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Steering wheel may have come off on Park

By JOANNE KORTH

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 20, 2001

The only man who knows for sure cannot remember, but it appears the accident in which Steve Park was injured seriously at Darlington occurred because the steering wheel came off in his hands.

It makes sense.

The Busch Grand National race on Sept. 4 was under caution when, inexplicably, Park's No. 31 Chevrolet veered sharply to the left and across the track. Larry Foyt, who was accelerating to move to the front of the inside lane of lapped cars, could not avoid hitting Park's car broadside.

Park had to be cut from the car, which spun into the inside retaining wall.

"The wheel was not on the car when the safety workers got there," said Paul Andrews, crew chief for Park's No. 1 Winston Cup car. "And Steve was pretty much unconscious too, so it's doubtful that he took it off after the wreck.

"Just from watching the replays, it sure did look like that's what happened. That's the part that Steve doesn't quite remember yet."

A stock car driver attaches his steering wheel after climbing into the car by sliding it onto the steering column. It locks or snaps into place. The South Carolina 200 was rain-delayed, so Park had just gotten back in the car before the accident. He may not have secured the steering wheel.

Park can't recall.

"He doesn't actually remember what happened right before the accident," Andrews said. "But everything else is good. We talked about our setups and how the car worked and even the weekend of Darlington we talked about how the car was in morning practice, and then how the car was after the race. So his memory is good, but there are probably still a few little blank spots."

Park, 34, who drives for Dale Earnhardt Inc., was airlifted from the track and spent two days in a local hospital. He has not raced since because of a bruise to the brain, and is expected to miss at least another month.

Kenny Wallace is driving the No. 1.

"After the accident, Steve was making huge leaps and bounds pretty much overnight, and now the progress is real slow," Andrews said. "If you see him daily, you really don't see a change. But if you wait a few days to see him, then you'll see a small amount of progress. But he's definitely doing fine. The doctors are real happy with his progress, but it's just going to take some more time."

ZANARDI UPDATE: Doctors plan to decrease Alex Zanardi's medication to bring the two-time CART champion out of an induced coma in the next few days.

Zanardi, 34, had his legs amputated above the knees after an accident Saturday in the American Memorial 300 in Germany. He had follow-up surgery on Wednesday and will have more Friday to check the wounds for infection and fragments. So far, doctors are pleased.

Dr. William Schaffartzik, head of the team of doctors treating Zanardi, said the chances are slim he would have delayed heart or liver failure as a result of the massive loss of tissue and muscle. He hopes to fit Zanardi soon for artificial legs.

"We're hoping in the next few days he will wake up," Schaffartzik said. "Everything is going the way we want -- he's stable. We found nothing bad at all. It doesn't look as if we should expect something serious."

Mo Nunn Racing said it won't replace Zanardi for its next race because some staff members are too upset to concentrate on racing.

Only Tony Kanaan will drive for the team at the Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby, England, on Saturday, owner Morris Nunn said in a statement.

TRUE COLORS: In a show of support and national pride after last week's terrorist attacks, patriotic decals will adorn several Winston Cup cars this weekend at Dover Downs. Championship contenders Ricky Rudd and Dale Jarrett will have American flags on their hoods.

"Our sponsors have given up their space so we could put American flags prominently on our cars," team owner Robert Yates said. "We are a strong nation and I'm confident we will overcome these tragedies. I'm happy to be able to provide a visible way for us to show our pride in our country."

IRL CHANGE: The Indy Racing League awards ceremony has been rescheduled for Oct. 7, a day after the season-ending Chevy 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. Panther Racing and driver Sam Hornish Jr. will receive the Northern Light Cup and $1-million bonus for winning the championship.

IRON MAN RACE: Orioles third baseman Cal Ripken, scheduled to play for the last time Oct. 6, will meet the drivers, take a lap before the start of the race and wave the green flag as the grand marshal of the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 at Dover Downs.

Dover president and CEO Denis McGlynn said he is excited that Dover will be the first track at which the series will resume competition after the postponement Sunday of the New Hampshire 300.

"It was important to take this weekend to show our respect and honor the victims, their friends and families in this great tragedy," McGlynn said. "But we think it will be important to return to normality, to our daily activities."

SEEKING RETRIBUTION: Formula One driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen filed suit in a U.K. court against the Jordan team that fired him in July, his manager Monte Field said.

Field declined comment on a report in the online edition of German magazine Kicker that Frentzen is seeking $7.5-million from the Silverstone, England-based team. He didn't identify the court.

- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

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