Park to race at Vegas? UPDATE 2 No Vegas/Atlanta: Steve Park could be back in a racecar this weekend at Las Vegas. Park, who has been sidelined since September 1 because of a head injury suffered when his car veered out of control in a Busch race at Darlington, tested with his teammates last week at Charlotte and will participate in a two-car test with Kenny Wallace, who has been driving Park’s car, this week at Atlanta. Dale Earnhardt Inc. technical director Steve Hmiel says that Park ran more than 100 laps at Charlotte, and they intended to test him in the 500-mile range early this week. We’re going to see if we can wear him out, but I don’t think that’s possible with how focused he’s been lately, Hmiel says. He’s well on the way to recovery. Hmiel says Park is fine in traffic. Steve Petersen, from NASCAR’s competition department, observed the session. But Park’s physician must give clearance before he is able to race. As of Sunday, NASCAR had not been given the OK. Park had not been expected to return this soon, and Wallace will remain under contract. But if Park can return this weekend, Wallace is expected to turn his full attention to winning a Busch championship in his #48 car.(Sporting News)(2-25-2002) AND Injured driver Steve Park, out of action since September 2001, will test today and Tuesday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.(Gaston Gazette)(2-25-2002) UPDATE: FSN’s Totally NASCAR reports that Park will NOT race this weekend at Las Vegas and is unlikely to race at Atlanta. Most reports seem to think Darlington will be Park’s first Cup race back as long as he keeps progressing so well. AND ESPN2’s RPM 2 Night has Kenny Wallace on and he reported that he has been guaranteed to run the next two Cup races in the #1 Chevy (Las Vegas and Atlanta)(2-25-2002) AND II Kenny Wallace will be in the #1 Pennzoil Chevy at Las Vegas and Atlanta. Pennzoil held a press conference Saturday at Rockingham in which Wallace very clearly stated that Steve was not even going to Las Vegas because it was too far to go watch a race.(2-26-2002)
