Richard Ernest Evans was born on July 23, 1941 in Rome, New York. He was known as the “king” of Modified racing.  Evans captured nine NASCAR Modified titles in a 13-year span, including eight in a row from 1978-1985. He ran his first oval-track car in 1962. The car was a ’54 Ford Hobby Stock named after John F. Kennedy’s torpedo boat in WWII. With Evans induction, he becomes the first non-Cup Series driver inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Evans ranked No. 1 in the 2003 voting of the “NASCAR All-Time Modified Top 10 Drivers,” and he was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers” in 1998.

Evans was killed in a crash at Martinsville Speedway while practicing for the Winn-Dixie 500 on October 24, 1985. He left behind six children.

Evan’s signature orange Modified paint scheme was replicated on a NASCAR Busch Series car in 2003 by Martin Truex, Jr in his first year on the series driving for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at Chance 2 Motorsports. Steve Park also ran a tribute paint scheme for Tommy Baldwin Racing’s #36 entry at the 2010 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Park would finish the race in 13th. Both Martin Truex, Jr and Steve Park are natives to the New Jersey area.

Come back tomorrow for our last profile, driver/owner Glen Wood.

Back then, NASCAR’s premier division was named “Winston”. There was no Chase. George W. Bush was still serving his first term as President. Gas was still being sold at a reasonable price. Baseball’s steroid era was little more than a thought.

Fast-forward to 2010, where there is now a Chase for the Sprint Cup, America is an Obama-nation, gas is more expensive than a Tiffany’s chandelier, and steroids rule baseball.

And Steve Park is driving again.

Park, whose career was marred by horrifying accidents, climbed behind the wheel of a NASCAR Car of Tomorrow for the first time ever. Driving in underfunded equipment for Tommy Baldwin Racing, it was up to Park to put the fear of the past, and unknown, behind him.

And he had to do it at the track that took his former car owner’s life.

So on Saturday night, Steve Park just went out there and drove.

Sporting a wicked orange paint job as a tribute to the late Richie Evans, Park stayed out of trouble all night. He ran competitive laps, and stayed with the draft throughout the race.

And at one point, Steve Park even led a lap.

Park would vie for a top 10 finish, and wound up 13th. Sure, he had some help from a 21-car melee with 12 laps to go. But Park maneuvered around it; something even defending race winner Tony Stewart, and four-time defending Cup champ Jimmie Johnson couldn’t do.

The sheer fact that Park showed up to compete shows that the guy can still get the job done. Some may not call it the race of his life. But I would, simply because of everything he had to overcome: The fear, the inexperience, the underfunded equipment, the mayhem.

In spite of all that, Park led laps and finished 13th.

Steve Park can still get it done.