Resilient should be Steve Park's middle name. You can smash him, trash him, even fire him -- and yet Park finds a way to bounce back each time.

He came back from a near-fatal crash at Darlington (S.C.) two years ago. He ignored a barrage of media criticism saying he couldn't drive at the Winston Cup level once he made a full-time return after his wreck.

And then, earlier this year, just two days after being fired as the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet by Dale Earnhardt Inc., Park once again bounced back when he was hired by Richard Childress Racing to replace Jeff Green behind the wheel of the No. 30 Chevrolet. Green himself had been fired just one day earlier (coincidentally, Green would go on to replace Park at DEI, only to be released two weeks ago in favor of John Andretti).

As he rolls into New Hampshire International Speedway for this weekend's Sylvania 300, Park hopes to move back into the top-30 in the standings, with an eye on finishing the season in the top-25. He currently sits 31st, and returns to NHIS where he earned his second-highest finish of the season in July when he wound up eighth in the New England 300.

"I really am looking forward to going back to New Hampshire," Park said, where he's recorded two top-10 finishes in his last four starts there. "I call it home, even though it's not really where I'm from, but I used to race there a lot in the Modifieds, the Busch North and Truck Series. I always look forward to going to NHIS."

Park, whose best finish of the season has been fifth (at Michigan last month), has started better in races -- he has two poles in the first 26 races this season -- than he's finished. While he's still looking for his first win of the season, Park can't help but reflect on the emotional ride he's endured the last two years since his horrendous crash at Darlington.

"The last 18 months, two years have been a roller coaster," Park said. "You all know the situations I've been in: being hurt, losing a ride, getting a new ride. All we want to do is land on our feet, race to win and be in a position to be competitive week in and week out."

Rumors have recently surfaced that Park will look for a new ride at season's end, that he doesn't figure in RCR's plans for 2004 along with current teammates Kevin Harvick and Robby Gordon. While team owner Richard Childress has not publicly said where Park fits in the team's future, Park isn't going to let the speculation and innuendo stop him. He's been down this road before, and if it happens again he just moves forward.

"I'm almost numb from hearing that I'm losing my job," Park said. "That's been going on for the last two years. Heck, if I lose my job, there are others out there. I'm not going to harp on it or ruin my life over it. I've had such a great career in auto racing, getting a chance to work for the great Dale Earnhardt and up at RCR. I'm just very fortunate and very happy for DEI in the time I spent there and I'm really happy to be at RCR.

	Steve Park was on the pole for last July's Pepsi 400.

"We have to develop the (No. 30) team to where it needs to be. Richard (Childress) knows that, I know that. If we get the chance, we can move forward to make this team one that's capable of running up front and winning races. We have made improvements in the short amount of time that we've been there, and we just hope that we can extend that relationship so we can continue to make improvements and put that team back on the map and put the No. 30 back out front where it needs to be."

Park is still reflecting on the post-race incident last Saturday night in Richmond between teammate Harvick and Ricky Rudd's crew, which prompted NASCAR officials to place Harvick on probation through the end of the year, the second time in as many seasons that he's been slapped with such a serious penalty.

"With every reaction comes a consequence, and NASCAR is really handing down some consequences for all the people that were involved," Park said. "Tempers fall short on a short track. Even I felt bad for Kevin when that happened. He had a shot at winning the race or finishing in the top two or three. I was kind of upset too, so I can see tempers flaring up, but it's one of those situations where it's hard to stay in control on a short track.

"You have to learn to control your emotions. If you can't control them, NASCAR is there to hand down a penalty. His team is very protective of Kevin. That's why that situation got blown out of proportion, because a lot of the crew members went down there to make sure Kevin was OK. They think the world of Kevin and they are there to protect him.

"A lot of those guys are a little bigger than Kevin is, and they rallied around their driver. He's a championship-caliber driver in a position to race for the championship, and they weren't as upset and not being as aggressive with Rudd's team, I think their main concern was making sure Kevin was OK and surrounded. Tempers got out of control, and who knows what was said around those cars? They just reacted to what was said."

If Park found himself in a similar situation, he'd have traveled a different road than Harvick and his crew did last Saturday.

"First of all, I wouldn't put myself in that situation," Park said. "I get mad, but I try not to express myself in a way (like) that. You have to remember you represent a sponsor. I try to present myself in a professional manner and represent myself and all the sponsors on my uniform. I would try not to be in the position where NASCAR has to hand down a penalty to me so I would behave myself."

With 10 races left in the season, Park's goal is clear: continue improving both personally and as part of his team. If, at season's end, he's released, so be it.

But if Park is retained by RCR in 2004, he'll be able to build on what he's learned this season and, with a full season ahead of him, he may return to the winning form that he displayed before his devastating crash at Darlington in 2001.

"It might be difficult for somebody else (to move ahead despite all the rumors that are being whispered about him), but it's been going on so long in my life and my career that I am numb to it," Park said. "I just do the best I can week in and week out. I know that I am with a team that is capable of running up front and I know we can develop this to a team that can win races and run up front.

"That's the only thing that's going to make me happy, make Richard happy and our sponsors happy. That's what we are shooting for."

Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Motorsportwriter@MSN.com.