November 5 - 7, 1999

After a well-deserved week off, Winston Cup returns to racing this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. Steve is in the top-10 for points in the second half of the season, and wants to keep it that way through the remainder of the season. Park ran here in both Winston Cup and the Craftsman Truck series in 1997, as well as the rain shortened race last year.

Park started strong in the practice session held here on Friday morning. He ran a total of 9 laps - the fastest of which clocked in at 27.544 (130.699 mph). That time was the 14th quickest time of the session. He ran faster in the second session, turning a best time of 27.466 (131.071 mph).

Qualifying ran Friday afternoon, and Steve was the 20th driver to take to the track. His lap time of 27.506 (130.881 mph) was 11th fastest of the drivers who had posted a time. Park had to wait while the remaining 24 drivers posted their times to see how far his position would fall. The 43rd driver to run, Jeff Gordon, put Steve on the bubble, and the final driver, Brett Bodine, dropped him out of the top-25.

With only 44 drivers entered into the event, there was absolutely no reason for Steve to make another run on Saturday. His 26th starting position held, and Steve will roll of Sunday from the outside of row 13. Sterling Marlin, who holds a mere 47 point lead in the standings, starts alongside Park.

The teams efforts to prepare the car for the race didn't show as strong in the first practice session on Saturday. Steve's best time was only 39th fastest, clocking in at 28.370 (126.894 mph). All their hard work showed in Happy Hour though. Park ran a total of 48 laps, the fastest of which was timed at 28.185 (127.727 mph). It was the 18th fastest lap of the session, and the best Steve ran all weekend.

Prior to the Checker Auto Parts Dura-Lube 500 Steve had 6 consecutive top-15s. Heading into the race the team's hopes were high to continue their streak. After qualifying 26th they knew the goal was in their sights and a top-10 was not out of reach.

Steve started his upward climb from the drop of the green flag, just as he'd done the last several weeks. The first diver he passed was Sterling Marlin who started alongside Park. Two laps later he moved around David Green, followed by Rick Mast just two laps after that. Steve held 23rd place for 5 laps before putting Todd Bodine in his rear view mirror, then doing the same to Brett Bodine on lap 15. Bobby Hamilton and Jimmy Spencer suffered the same fate on laps 21 and 23 respectively.

After picking up 7 positions in such a short time, Park's forward climb slowed. It took until lap 34 for Steve to complete the pass around Mike Skinner to move up to 18th place. Twenty laps later Steve passed Johnny Benson, and was 1.3 seconds behind Wally Dallenbach. It only took a few laps to eliminate the distance, and when Steve passed Dallenbach on lap 61 he had picked off a total of 10 spots.

Park moved into the top-15 for the first time on lap 75, and was right behind Kenny Wallace. It took 5 laps to make the move around Kenny, and 7 more laps to do the same to Rusty Wallace. Park was riding high on his climb through the pack when the first of the leaders began making pit stops around lap 90. A couple of the leaders ran out of gas, forcing pit stops earlier than originally planned.

The strength of DEI's fuel mileage kept Steve on the track where he inherited the lead on lap 92. He only accumulated one more lap-led to his season record, but it was enough to earn 5 bonus points. (Park was the only Chevrolet driver to lead a lap the entire race.) After pitting Steve dropped to 17th place, where he remained when the first caution came out on lap 120. The yellow flag flew when Brett Bodine brushed the outside wall after having his right front tire go flat.

The leaders pitted under the yellow in the usual fashion. Upon exiting pit road Geoffrey Bodine made contact with Rusty Wallace, this in turn sent Wallace into Steve's car. Park spun completely around, but got the car pointed in the right direction and continued on. Bodine and Wallace made pit stops the next time around followed by Park on the next lap. "Go on it looks like it is only sheet metal so pull it away from the fender and lets send him back out," said crew chief Paul Andrews when Park returned to the pits. The Pennzoil car suffered only insignificant damage on the right side, but the need to pit in order to asses the damage dropped Steve to 25th on the restart.

Steve moved up to 24th by passing Rusty on the restart, and on the following lap he moved around David Green once again. Park was forced to make his way around the same cars he had passed before the incident. Skinner was Steve's next victim, falling back on lap 135. Two laps later Geoffrey Bodine watched the Pennzoil Monte Carlo over-take him as well.

