to stretch out, Park eventually fell prey to the leaders and was lapped on lap 282. Just 18 laps later the 2nd caution came out, just a little too late for Steve.

      Steve restarted the race in 12th place, and marinated the position through the 3rd caution on lap 321. Everyone pitted again under the yellow, and Park lost a position on pit road. After the restart his speeds were clearly slower than earlier, and he found himself backsliding though the field. He dropped as far as 16th when Terry Labonte passed him on lap 372.

      In the final laps of the race, Park fought to remain just one lap down. With race leader Jeff Burton on his tail, Steve skillfully held him off. On the final lap Park passed Kenny Wallace to earn his 6th consecutive top-15 finish. He remains in 16th place in the point standings.

Full report at steve-park.com