NASCAR BGN: Park Ready For Busch Return At Darlington
14 March 2000
Park-Whelen Combination Ready For Darlington Park Plans To Parlay Darlington Test Into First Busch Start Since 1997 #31 Whelen Monte Carlo driver Steve Park hopes last week's test at Darlington will translate into a solid qualifying effort this weekend when Ted Marsh Racing makes its 2000 Busch Series debut at Darlington Raceway on Saturday. Park was the quickest Busch car in testing last week at Darlington. He was one of eleven drivers not to make the field at Las Vegas two weeks ago. He plans to run 15 races in 2000 for Marsh Racing. Park won three Busch Series races in 1997. Steve Park on Busch Qualifying "Hey, it is no sin to miss a Busch race. Qualifying is tougher here than any other series in America and that includes Winston Cup. Eleven guys missed the show in Vegas. That's tough. We had some problems with the Whelen car and then we didn't get a good lap in on Thursday. On Friday the track was slower and nobody requalified. We will be OK this weekend. It isn't from lack of effort. Give us some time and I think you will be pleased with what you see." Park on Darlington "I love Darlington. As I kid I sat glued to the television set, I watched Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty battle there and remember seeing the Darlington stripe on the right side of their cars when they would touch the wall in what was then the fourth turn. I loved the red and white checkered wall and I'm sure every race fan has seen Cale Yarborough go flying through the guardrail. That would be a great place to win." Park on 4th Place Winston Cup Finish At Atlanta Last Week: "Sure it was great to finish fourth at Atlanta. Does that translate to the Busch Series? Not really, except maybe for confidence and you can never have too much confidence in a race car. The cars are so different and the tracks are so different that it's a tough thing to specifically say this translates or that translates. I have experience at Darlington. I know that no matter what kind of car you race there you have to be really patient and race the race track. Nine times out of ten guys who get in trouble are the guys who forget that Darlington can be a mean old track and bite you at any time."