Park struggled for several laps to catch and pass Kenny Irwin, but successfully completed the task by lap 154 that put him in 19th place. Sterling Marlin was 1.6 seconds ahead of Steve when he passed Irwin, but on lap 159 Steve moved up to 18th. Again, the next car was over a second ahead of him as he passed Marlin. Steve chipped away at the distance between he and Kenny Wallace, but it wasn't until lap 173 when Wallace dropped 4 positions that Park moved into 17th place.

Three laps later Steve passed Joe Nemechek, and set his sites on Ward Burton who was a second and a half ahead of him. On lap 180 Sterling Marlin ran over debris on the track, and smoke started billowing from the back of his Chevrolet. The yellow flag flew on lap 181, delaying Park's attempt to move into the top-15 again.

The pit stop made under the yellow flag put Park back onto the track in 21st place. Yet again he was forced to work his way through traffic if he was going to achieve another top-15 finish. Racing resumed on lap 188, and it took 8 laps for Park to complete the pass around Kenny Wallace to move into the top-20. Nine laps later Steve passed Nemechek once again, as Nemecheck fell 3 positions. Steve pursued Kenny Schrader for 18th, finally gaining the position on lap 217.

Steve remained in 18th for quite some time, while he struggled to find enough speed to make the move around David Green again. Green flag pit stops began as early as lap 250, but were spread out over several laps. By virtue of pit stops Steve briefly returned to the top-15. He made his stop on lap 269, returning to the track in 18th. Race leader Tony Stewart quickly approached as Park drove past Schrader on lap 274. Try as he might, Steve was unable to hold Stewart off long, and found himself being lapped on lap 280.

Meanwhile, the remaining drivers completed their pit stops, and Park found himself in the top-15 again. He made the move around Hamilton on lap 281 to lock in 14th place. Stewart continued his hard run, and by lap 294 only 11 drivers remained on the lead lap. As hard as Steve tried to move forward, in the end Schrader was able to get around Park to drop him to 15th place by lap 300.

Park held his positions, and for the seventh week in a row the Pennzoil team earned a top-15 finish. Park moved up 11 places in a race with several setbacks. Stewart went on to win the race, and tie the rookie record set by the legendary Davey Allison. They are now the only two rookie drivers in Nascar history to win 2 races in their rookie year.

Marlin's misfortunes allowed Park to move into the top-15 in the Winston Cup standings for the first time in his career. With just 2 races remaining, Steve still has the opportunity to move forward in the point standings. He is just 54 points behind Ken Schrader, and 101 points behind Bobby Hamilton. It will be a stretch to pull up to 13th, but it ain't over until it's over. The top-10 has been mathematically predetermined, with just the order in which they take to the stage left to be set. Series leader Dale Jarrett needs to finish a mere 8th next weekend to clinch the 1999 Championship. As long as Jarrett finishes in the top 19 next weekend, all he has to do is take the green flag in Atlanta in the series finale to sit at the head table at the Waldorf Astoria.

Next weekend is the inaugural Pennzoil 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Steve will be running double-duty as he debuts his Busch Grand National ride for 2000 in the HotWheels.com 300. Park ran at Homestead in 1997 while still in the Busch series so he is already familiar with the track. His limited BGN run next year is designed to give him more track time. Next week is just the beginning. In addition, Park will run a special paint scheme - the Shark paint job revealed here first last month.

November 12 - 14, 1999

Although Nascar has already run at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the Busch Grand National division, this weekend's Pennzoil 400 marks the only inaugural event of the 1999 Winston Cup season. Steve will be working overtime as he makes his debut in his 2000 BGN #31 Whelen car. Two years ago Steve ran at this track in his final race in the #3 AC Delco Monte Carlo. Last year's visit to the track was a lot harder on Park, as he crashed during the practice session and spent the night in the hospital for observation. He was released with a clean bill of health, and the desire to return in 1999.

Now that chance is here, and Steve couldn't be more excited. The team has been running strong; showing their consistency with 7 consecutive top-15 finishes. With Pennzoil sponsoring the race, there's no better time to shine. Expect to see a lot of enthusiasm and success from this young team.

