Kenny Wallace collected a pole and a career-best runner-up finish while subbing for Steve Park.

Key stat: For Park, he went on a tear after winning at Rockingham, with the win and four other top-9 finishes in a six-race stretch. He was also riding an impressive streak at the time of his season-ending crash, having five top-10 finishes in a six-race stretch going into Darlington. As for Wallace, it was hard for him to get any momentum going while with the underfinanced Eel River team, with his top finish being 25th (twice, at Daytona and at Texas). He finally attained momentum while replacing Park, but then had two mediocre finishes (28th and 25th) in the final two races to close out the season on a sour note.

2002 outlook
What needs to be done: Judging from his performance, Wallace seemed to be a perfect fit to replace Park during the last third of the season. Both men drive with similar styles, and Wallace's runner-up showing at Rockingham in the fall showed he could take the notes acquired from when Park was behind the wheel and translate it in a successful fashion. Much of what needs to be done for the No. 1 team in 2002 will be predicated on who will be driving, and for how long. However, with what appears to be a very successful ability to interchange drivers and still retain success, it's likely this team will enjoy the same success no matter who drives its cars.

Prediction: Regardless of who winds up in the driver's seat for most of the season, the No. 1 car has a quality pilot in both Wallace and Park. While Wallace understands he's only in a fill-in role, even if he is behind the wheel for much of the 2002 season. But it'll be hard to justify pulling him out upon Park's eventual return if Wallace is enjoying a successful campaign. There have been several reports that primary team owner Teresa Earnhardt might add another car to the team for Wallace if and when Park returns, so as to keep both drivers happy -- which would be the most logical solution to the problem. If Wallace drives the No. 1 car for most of the season, he's likely to wind up with a top-20 finish by the end of the campaign. If Park comes back by midseason at the earliest, it will likely be too late for him to finish any higher than the top-30. The most likely scenario will have Wallace in the No. 1 car for the entire 2002 season, and then put Park in a second car for as long as he is able. But, if by some miracle, Park is able to start the season at Daytona or shortly thereafter -- and if he has no lingering medical problems -- he could easily pick up where he left off last season and finish 2002 in the top-10.

Your take
Can Park bounce back in 2002? Has Wallace finally found a home? Here are your thoughts.