Yellow Freight 300

March 13, 1999
Hampton, GA

This is the first return-trip to a track for the Derrike Cope/IWX Motor Freight team. The teams first NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division race together was the event last November at Atlanta.

After qualifying 25th-fastest, the team suffered a drive-train vibration in the race resulting in a disappointing 36th-place finish. Instead of risking further damage, the team determined to stop racing the ill car before further damage or an accident occurred.

For this weekends event, the team will compete in a completely new car and engine combination. Crew Chief Dave Fuge believes both will perform better.

"In last year's race we had bought the chassis and had a different motor program," said Fuge. "This year's car was built by us and put together by us, so we know that it will be a better machine. We've developed our engine program to the point that it will also be stronger going back to Atlanta."

The Atlanta event is the fourth NASCAR Busch Series event of the 1999 32-race campaign. Xpress Motorsports is currently 26th in owners points entering the event.

NOTE: These are photos before the qualifying run

Going through inspection

(March 11) - Derrike Cope, driver of the No. 61 IWX Motor Freight Pontiac, qualified eighth-fastest among 55 drivers for Saturday’s Yellow Freight 300 NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Cope toured the 1.54-mile quad-oval in 29.896 seconds for an average speed of 185.443 miles per hour. The run was the best qualifying effort for the new Xpress Motorsports Busch Series team.

“That was a really good lap,” said Cope after climbing from the car. “The first and second turns were perfect, I couldn’t have hit them better and the car performed so well. I got into turn three really well and knew we would be in good shape. Exiting turn four, I think I hit a gust of wind and lost some rpm’s in the engine, but we were strong enough to overcome that.”

The team had a strong day at the track running the 21st-fastest time in the rain-abbreviated practice session in the morning. A crash at the end of that practice session (No. 33 - Jason Jarrett) resulted in the team not being able to make its final mock qualifying run in the session.

“This is for all the guys on this team,” said Cope. “They really are working hard and that shows when you show up at a tough track like this with such a good car. I’m just very happy for each of them.”

Before the race it was reported that Derrike was battling the flu. Derrike started the race in 8th position. This is where he was during the race among the 43 drivers:

• 14th position - lap 8 of 195
• 17th - lap 19
• 20th - lap 48
• 21st - lap 77
• 19th - lap 82
• lap 85 - Derrike was passing a lapped car and Mark Krogh tried passing Derrike on the outside at the same time going into a turn. The two got together and both hit hard in the wall. Derrike's car spun around and hit the outside wall in the driver's door, much like Derrike's crash last year in Atlanta in Winston Cup. Fortunately, Derrike was able to get out of the car and walk away.

Derrike finished the race in 35th position, 110 laps down.