Their first chance to take to the track came on Thursday. Nascar mandated an extra practice session to give teams extra time to adjust to the new track. During the 5 hours allotted, Park ran a total of 51 laps. His best lap clocked in at 35.656 (151.447 mph) and was the 29th fastest of the 48 drivers in the event.

Friday the team had two practice sessions prior to Bud Pole Qualifying, scheduled to begin at 3:30 pm ET. Park ran fast in the first session, turning the 11th fastest lap with a time of 35.305 (152.952 mph). Although his time was just 1/100th of a second slower in the second session, it was only 22nd fastest.

After two Winston Cup and 2 Busch practice session, Busch qualifying was held. Steve crashed during his attempt and was unable to make the race on speed. His return to Busch racing will have to wait for the next year. Park was the 56th of 63 drivers to make his run during Busch qualifying, and had to prepare quickly to make his Winston Cup run.

Steve was the 17th driver to post a qualifying effort, turning a quick lap of 35.294 (153.001 mph). His time was 6th fastest overall, but with 31 drivers remaining it was bound to fall. Speeds started to pick up as qualifying went on, but not enough to knock Steve from the top-25. For the first time in a month, he made the field on the first day. Park will start the Pennzoil 400 in 22nd -- on the outside of row 11.

The team put the finishing touches on the race setup on Saturday. In the morning practice session Park ran the 34th fastest lap with a time of 36.523 (147.852 mph). Several drivers were still running in qualifying trim, therefore the rankings did not reflect accurately. Steve had a disappointing wait before Happy Hour, wishing he had made the field for the Busch race. In Happy Hour, he ran a total of 38 laps, turning the quickest times early in the session. His fastest lap of 36.463 (148.095 mph) was 28th quickest.

Steve Park went into this weekend knowing it was going to be a long one - planning to run in both the Busch race and the Winston Cup race. Park failed to qualify for the HotWheels.com 300 after crashing while coming through turn 4. With his planned return to BGN on hold until 2000, the entire focus for the weekend went on to Winston Cup.

After making the field on the first day of qualifying, the team looked to be in good position for another strong finish. With a special paint scheme, and a race sponsored by Pennzoil, the team had even more incentive to shine under the Florida sun.

Steve started the Pennzoil 400 much as he has started the last several races. He moved up through the field shortly after the drop of the green flag, climbing to 19th within 4 laps. Unfortunately, the car was not dialed in as well this weekend, evident shortly after as Steve's position started to shuffle downward. By lap 10 he fell to 23rd, and just 4 laps later Robert Pressley dropped him to 24th.

Park slowly gained on Pressley, but Todd Bodine took the position away from Steve on lap 22. Sterling Marlin moved past him on the following lap, and Steve was down to 26th. The report from pit road was that the Pennzoil Monte Carlo was a tick loose. Steve did his best to keep control over the car, but Kenny Irwin dropped him to 27th on lap 41. He continued to lose ground to Irwin, and eight laps later Elliott Sadler passed Steve as well.

Racing with a loose condition, Park did all he could to hold tight until the pit window opened. The first stop made by the leaders came on lap 56, with Park holding out until lap 61. Once the first round of pit stops cycled through by lap 67, Steve had moved up to 24th place. While holding his position, Steve found himself in danger of going down a lap early in the race. His "shark" car was no match for race leader Bobby Labonte, and on lap 77, Labonte lapped Park.

Steve held his position until the first of the lead lap drivers made his pit stop. Jeremy Mayfield came in on lap 109, but Nascar caught Mayfield speeding and assessed a stop-and-go penalty that lost him a lap. Mayfield's misfortune moved Park into 23rd on lap 111. The leaders began pitting 10 laps later, but Park stayed on the track. The Pennzoil crew turned a fast pit stop for Steve on lap 127 that pushed him up to 21st once everyone completed their second stop.

Steve's car performed better than it had all race long and he found himself moving forward through the pack. On lap 142, Park moved back into the top-20 by passing Wally Dallenbach. Labonte's blistering pace left just 13 cars remaining on the lead lap shortly after. Steve's lap speeds were good compared to those he was racing for position. By lap 155, he moved past Joe Nemechek and into 19th place. Lap traffic slowed Steve's move toward the front of the grid.

