Competitors eagerly await Park's return

HAMPTON, Ga. -- When asked about the imminent return of teammate Steve Park, Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaned back in his chair, pondered the thought intently and offered up a response that effectively voiced the collective emotion of the masses.

His elation for one friend offset sadness for another.

			Dale Earnhardt Jr. Credit: ASP

"I have mixed emotions," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I'm excited about it. Kenny Wallace and I were friends before, but when he came to (Dale Earnhardt Inc.) I learned a lot more about him and got real close with him. I hate to see us unplug him and plug Steve in, but that's the way business works sometimes."

As Park returns to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series next weekend at Darlington Raceway, Wallace will bid adieu.

In the wake of Park's career-threatening injury last fall at that same Darlington track, DEI hired Wallace with hopes that he might somehow manage to keep team Pennzoil on a righted course in the unrelenting Winston Cup storm. He performed admirably, knowing all the while that once Park healed he would be out of a ride -- the best ride of his career.

Wallace knew the nature of the deal from the outset, and harbors not one iota of bitterness. Quite the contrary, actually. He shares everyone else's enthusiasm towards seeing Park back in yellow and black.

			Kenny Wallace Credit: ASP

"I find it hard to answer questions sometimes because people are approaching me like it's a tragedy for me," Wallace said. "It's not. I'm happier than I've ever been, and I'm happy for Steve."

Likewise for the rest of his competitors. Seeing a colleague fight back from a devastating head injury is inspiring for the entire racing community.

"I think it's great," said 2000 champion Bobby Labonte. "I saw him at the Coke shoot for the first time since (he was injured) back in January. I apologized for not calling him, and he said, 'No, that's good, because everybody else (called).'

"If I didn't know he was in a wreck, I'd never had known it. The only thing I saw different was the he talked a little slower. I'm excited about it for him. He's a great racer and a true gentleman."

Park's lingering impaired vision might cause one to wonder whether any competitors would have reservations competing with him next weekend. The answer is a resounding "no."

"Lord no, I can't wait," said Elliott Sadler. "I'm so happy for him that he's gotten back. He's a tough driver, so I expect him to come out there and beat and bang with us and race us hard -- no different than he ever was. He's good at Darlington, too. Man, he might just come out and smoke us all."