Park still holds desire to race, feels he has talent (cont'd)

Park knows he's in a difficult situation. The only available rides are one-offs or field-fillers, which won't do anything to jump-start his career, one that is literally stuck in park.

"We're just taking one race at a time," he said. "We took the year off not to get involved in any teams that can't run up front, run in the top 10 and win races.

"The opportunities haven't presented themselves to be with a team that can run up front. We're constantly looking to put ourselves in a position, whether that's a car or a truck, with a team that can run up front."

Park realizes he faces an uphill battle, first to prove that he's as good as he once was before the Darlington crash and second, to overcome NASCAR's current youth movement. At 40, he's no longer a young gun.

"That's what the problem is," Park said. "There's a lot of young guys coming into this sport. A lot of the older guys are kind of getting phased out and the opportunity that I need to be with a good team has got to present itself.

"If I put myself with a team that runs 20th every week, it's not going to do Steve Park any good. I've got to position myself with a team that can run up front to still show that I've got the youth, I've got the talent and I've got the ability to take the car or truck up to the front and race with these guys."

Still, the inactivity gnaws at Park like a hunger.

"It's been a difficult year, not racing," he said. "That's what I do for a living and what I love to do. To go to the racetracks like I've been doing and watching races makes it very difficult.

"We're waiting. We're sitting by the phone and waiting for the phone to ring, waiting for the next opportunity to get involved and take that to the next level. I feel like I have the assets needed to get with a good team, gel with that team, work with that crew chief to produce top-10, top-five and winning runs. I've got a lot left in me."

He sits there, in the shadow of his hauler, watching the crew prepare to load the car for the trip home. He takes another sip of water and thinks about what might have been -- and what still could be.

"I've got more desire, I think," Park said. "Be careful of what you wish for, because when you're racing 36 weeks a year and complaining about getting some time off, when you get the time off, you want to go back racing again.

"I got desire, I've got the drive, I've got the motivation and keep myself in great shape. Now I'm ready to go racing. We just need the opportunity."