With only 12 cars remaining on the lead lap by lap 169, Park had the potential to continue his streak of top-15 finishes. He gained positions by virtue of early pit stops, and sat in 15th place when Michael Waltrip brushed the outside wall on lap 184. Dejection was felt by the drivers who had not made their stops yet when Waltrip made it to pit road under his own power, and the yellow flag did not come out.

However, on the following lap something broke in Ricky Rudd's engine. The yellow flag flew for the first time before Rudd could exit the track. The yellow fever Steve suffered from at the beginning of the season seemed cured. Park had been in jeopardy of slipping in the point standings, as John Andretti was running in the top-5 all day. He made his pit stop prior to the yellow flag, and therefore was now a lap down along with Park.

Everyone made pit stops during the caution, including Andretti who made another stop with the cars 1-lap down. Park entered pit road in 15th place, two spots behind Jeff Gordon, but another good pit stop put him out in front of Gordon. One of Andretti's crewmembers lost control of a tire during the stop; consequently, Andretti was penalized with a stop-and-go penalty that put him behind Steve on the track. Only 8 drivers remained on the lead lap due to the shuffle.

Gordon moved past Park on the restart at lap 190, and Steve slipped to 17th by lap 191. Once Steve's tires warmed up, he moved back into the top-15 three laps later. He continued forward by passing Sadler on lap 200. Park's lap speeds dropped off just enough to allow Chad Little the opportunity to move past him 8 laps later, leaving Steve in 15th. The following lap, both Andretti and Geoffrey Bodine made the move around Park.

The pit stops made under the caution came too far from the end of the race for any of the cars to make it to the finish without re-fueling. The strategy game played out up and down pit lane by all the crew chiefs. Some of the drivers started coming down pit road as early as lap 239, with the leaders following suit a few laps later.

Park remained on the track longer than most, climbing as high as 10th and hoping desperately for another caution to come out. Steve was running directly behind Bobby Labonte, who had already pitted, when Tony Stewart exited pit road. Park had to swerve to avoid Labonte, who then made slight contact with his teammate. Labonte and Stewart ran door to door until Stewart was fully up to speed and was then able to move into the lead. Steve came down pit road on lap 253; disappointed the caution did not come out yet ecstatic he wasn't involved in the cause of one.

Steve fell to 20th place once the remaining drivers made their stops, and time was running out on the chance to finish in the top-15. He was able to move up into 19th place on lap 261, but could not gain any further positions. Remarkably, Jeff Gordon's gamble to stay on the track without pitting paid off. He ran 77 laps on a single tank of fuel, running out as he crossed the finish line in 10th place.

Stewart went on to win his 3rd race of the season by more than a 5-second margin over his teammate Labonte, establishing a new Winston Cup rookie record. He broke a twelve-year record, held by the late Davey Allison, for most wins by a rookie. Stewart will undoubtedly go down as the greatest rookie the sport has seen. If he holds his position in the point standings after next weekend's finalé in Atlanta, he will tie the record for highest season finish by a rookie. Shorty Rollins originally set the record in 1958. To top it off, Stewart has won an inaugural race in his rookie season, and did it by winning back-to-back races. Everyone knew he was going to be good this year, but no one, especially Stewart, could have imagined his season would go this well.

Tony Stewart's record-breaking victory is not the only thing the inaugural race at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be remembered for. The Pennzoil 400 will also be remembered for the crowning of a new Winston Cup Champion. For only the third time this decade, a first-time winner won the Winston Cup Championship. Alan Kulwicki was the first, in 1993, followed by Jeff Gordon in 1996. On November 14th, 1999, Dale Jarrett became the third.

The Robert Yates Racing team has run the most consistent, competitive program of the season - hands down. Jarrett has amassed an incredible 23 top-5 finishes, including today's 5th place finish. In addition, there are only 5 races that Jarrett has finished outside the top-10. His 4 wins may not compare to Gordon's 13 wins last year, but when it comes to a Championship, consistency is the key.

Dale and his father, Ned Jarrett, are the 2nd father-son combination to win the Cup - Lee and Richard Petty being the other. After the race, Ned said that Dale's Championship means more than his 2 Winston Cup titles put together. Ned spoke of the fine way Dale lives his life off the track, and was recently quoted as saying, "Those are the things his mother and I are proud of. What he accomplishes on the racetrack is a bonus.''

