CHARLOTTE, N.C. - NASCAR team owner Richard Childress will not renew driver Steve Park's contract at the end of the season.
Park has been driving the No. 30 Chevrolet since May, when he parted ways with Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Childress needed a driver after firing Jeff Green.
"I want to thank Steve for stepping in and helping us with the No.30 team, but this is a performance-driven business and the team's performance has not been up to our expectations," Childress said Tuesday.
Since joining RCR, Park has two top-10 finishes and one pole. He has finished 30th or worse in five of 17 races for Childress, and failed to qualify last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
While with DEI in 2001, Park bruised his brain in an accident at Darlington Raceway and was sidelined for seven months. After his return in March 2002, he struggled through poor performances while ignoring speculation he wasn't healthy enough to be in the car.
Park said he is in the best physical shape ever and will pursue another ride.
FOYT'S WRIST BROKEN: Larry Foyt, driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet, plans to compete Sunday at Kansas Speedway despite the fact an examination at a Charlotte, N.C., clinic revealed a crack in his left wrist sustained in an accident Sunday at Talladega.
TOBACCO PLEA FAILS: A judge rejected a request by two businessmen who wanted the Canadian Grand Prix exempted from federal anti-tobacco legislation for economic reasons. The race was not renewed on the Formula One schedule for next year because about half the F1 teams are financed by tobacco companies.
OLYMPICS: U.S. baseball foes set
The U.S. baseball team will open against Colombia on Oct. 30 in the Americas tournament, a qualifying event in Panama for the Athens Olympics. The squad also will face the Bahamas, Brazil, Mexico, Panama and Puerto Rico in Group B. In Group A are Aruba, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The top two teams from the Oct. 30-Nov. 11 event earn automatic berths to the 2004 Games.
TRACK AND FIELD: The IOC opened disciplinary proceedings into Jerome Young's 1999 positive drug test, a case that could cost the United States a 1,600-meter relay gold medal from the 2000 Sydney Games.
EEOC PROBE: An Equal Employment Opportunity Commission task force will look into allegations the USOC has discriminated against women in its hiring and promotion practices, Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell said.
COLLEGES: McNeese St. under watch
The NCAA and Southland Conference are investigating the McNeese State men's basketball and track and field programs for possible rules violations. Officials of the Lake Charles, La., school and the NCAA refused comment.
GOLF: Behind final-round 71s from Oscar Fraustro and Chris Black, the USF men moved from seventh place to finish third behind Minnesota and Michigan State in the 12-team Adams Cup of Newport at the Newport (R.I.) National Golf Club. Fraustro (219) finished fourth and teammate Brad Quiri (220) fifth among individuals. ... Tampa's men placed 15 out of 17 teams in their own Spartan Invitational, won by Johnson and Wales of Providence, R.I. Brian Ward led UT with a 221.
VOLLEYBALL: In Sunshine State Conference matches, Tampa (13-2, 3-0) defeated Eckerd (10-5, 0-3) 30-17, 30-18, 34-32, and Florida Southern (5-11, 2-1) swept Saint Leo (9-6, 1-2) 30-25, 32-30, 30-15.
ET CETERA
HORSES: Empire Maker was retired as expected, marking the end of a racing career highlighted by a Belmont Stakes victory that denied Funny Cide the Triple Crown. The 3-year-old colt will stand at stud at Juddmonte Farms in Lexington, Ky.
CYCLING: Chesen Frey of Colorado Springs has been suspended for two years after testing positive for an elevated testosterone-epitestosterone ratio at last June's American Velodrome Challenge.
