Park's departure opens Chance for driver

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Steve Park's departure last week from Dale Earnhardt Incorporated has created a chance for another driver in DEI's affiliated NASCAR Busch Series team.

	Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove a Chance 2 Chevrolet to Victory Lane at Daytona this year. Credit: Autostock

When Park was fired it created a four-race vacancy in the seat of Chance 2 Motorsports' Chevrolet that owners Teresa Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. field in select Busch Series events.

A DEI spokesman said that the organization was close to naming a driver for the next race the team was supposed to do, the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 next week at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Chance 2 started the season with an approximate 14-race program: Three races for Earnhardt, five for Park and six for Martin Truex Jr.

	Steve Park Credit: Autostock

Park qualified 36th in his first outing for Chance 2, but finished fourth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. But when he met on May 5 with DEI executive vice president Ty Norris, Park agreed to cut all ties with the team when they decided to end his contract as the Pennzoil Chevrolet's driver in the Winston Cup Series.

"We agreed that not running the Cup car any longer at DEI would mean not running the (Chance 2) Busch car, either," Park said. "We just figured a clean break was in order.

"I'm not extremely thrilled about it because we showed in the past that in Junior's Busch car we could win races and run good."

At the time he was fired, Park had no idea where he was going next.

"I didn't want to bounce back and forth between not having a (Winston Cup) ride to just running the Busch car, because that would limit my opportunities," Park said.

Hermie Sadler, who did an engine development deal with DEI earlier this season and recently was released from his contract to drive Team Bristol Motorsports' entry in the Busch Series, is one possibility for the Lowe's ride.

Unemployed Hank Parker Jr. was also on Earnhardt's short list of prospective drivers at the beginning of the season.

	Martin Truex Jr. Credit: Autostock

The other races Park was supposed to drive for Chance 2 included the Cabela's 250 at Michigan International Speedway in August, the Mr. Goodcents 300 at Kansas Speedway in October and the Aaron's 312 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October.

DEI's Steve Crisp said neither Earnhardt nor Truex would fill the races Park was scheduled to drive. Earnhardt is two-for-two in the Chance 2 car this season and also won in its debut outing, last fall at Richmond.

Earnhardt's final Busch event this season is the July 4 Busch Series 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

Crisp said announcements of additional drivers and sponsors, including Earnhardt's package for the Daytona race, would be forthcoming.

"We have several extremely viable alternatives," Crisp said, "and we are evaluating those for the other races."

Truex, a NASCAR Touring Division veteran from Mayetta, N.J., won his most recent start in the Busch North Series. He plans to race the Chance 2 car at Dover in June, Richmond in September, Charlotte in October and Rockingham and Homestead in November.

Chance 2 is contemplating using its car as a means of allowing associate sponsors to explore primary sponsorship options in the Busch Series.