NASCAR BGN: Park Hopes To Extend Top-10 Busch Streak At Dover
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
May 29, 2001
Part-Time Marsh Racing Team Posted Top-10 Finishes At Each Race This Year
Steve Park and his #31 Whelen Monte Carlo teammates at Ted Marsh Racing race in Dover on Saturday hoping to extend a pretty impressive streak. Park and the part-time team have posted finishes of 7th at Darlington, 9th at Richmond, and 5th at New Hampshire in the 2001 season – a notable performance considering the team has only entered three races this season.
This team is used to success. Last season the Connecticut-based team and sponsor visited victory lane with Andy Santerre at Watkins Glen in August then again in September at Loudon, N.H. in Busch North competition. Then they came close to winning Busch South races with Park at Loudon and Richmond.
One of their most frustrating moments of last year came in June at Dover when a crash early in practice ended hopes of qualifying at the Monster Mile. But in September the #31 Whelen Monte Carlo crew garnered a bit of revenge when Park started at the rear of the field and drove to a 9th-place finish on the concrete high banks.
Steve Park: Is The Top-10 Steak Impressive?
“Without a doubt. You have to remember these guys are racers but looking at it from the Busch South perspective they are only part-time racers. I really believe if these guys at Marsh Racing raced full team they would contend for a championship.
“In the South Series, they have to work a little extra harder than everyone else for two reasons. First, having a shop up in Connecticut means you have to plan a little more and just generally put in extra effort because sometimes you can’t get all the stuff you need as quick as you need it like you do in the Charlotte area.
“Secondly, because they are a part-time Busch South team they don’t get to keep up with what is going on at the track like the regulars. They don’t have the luxury of being a little off and knowing how to cure the problem immediately. They can’t say ‘hey lets do what we did at that track’ to fix what is happening now. Those are disadvantages but they have been able to overcome them.”
Park On Dover This Weekend
“Yeah, we kind of owe that place. I think the car was pretty fast there in June. But something happened and we tore it up pretty good in practice and never made a qualifying attempt. Then in September we had trouble on pit road before we took the green flag. We got everything fixed and then drove up to the front. Dover is tough track but we have proven we can race there and if all goes well this weekend there is no reason why we can’t be in the top 10 again, if not even higher.”
SCHEDULE:
All times local.
Thursday, May 31:
9:30 a.m. NBS Haulers Enter/Registration Opens
1:00 p.m. NBS Garage Opens/Inspections Begin
6:30 p.m. NBS Garage Closes
Friday, June 1:
7:00 a.m. Registration & Garage Opens
7:30 a.m. NBS Rookie Meeting/Qualifying Draw
8:00 a.m. NBS Practice Until 9:50 a.m.
12:10 p.m. NBS Bud Pole Qualifying (all positions) 2 Laps
3:00 p.m. NBS Final Practice until 4:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. NBS Garage Closes
Saturday, June 2:
7:00 a.m. NBS Garage/Registration Opens
10:30 a.m. NBS Driver/Crew Chief Meeting
12:30 p.m. NBS Driver Introductions
1:00 p.m. Start: MBNA PLATINUM 200
RACE HISTORY:
* Todd Bodine leads all drivers with three wins at Dover Downs International Speedway. Bodine earned his first NASCAR Busch Series win at Dover in 1991. He came back in 1993 to sweep both the spring and fall races at Dover. He also has one pole at the 1.0-mile circuit. Two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie is one of five other drivers with two wins at Dover. LaJoie swept both races in 1996, the first year of his back-to-back reign as the NASCAR Busch Series champion. Matt Kenseth, also a two-time winner at Dover, won his first race in 1998 and his second in the fall race last season.
