New England racing royalty returned to its familiar stomping grounds when Steve Park took his seat in the New Hampshire Motor Speedway media center with the easy confidence of someone who has come home. Raised on the region’s historic short tracks, every return to Loudon brings back the faces, the voices, and the grassroots memories that built his career. The local fans still greet him with immense warmth, and the media room remembers his earliest battles.
Park feels that bond deeply, speaking throughout his press availability with the characteristic honesty and clarity that have defined his legacy. He began by reflecting on the honor of being named one of NASCAR’s 10 Greatest Modified Drivers in 2002. Park said he never started his career expecting national recognition. He simply wanted to win races across New England.
He ran Riverside Park Speedway, Seekonk Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, and countless bullrings where modified legends sharpened their craft. Those tracks built him. They also taught him how to win, how to lose, and how to improve. Park said the honor means more because it represents the people and places that helped him climb from a local short-track racer to a national household name. Park’s path into NASCAR’s top levels was formed by hard work, talent, and timing.
He credited Dale Earnhardt Inc. for giving him the opportunity in 1997 to transition into full-body stock cars, a move that yielded 3 NASCAR Busch Series victories and the 1997 Rookie of the Year award. He earned two NASCAR Cup Series wins, including his first at Watkins Glen International in 2000 and an emotional victory at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham in 2001, just one week after Dale Earnhardt’s passing.
Park carried the pride of New England with him every step of the way. His career at the top level was shortened by severe injuries, including a devastating crash at Darlington Raceway in 2001 that forced him to miss 24 races. Even so, Park said he remains thankful for the opportunity to compete at NASCAR’s highest level across 183 career Cup Series starts. “A lot of people had longer careers than I did,” he said, “but they never made it to that level. I’m fortunate I did.”
The press conference changed when Park was asked about Ryan Preece, another New England driver who climbed from the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour into the Cup Series. Park beamed at the mention of Preece, who secured the 2013 Modified Tour championship before making his own transition to full-time Cup racing. Park said watching Preece succeed brings him genuine pride because their paths share the same roots. “He worked hard in modifieds and used it to get himself into the Cup Series,” Park said. “All we do is wish him the best. Nothing would be greater than seeing him win here.”
Park then reflected on the ladder system that helped him rise through the ranks. He credited NASCAR for giving drivers from local short tracks a clear pathway upward. He said his father, Bob Park, himself a respected Northeast racing veteran, taught him that before you travel, you must win at home. Park followed that advice. He learned to work on his own cars, improve them, and sharpen his instincts. Those lessons carried him into the Modified Tour, where he claimed 5 career victories and finished second in the 1995 point standings.
He explained how different the physical transition was from open-wheel modifieds to full-body stock cars. Modifieds punch a massive hole in the air, creating drafting battles that resemble superspeedway racing. Yet, Park said learning aerodynamics in a 3,400-pound Cup car was a complete shock. He remembered arriving at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the early 1990s and asking how he could possibly gain fifteen positions on the straightaway. He had to relearn everything: closing rates, side drafting, and how to manage the air off the rear spoiler. “Once you learn aerodynamics in a full-body car,” Park said, “you understand why the experience matters.”
Park also shared stories from Riverside Park Speedway, where promoter Ben Dodge created an atmosphere that felt like a Saturday-night Daytona 500. Park said Dodge would delay races just to make sure he arrived in time after qualifying at New Hampshire. He would start last in the final heat race, and Dodge would modify the schedule to get him into the feature show. Park said those moments weren’t about ego. They were about giving fans a night worth remembering. “When they left, they felt like they got their money’s worth,” he said.
During the session, another journalist asked Park about the digital dashboards and the growing role of telemetry in modern racing. Park said the modern cockpit looks nothing like the cars he once raced. He pointed to the steering-wheel controls, the digital data readouts, and the volume of real-time metric information drivers manage during a race. He said the technology has fundamentally changed how drivers communicate with their crew chiefs, pace themselves, and respond to changing track conditions.
Sarah Talker of YourNews Media and Total Apex Sports asked Park specifically about the Next Gen car and how it compares to the Gen-4 machines he drove during his career. Park appreciated the question and said the Next Gen platform represents one of the biggest technical shifts he has seen in NASCAR history. He explained that the car’s versatility is remarkable, noting that teams can run the same central chassis components across short tracks, 1.5-mile intermediates, and road courses.
Park said the platform is still evolving, but NASCAR continues to refine the package to improve competition and driver safety. However, he added that the independent rear suspension and rack-and-pinion steering demand a completely different driving style, and he admires how quickly today’s drivers have adapted. Park also spoke about the direct connection between modified racing and NASCAR’s core fan base.
He said modified events grant unrivaled access. Fans can walk through the garage, shake hands with drivers, and build personal relationships that endure for decades. He said that connection keeps people returning to the grandstands year after year. Even so, Park worries that modern viewing habits streaming services, instant highlights, and endless digital outlets make it easier for younger audiences to watch races later rather than experience them in person.
He said the sport must continue finding innovative ways to bring families to the facility for the first time, because once they feel the thunder of a 40-car field, smell the burning rubber, and see the speed up close, they fall in love with racing. Park closed the press conference with a smile and a joke. He pointed out that a casino sits on the drive toward the track, and if anyone wanted a betting tip, he guaranteed he would lead the first lap.
It served as a perfect reminder of the character that made him a fan favorite throughout his career: humble, sharp, and always willing to share a laugh. Park’s return to New Hampshire was far more than a nostalgic appearance. It was a contemplation on a career built on grit, loyalty, and regional pride. His legacy remains a reminder that auto racing is not only about raw speed. It is about the people, the places, and the moments that shape a driver’s life.
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