The biggest disappointment for the Pennzoil team is that their streak of consecutive top-15 finishes came to a stop. To their credit is the fact this was indeed their 10th consecutive top-20 finish. The team has only finished outside the top-20 once in the second half of the season. They have amassed 15 top-20s in the last 16 race. Despite achieving a career-best 6th place finish earlier this year at Michigan, Steve finished in the top-20 just 5 times the first half of the season.

POS	DRIVER	POINTS
13	Bobby Hamilton	+ 81
14	Ken Schrader	+ 24
15	STEVE PARK	-----
16	John Andretti	- 19
17	Sterling Marlin	- 22
18	Jimmy Spencer	- 74
19	Wally Dallenbach	- 76
20	Kenny Irwin	- 87

Although Steve had good reason to be concerned in the early stages of the race, he was able to hold on to 15th place in the point standings. However, its going to be a nail-biter next weekend in Atlanta waiting see just where things shake out. In what has been reported as the "the best race still out there", Steve has as good of a chance of dropping in the standings as he does of climbing upward. Exactly 100 points separate 14th to 19th, with Park in the middle of the mix. Mathematically Steve can climb no higher than 13, while he can fall no further than 20th. The portion of the standings in which Park has the ability to change positions going into the season finalé is at the right.

November 12 - 13, 1999

Steve ran double-duty in Miami, attempting to qualify Ted Marsh's No. 13 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet in Saturday's HotWheels.com 300. Park attempted to qualify for the Coca-Cola 300 in Texas earlier in the season.

Unfortunately Steve did not make the race. The practice sessions went well, but fluid had been laid on the track before Steve made his qualifying run. He spun in turn 4 and backed the Whelen Chevrolet into the outside wall. Although Steve was fine, he wasn't able to post a fast enough speed to make the race. We'll just have to wait until 2000 for the long-awaited return to BGN.

Read my full report at steve-park.com.

November 19 - 21, 1999

This weekend's season finalé caps off a great season for DEI. Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned his 2nd consecutive Busch Grand National Championship and now makes the move up to Winston Cup. Steve and his teammate will both run in the Napa 500 on Sunday, ready to show the rest of the field they are the new team to watch.

If Friday's practice session at Atlanta Motor Speedway is any indication, watching is just what everyone is doing. Steve turned the second fastest lap with a time of 28.776 192.660. His lap was just 37/1000 of a second slower than the fastest man - none other than Park's DEI teammate Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Jr. and Steve drew successive qualifying starts, with Steve running just after his teammate. Earnhardt Jr., the 42 driver to take to the track, came out to a huge roar from the crowd. Despite getting loose as he went through turn 1, he turned the 10th fastest lap with a time of 28.927 (191.655 mph).

ESPN's Dr. Jerry Punch said to Steve in a pre-race interview that the track owed him one. Steve just wanted to give the team a good start to take into the new millennium. That's exactly what he did. His time was just short of provisional pole sitter Kevin Lepage, but was fast enough to put him 2nd on the pylon. His lap time of 28.641 (193.569 mph) surpassed the best time he ran in practice.

No one turned a faster lap than Park the remainder of the session, and Steve earned his career-best starting position. For the first time in his young Winston Cup career, Steve starts on the front row! In all five races Park and his teammate have run in 1999, the pair made the field on the first day. Additionally, Steve has place higher in all five races. Earnhardt Jr. starts on the inside of row 7 in 13th.

Fellow 1998 rookie-of-the-year competitor Kevin Lepage went on to take his first ever Winston Cup Bud pole award. Rounding out the rest of the top-5 starting positions are Mark Martin in third, followed by fellow New Yorkers Geoffrey and Todd Bodine in third and fourth, respectively.

With 6 drivers destined to go home and miss the final race of the 1999 season, Saturday morning's practice session had a lot of drivers still running in qualifying trim. The Pennzoil crew worked on the race day setup, trying to get a feel for just what they had to show on Sunday. Steve's best lap time of 30.178 (183.709 mph) was the 34th fastest.

ARCA ran their race following the Winston Cup practice session. DEI's Ron Hornaday won the race in a car Steve ran earlier in the year at Rockingham. The team, or course, took notes to help out Park's effort come Sunday. Maybe a few tips from the master of the restart, Hornaday, can get Steve to the front quickly so he can add to his total of laps led in 1999.

