NASCAR WCUP: Gremlins Bites Park Late But Not Before Another Impressive Charlotte Performance
12 October 1999
Rain or no rain, Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte brings out the best in Pennzoil Monte Carlo driver Steve Park. The 1.5-mile oval might also cause the second-year driver more nightmares than any other track on the Winston Cup circuit. For the second time this season, Park appeared on the verge of threatening for the victory or at least posting the first top-five finish of his career when a sudden turn of events left he and his Pennzoil teammates wondering what might have happened if the end of the race had ended as they expected. In May, Park led 84 laps before an accident with a lap car on lap 240 ended his night. On Monday, Park was sixth and appeared headed for a top-five finish when his engine dropped a cylinder with less than 60 laps left in the 334-lap race. He managed to nurse the Pennzoil Monte Carlo around the track for the rest of the race finishing tenth. Not bad. Actually kind of impressive. But still disappointing. "It was so disappointing because we were running and beating the big dogs today," Park said after the race. "We had just got to sixth and I thought for sure this was going to be our day and then we had those problems." Park began Monday's race in 14th place and made a steady slow climb through the field as most of the cars raced single file for the first three-quarters of the race. He was tenth by the 40th lap and through the benefit of a 16-second, four-tire pit stop by his Dale Earnhardt Inc. crew had moved to ninth at the 85-lap mark. Most of the race was run in bright sunshine contrasted with the overcast and rainy weather the Charlotte area had seen for most of the week. Many of the cars complained of a loose conditioned throughout the race. "Our car is a little loose, but we will be OK," Park told crew chief Paul Andrews in the early going. There had been only one caution period in the first half of the race so the green flag racing had spread the cars all over the track. Park had climbed to ninth when leader Bobby Labonte appeared less than a second off Park's rear bumper. Just as Labonte appeared ready to lap Park on lap 199, Jeff Burton spun in the fourth turn sliding down the front stretch and into the grass. Park remained the last car on the lead lap occupying ninth place. The race resumed and Park kept pace with the leaders as the single-file racing continued. The Pennzoil crew turned in another 16-second pit stop at the lap 269 mark and gained Park two positions moving him to sixth place and ready for the final run. But that's when disaster struck. Although it wasn't as disappointing as the accident in May, mechanical problems ended the Pennzoil Monte Carlo's bid for a top five. "Man I can't believe everything is working so well and all of sudden this happens," said Park who told the crew of the engine gremlins. After the race Park pointed out how the team's perspective has changed throughout the season. "Early in the season we would have been elated with a top ten finish like we got today," he said. "But you can see that these guys are disappointed because they wanted more. We have set our sights a lot higher than tenth place. Don't get me wrong, tenth isn't bad. But we know we can do better." Park moved to 17th in the Winston Cup point standings a dramatic improvement from the 34th place he occupied after the May race at Charlotte. Jeff Gordon won for the second consecutive weekend with Bobby Labonte and Mike Skinner following him across the finish line. Park and his teammates return to action Sunday in Talladega.