Everyone needed Rockingham. After the fateful week, everyone needed to get back to racing, to get back to business. To say that Sunday was a bust would be an understatement. After a rain delay, track drying, and listening to the antics of the media, the green flag finally flew. Then in disbelief, we saw Dale Jr. whack the wall on the first lap. We all wanted to see him do well, we were all rooting for him, and before the race began, he was out of it.
It must have been more agonizing for Dale Jr. than it was for the rest of us. The pressure was on him to make a good showing, and here he was, being tapped from behind, out of control, into the wall, and then limping toward his ride to the infield care center. There was talk along the lines of safety that included putting a small brake light in the top rear window of the racecars. That way, a race driver would have some idea that the racecar in front of him was checking up. And maybe when he applied his brakes, the driver behind him would also be able to apply his, without mashing into the back of the racecar in front of him. Think about it NASCAR, it certainly would not do any harm to try it.
It did not take anyone long to realize that Sunday at Rockingham was just not supposed to be. The race never really got a chance to get underway. Maybe the Gods were telling us something. To have Dale Sr. wreck on the last lap of the last race, and then to have Dale Jr. wreck on the first lap of the very next race, was a little too much of an eerie situation to get a handle on.
Then came Monday, the chance to try it again. Another day, same race, same apprehensive feelings, but with a glorious outcome. The sun finally shone, and it shone on DEI for the second consecutive week. Many have called Steve Park's win a fitting tribute. The Polish victory lap with the black number 3 cap flying high out of the window of the number 1 DEI Pennziol racecar said it all.
The win gave Park his first victory on an oval track. He's been knocking on the door since his first win last season at the Glen. I think his win was fitting for another reason. All Fox TV could talk about Sunday was Junior and Michael Waltrip, Steve Park was not in their game plan for sensationalism. I heard it several times, and said to myself, hey, Steve Park drives for DEI too! Even now as I sit here listening to the TV while I write this, they're planning to show a rerun of the race, and they're touting Waltrip and Junior. Park won the race today, but he doesn't even get a mention?
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