In the final Happy Hour of the season, Steve came out running strong. The only complaint made during the session was that he was tight in the center - tight off, a little free in. The crew didn't change shocks or change air pressure. What the did was take 2 half spring rubbers and put them in the right rear spring, which will change the spring rate, to see if it can help him get through the turns. Steve turned his fastest lap early on, eventually turning a total of 41 laps. His lap time of 29.932 (185.219 mph) was the 5th fastest - making him one of the top drivers to watch on Sunday.

Steve had the following to say in an interview with Ben White of NASCAR Winston Cup Scene:

Although that win may not come until next year, he has a viable opportunity to visit victory lane before the turn of the century. For the first time he will start a Winston Cup race with no one in front of him with a car that can get him out in front fast. Ending the season with a career best finish in addition to his best-ever starting position would be a perfect way to cap off 1999. Darrell Waltrip brought the #1 Pennzoil Chevrolet to a 5th place finish last year, so the team could get their best finish as well. Expect to watch him run out in front, and run with the lead cars all day.

Never before has a 12th place finish been such a disappointment for Steve Park and the Pennzoil team. For a sophomore team who ran without Steve for half the 1998 season, they should be thrilled. However, when you dominate the early part of the race - leading 72 laps - dropping that low is crushing. Still, at the end of the day Steve could say "take THAT Atlanta Motor Speedway!"

DEI brought back the car Steve drove in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May. Steve may have led more total laps that night, but the ones he led in the Napa 500 were sweeter. He didn't get into the lead by virtue of a different pit sequence like in Charlotte. This time he raced his way there... again and again. The crew also deserves a lot of credit for getting him out of the pits in first - on more than one occasion.

When the green flag flew to start the Napa 500, Kevin Lepage got the advantage. Park dropped in behind Lepage immediately, waiting for his chance to lead the pack. He didn't have to wait long, as he shot past Lepage to lead the second lap. Lepage regained the lead on the following lap, and held it through the first caution on lap 5.

The yellow flag flew for the first time after Kenny Wallace ran into the outside wall. He was the first of many drivers who would suffer the same fate. While racing back to the line, Ward Burton ducked in behind Geoffrey Bodine but could not slow down quick enough. The two cars made contact, sending Bodine spinning through the grass on the front stretch.

When racing resumed on lap 10, Mark Martin went inside and around Park. Ward Burton made the same move on the following lap. On lap 20, Steve fell to 5th place as Michael Waltrip went around the outside to take the position. Three laps later Burton slipped back, putting Park back up to 4th. Lepage slipped to third place shortly before Waltrip took over the lead on lap 32. Park, who ran a higher line than most other drivers, went around the outside of Lepage on lap 34 to regain 3rd place.

Steve remained in third when the 2nd caution came out on lap 42 after Todd Bodine made contact with the outside wall. Everyone made their first pit stop under the yellow, with Park in the front pit stall. That gave him the advantage of crossing the line just inches ahead -- putting himself back in the race lead.

Mark Martin continually contended for the lead after the restart on lap 98. Although Martin ran the lower line, and Park ran the high line, Martin could not find the momentum to take the position. Martin fell in behind Steve and started to loose ground to Park. Dale Jarrett moved into 2nd on lap 76 - four laps before Jimmy Spencer crashed hard into the outside wall.

Caution was out for the 3rd time on lap 80, and all the drivers made their second pit stop. Steve had gained distance on 2nd place Jarrett, and would have preferred to keep the green-flag run going. The crew made a slight chassis adjustment during the pit stop, despite the fact Steve said the car was good. Their 18.1-second stop was fast enough to get him off pit road first once again.

This time Park had Bobby Labonte behind him. When racing resumed on lap 91, Bobby quickly moved to the inside. They ran door-to-door with Labonte taking the advantage at the stripe. Jarrett followed Labonte and dropped Steve to 3rd place on lap 93. Steve quickly pulled back around Jarrett to regain 2nd, running directly behind Labonte. Still running the high line, Jarrett was able to take the advantage at the stripe on lap 95 on the inside groove. Park held the advantage, and Jarrett finally fell in behind him.

