Dave Fuge

Dave Fuge Team Manager and Derrike
Crew Chief No. 61 Xpress Motorsports Pontiac

Career Highlights:

• Hired by Xpress Motorsports as crew chief in spring of 1997
• Won three pole-positions as team owner in 1994, including Daytona 500
• Has worked with drivers: Bill Elliott, Derrike Cope, Ernie Irvan, Hut Stricklin, Bobby Allison, and Bobby Hamilton in 10 years of involvement in NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing
• Research and Development consultant to Bill Elliott Racing in 1996 and was in charge of overseeing construction of new fleet of cars
• An equal partner in Tristar Motorsports, Inc. through 1995. Accomplished several top-10 finishes and the NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award in 1990 with driver Bobby Hamilton
• Member of the original Winston Cup team that served as consultants to the Clemson University Motorsports Engineering Department, the first such academic department of its kind
• Instrumental in the development of software used to measure suspension geometry and fixtures through the program at Clemson
• Owned Fuge Racing Enterprises from 1982 to 1988, which built NASCAR Sportsman cars for many West Coast tracks. Featured in Stock Car Racing magazine for having over 100 cars competing on different tracks and was the largest distributor of many parts manufacturers in the region.

"I am a very competitive person," said Dave Fuge, crew chief and team manager for the No. 61 Xpress Motorsports Pontiac driven by Derrike Cope. "I work very hard to make sure we are ready to win every race. That's what racing is all about."

Fuge has a long history in the sport starting in 1970 at Spanaway Speedway in Tacoma, Wash. Between 1970 and 1982 Fuge built his knowledge and skills working for a variety of teams in competition in late models, NASCAR Sportsman, Winston West and NASCAR Winston Cup races that took place on the west coast.

In 1982 he founded Fuge Racing Enterprises, a race car manufacturing business in the Northwest. Fuge's business grew to have over 100 cars competing on the west coast with some track boasting as much a 70 percent "Fuge" cars. It was during this time period that Fuge gained the respect of current Winston Cup driver Derrike Cope, who was just starting his career.

In 1987, Cope and his Winston West team moved east to compete in the growing Winston Cup Series. Dave Fuge was tapped as the team manager and crew chief. After a few learning seasons of Winston Cup competition, Fuge became an owner of Tri-Star Motorsports, a NASCAR Winston Cup Series team in 1989.

Between 1989 and 1995, Fuge and his business partners had considerable success when considering the financial shortcomings. The team won the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year battle with Bobby Hamilton as its driver. The uphill battle for sponsorship and struggles of fielding an under- funded team resulted in Fuge selling his portion of the team in January of 1996.

After a year with Bill Elliott Racing as a research and development consultant, and a brief stint at Diamond Ridge Motorsports, Fuge joined the upstart Xpress Motorsports team in April of 1997.

"The opportunity to work with this team was perfect for me," said Fuge. "I have constantly been in a position where I've had to fight uphill battles.

"Everything is here to win," he continued. "Steve Coulter, our team owner, has given us all the pieces. I try to stress that to our guys here at the shop. In racing, you don't always have everything available for you to win.

"In the past, I think I've had the knowledge and I've certainly gained the experience," he said. "But, winning is why I'm here.

When the prospects of Fuge and Cope getting back together came together, Fuge enthusiastically embraced the move to the Grand National Series.

"This is really something Derrike and I have talked about for a long time," said Fuge. "Everything has come together and the timing on this couldn't be any better. With everything we have here at Xpress Motorsports and Derrike as our driver, I know we can put together a winning effort."