* Dover Downs International Speedway leads the circuit with the most first-time winners. Including a span that saw four straight first-time winners (1987-1988), the Monster Mile has been kind to those drivers seeking their first NASCAR Busch Series wins. First-time winners at Dover in chronological order include: Joe Ruttman - 1982, Ricky Rudd - 1983, Mark Martin - 1987, Rick Mast - 1987, Bobby Hillin - 1988, Michael Waltrip - 1988, Ken Schrader -1989, Todd Bodine - 1991, Mike Wallace - 1994, Johnny Benson - 1994, Mike McLaughlin - 1995, Joe Bessey - 1997. Below is a list of most first-time winners by track in NASCAR Busch Series history.
* Harry Gant leads all drivers with five poles at Dover. However, the pole winner has seen victory lane only once in 34 races (Morgan Shepherd - 1986) while no pole winner has ever won the spring race in 19 attempts. The lowest starting position of a winner at Dover is 24th which has been accomplished twice - Johnny Rumley - 1995 and Randy LaJoie - 1996.
* Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 18 wins at Dover. Chevrolet has been nothing shy of dominant winning 15 of the last 16 races including a clip of seven straight. Buick has six wins, Oldsmobile has five wins, Pontiac has four and Ford has one. Bobby Labonte, driving a Pontiac, was the last driver to win in a car other than a Chevrolet in 1997.
SERIES SUMMARY:
* Defending NASCAR Busch Series champion Jeff Green won the Carquest Auto Parts 300 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Green, who led 29 of 200 laps, held off a hard-charging Matt Kenseth to win his 12th career race, his first at Charlotte and his second of 2001. Green's margin of victory over Kenseth was .055 sec., the closest finish thus far in 2001. Green's win marked the third consecutive win for Ford and the fourth straight Ford to win the spring race at Charlotte. The last time Ford put together three or more wins in a row was race No. 2 through No. 5 in 2000, and Mark Martin won three of those four. The win was also Green's 68th career top five, which puts him ahead of Sam Ard (67) for eighth best in NASCAR Busch Series history.
* Inclement weather washes out qualifying for the Carquest Auto Parts 300. Ironically, the last time qualifying was rained out was the Carquest Auto Parts 250 at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis, Mo., last July. Thus, the field was set according to car owner points and Kevin Harvick made his fourth start from the pole this year. However, the 2001 season has proven that the pole has not been the most desirable starting position. Last Saturday was no different as Harvick finished 26th after going down five laps early due to mechanical troubles. In the 14 races this season, the pole position has yet to produce a winner and has posted an average finish of 16.3. The pole winner has finished 32nd or worse four times and has recorded only four top-five finishes.
* Green takes advantage of Harvick's misfortunes by taking over the lead in the driver point standings. Green's win in the Carquest Auto Parts 300 helped him turn a 71-point deficit into a 19-point lead over Harvick. Green, who led the point standings the final 24 races of 2000, has led the points following the fourth and fifth races this year, but has been second to Harvick for the past three weeks.
* Jason Keller rolls into Dover with a lot of confidence after three straight top-five finishes. Keller posted a third-place finish at Charlotte marking his third straight top five, his seventh of the season, and his ninth top 10 of 2001. If that does not boost his confidence, perhaps the fact that he won the spring race at Dover last year will. Keller is in the thick of the driver points battle sitting in fourth place, just 98 points down to teammate and leader Green.
* Raybestos Rookie of the Year Contender Greg Biffle posts strong finish at Charlotte. For the 11th time this season, Biffle finished as the highest rookie contender. Biffle was more than a rookie contender in the Carquest Auto Parts 300 leading 154 of 200 laps. However, Biffle's car tightened up following the final pit stop and surrendered the lead to Green on lap 170 before finishing sixth. It was his ninth top 10 of the year. Biffle leads rookie Scott Wimmer 212 to 139 in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. David Donohue was the second highest finishing rookie. His 20th place finish marked a career best.
* Former champion David Green records his second top 10 of 2001 in the Carquest Auto Parts 300. David Green, who won the NASCAR Busch Series championship in 1994, finished ninth for his best career finish at Charlotte. His previous best in 15 races was a 13th in the spring race last year. David Green broke the top 20 in the driver point standings last week and remains in 19th.
Text provided by Drew Brown
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