Ward Burton got a good run on Jarrett, and quickly passed him on lap 96. Burton ducked in behind Steve, successfully holding Jarrett off. On lap 98 Park caught up to Labonte, and shot past him on the inside to regain the lead on lap 99. Ward Burton continued his forward push, and by lap 101, he dove to the inside of the track to run side by side with Park. Ward took the lead on lap 102, dropping Steve to 2nd.

The top-5 cars ran nose-to-tail around the track. Steve held his higher line, and moved back around Burton on lap 103. Park was able to pull away from the cars behind him at that point as Labonte passed Burton on the inside. Jarrett attempted to follow Labonte, but ended up slipping to 5th place behind 2000 teammate Ricky Rudd. Labonte also pulled away from the pack as they shuffled around, catching Steve on lap 110.

Four laps later Labonte again took the race lead from Park, but Steve held a 1-second advantage on Ward Burton. Rudd took the spot from Burton on lap 117 as Park started to loose ground on Labonte. Steve reported to his crew that he had a vibration in the car that wasn't improving. He held his breath and held on tight - continually evaluating the feel of the car. He was able to hold his position and make it through the next round of pit stops that started around lap 144 under the green flag.

Steve made his stop on lap 149, and the crew made a slight air pressure adjustment to free up the car. He fell into 7th place when he returned to the track but quickly climbed to 3rd when the remaining cars in front of him dropped off the track for their stops. On lap 156, Park motored around Labonte to move up to 2nd. He set his sights on race leader Martin, who made an early pit stop on lap 140 due to tire damage.

The fresher tires on the Pennzoil Monte Carlo gave Steve enough advantage to resume the lead on lap 157. Labonte followed Park, and within 3 laps he took the lead on the inside groove. Steve was unable to regain the lead before the halfway point and Labonte earned the bonus money. Jarrett moved into 3rd place on lap 164, and although Park was loosing ground to Labonte, he held more than a second lead over Jarrett.

The yellow flag flew again on lap 174 after Johnny Benson spun out and backed into the outer wall. The teams took advantage of the caution period, making another round of pit stops. Bobby Labonte's crew turned an impressive 15-second pit stop. Park's stop was impressive as well, but took 1.8 seconds longer. Nevertheless, Park beat him out by virtue of his front pit stall position.

Mayfield, however, restarted the race on lap 179 in front of Park after making a 2-tire pit stop. Park tried to get around Mayfield, and the two ran separate grooves, side by side, around the track. Dave Blaney crashed into the outside wall to bring out the caution on lap 184. Park beat Mayfield back to the stripe and recaptured the race lead for the 8th time. No one pitted under the short caution.

Park got a good jump on the restart, however Mayfield was able to move into the lead the following lap. Steve took over the lead on lap 190 only to have Mayfield shoot past as Park jumped off the gas. The top-3 cars ran nose to tail, and it took a couple of laps for Steve to pull in on the inside of Mayfield. Labonte followed in behind Park on lap 193 as Steve once again took the lead. Labonte and Mayfield ran side by side; allowing Park a chance to gain some distance before Labonte moved into 2nd place.

It didn't take Labonte long to cut the distance between he and Park. Labonte moved to the inside of Park as the two ran door-to-door down the backstretch. Steve narrowly held the advantage as the two crossed the stripe for lap 198, but Labonte moved past Park as they entered turn one.

Something in Michael Waltrip's car blew on the same lap, setting off a chain reaction that resulted in a multi-car incident. Waltrip crashed hard into the outside wall after spinning in his own oil, as did Terry Labonte. Rick Mast and Kenny Wallace spun around into each other, unable to stop behind the others. Jerry Nadeau raced back to the stripe much too quickly and had to swerve to avoid Terry Labonte's car sitting alongside the outside wall. He lost control and spun around in front of race leader Bobby Labonte. The two nearly made contact before Nadeau shot across the track and onto the infield grass. Labonte and Park diverted disaster just as they took the yellow flag on lap 199.

Waltrip came to rest by the inside wall with a heavily damaged car. Steve watched as crews cut the roof off his close friend Waltrip's car - quite reminiscent of Park's severe accident here last year. They did it as a precautionary measure, in order to remove him safely. Steve's crew did everything they could to calm him down; but Park's concern over Waltrip was, to say the least, distracting. Waltrip was airlifted to a local hospital after examination at the infield care center. He was awake and alert, but doctors wanted precautionary X-rays taken because he had lost conscience briefly.

