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Park, a winner again, credits Gaughans' confidence
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Steve Park and Brendan Gaughan celebrate Park's Craftsman Truck Series win at California Speedway.
By JIM UTTER
ThatsRacin.com Writer
FONTANA, Calif. - Steve Park credits the confidence fellow driver Brendan Gaughan and his father, Michael, had in him, which provided the opportunity to continue racing in NASCAR.
Park earned his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win Friday night at California Speedway in a Dodge owned by Gaughan's family.
"Brendan and his dad are just awesome people. That confidence in an owner and a friend like Brendan, knowing if you're not winning races it's easy to point a finger," Park said.
"That's what's been happening to me the last couple of years. If I didn't win a race, it's because I got hurt. They know if we don't win a race its because we don't have the right equipment or our truck isn't right just yet."
Park suffered a serious head injury in September 2001 during a Busch race at Darlington, S.C. After an extended absence he returned to the series but eventually lost his Cup ride in the 2003 season.
Park was hired last season to drive Orleans Racing's No. 62 Dodge in Trucks – a team that won six races in 2003 with Gaughan as the driver.
"This is a story of winning races, getting hurt, losing your job and struggling back to winning races again," said Park, one of 10 drivers to win at least one race in NASCAR's top three series – Nextel Cup, Busch and Trucks.
"This is the closure of the chapter in that book."
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