2003 Season Stats

Submitted by Karen
Q: I was wondering if you might be writing a book about your life sometime soon. We have a lot of the NASCAR books, and I think one on your life would be very inspirational as well as entertaining.

A: I have so many things that I'd like to share with the NASCAR fans but right now I'm kind of too busy to lay it all down and write a book. It's probably not going to happen in the near future but I'd like to have the opportunity in a few years to do something like that.

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Submitted by Heather
Q: Are NASCAR drivers randomly drug tested as various players are in other sports? I would think you guys are in more danger than basketball and/or football players.

A: NASCAR drivers as well as crew members do get drug tested like other sports players. We have to sign a waiver that NASCAR can drug test you at any time and when they feel it's necessary, they do. So it's very much like other sports where they feel if there's an incident on or off the race track, they have the right to test you for drugs at any point throughout the season.

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Submitted by Becca
Q: I've been looking at your website and miss seeing pictures of your dog Harley. Are there going to be anymore?

A: Actually, we just added some pictures of Harley to the website! I want to get a picture of Harley wearing his goggles in his trailer that I tow behind my motorcycle because that is one of the funniest things. People laugh when they see him on the road and that's a picture that I want to share with the race fans, so stay tuned and we'll try to keep adding new pictures of Harley on the website whenever we can.

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Submitted by Steve Meeks
Q: I've noticed that you have been working out and are in excellent physical condition this season. What does your normal workout routine consist of?

A: I workout pretty much every day of the week that I'm home. I'm in the gym and work with a personal trainer Monday through Thursday. On Monday I do weight training, two body parts per day. On Tuesday I do a bunch of cardio, either run or ride the bike 5-20 miles and back into weights again on Wednesday and Thursday and also doing some cardio. I've gotten into racquetball quite a bit so I enjoy that... and thanks for noticing! I feel like I'm probably in the best shape of my life and feel good about it. I remember being tired behind the wheel of a racecar late in the race but that doesn't affect me at all now. Walt Smith is my personal trainer and I think that I hold him responsible because I tell him that he brought me back to life again through the injuries and everything else, I pretty much rehabilitated in the gym with him when I was able to. He's seen me work from overcoming an injury to getting back in a racecar so I'm very grateful to Walt. I just keep digging and working out and try to stay healthy and eat right and I think it makes a big difference in how I feel behind the wheel of a racecar.

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Submitted by Reiko Abe
Q: Does Harley watch TV on race day? If so, does he recognize you on screen?

A: Not really. He's glued to the Animal Planet. My mom will contradict me and say when she's watching him and they're watching a race, he responds to me being interviewed on TV and stuff but I haven't seen that. When he's around the house or in the motorcoach, he likes to watch Animal Planet for some reason.

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car (chassis No. 92) was last run at Kansas (Oct. 5) where it qualified 17th and finished 22nd. Chassis 92 also was run earlier this season in Dover (Sept. 21), Chicago (July 13), Pocono (June 8) and Atlanta (March 9).

Park posted his second NASCAR Winston Cup career victory at North Carolina Speedway in Feb., 2001.

The last 14 fall races at Rockingham have been won by 14 different drivers.

Since the race changed to a 400-mile format in the fall of 1995, no driver has won at Rockingham from the Bud Pole.

There have been nine different Bud Pole winners in the last nine races at Rockingham.

Four of the last six races at Rockingham have been won from starting positions of 13th or lower.

The Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 will be broadcast live on NBC and MRN Sunday, November 9, 2003, beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT. Qualifying is scheduled for Friday, November 7 at 3:05 p.m. EDT.

STEVE PARK QUOTES:

On Rockingham: “Rockingham is one of those race tracks where you definitely need to have a good-handling car to have a good finish. You need both horsepower and handling to run well at Rockingham, but you can’t take advantage of a powerful engine without having a good handling race car.

“There are many grooves you can run at Rockingham. During qualifying we’ll run around the bottom of the track, well we loop it big coming down the front stretch and dive into turn one and try to stay on the bottom in the corners. But, during the race you’ll see guys run at the top of the racetrack as well. It makes passing a bit easier than at some of the other tracks where we race since there are more grooves to choose from and guys are running all over.”