A slower pit stop returned Park to the track in 7th place, the furthest back of the day. It appeared Steve beat several cars to the line, but Nascar ruled otherwise, despite objection from the Pennzoil team. As Steve begged for information on Michael, it was clear his attention was not focused on the race, or his position on the track. After the restart on lap 215, Park's car did not perform as well in traffic as it had out in front. Mike Skinner took it 3-wide just 2 laps later and dropped Steve to 8th. Jeff Burton moved to the inside of Park, and the two ran side by side until Burton took the position on lap 221. Steve briefly moved back up to 8th place by passing Rudd on lap 223, but Martin moved past both of them on lap 227.

Racing was tight in that section of the pack, and the positions continually changed. Steve moved past Dale Earnhardt on lap 237 to recapture 8th place, but Dale later pulled around the outside of Steve. Earnhardt and Rudd moved past Park as he dropped to 10th on lap 248. How much of Steve's decent was the car, and how much of it was his concern for Waltrip is hard to determine accurately.

Regardless of the reason, Park fell out of the top-10 for the first time on lap 260 when Chad Little moved around him. Eight laps later Steve made his next pit stop under the green flag, and picked up a position when all the stops cycled through by lap 274. Steve moved up to 9th place when he passed Mike Skinner on lap 282.

The seventh caution came out 11 laps later, as Buckshot Jones hit the outside wall. The leaders made one final pit stop under the yellow flag, and the Pennzoil crew got Steve out in 7th place. Ward Burton had to return to pit road to tighten loose lug nuts; moving Park up to 6th place for the restart.

On the first lap after the restart on lap 290, Steve moved past Mark Martin to climb back into the top-5. The following lap he also passed Jeff Burton to pull up to 4th place, however Burton was able to edge Steve out as they crossed the stripe under the yellow flag on lap 295. This time Robert Pressley was the latest victim to run into the outside wall.

Racing resumed with 26 laps remaining, and Steve was in position to end the year with his career best finish. Unfortunately, the car did not respond well after the restart, and the positions quickly slipped away. He dove to the inside of Burton on the restart, but only held the position for one lap. Chad Little moved around Park the following lap, Skinner did the same on lap 304, and on lap 305 both Rudd and Bobby Hamilton dropped Steve to 10th. Park took the position back from Hamilton on the next lap.

Twelve cars remained on the lead lap, with the 12th position just over 5 seconds behind race leader Bobby Labonte. Park dropped back down to 10th place on lap 309 as Martin went past. On the next lap, both Hamilton and Ward Burton moved around Park. Despite running door-to-door with Burton in the late stages of the race, Steve was unable to complete the pass. Park finished the race in 12th place - the last car on the lead lap. Bobby Labonte took home his 4th victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the past 7 races held here.

Despite the overwhelming disappointment, Park gained one position in the final point standings. He will go to the Waldorf Astoria on December 3rd as the 14th best driver on the Winston Cup circuit in 1999 - by a 2-point margin. Park finished the race just 7 positions higher than Ken Schrader did, which would not have been enough if he had not earned 5 bonus points for leading the race.

Although he earned his career-best starting position - his first time on the front row - anyone looking back at the numbers would think the day was a failure. Those of us who know the rest of the story know that is not the case. Steve dominated at a track that took so much away from him last year. He led a total of 72 impressive laps before falling back late in the race. The disappointment of dropping 10 spots on the day will be washed away with the knowledge this team is ready to run up front and win races.

Chevrolet will debut the new 2000 Monte Carlo at the Daytona 500, and all early test sessions indicate the car will be a big improvement on the package they are running now. With all this team has accomplished in the second half of the 1999 season, their future looks bright. Besides the new and improved body style, DEI will be a 2-car operation on the Winston Cup circuit in 2000. Steve's teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished the Napa 500 in 14th place. It should come as no surprise to anyone when these two men quickly become one of the best teams in Winston Cup Racing.

Congratulations, again, to Series Champion Dale Jarrett on his fine run this season.

The 2000 Daytona 500 is just 90 days away!

(note: Michael Waltrip was released from the hospital Sunday night, suffering only a mild concussion.)