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Bruce Bates |
| I have followed NASCAR racing for
many years. I grew up in Birmingham, AL and it was only natural that I became a big fan of
the "Alabama Gang". My favorite was Bobby Allison. I went to several races at
Talladega and would listen to many of the other races on radio and watch a few on TV. By
the way, yes I can remember when all the races weren't televised. When Bobby was severely injured at Pocono, I was deeply saddened but it was just a few years later that he started his own Winston Cup team. A parade of drivers finally ended with Derrike Cope. I had watched Derrike win the Daytona 500 but really had not followed his career until he signed on with the #12. I grew to really like Cope and at some time there I became a fan of his and not just because he drove for Bobby Allison.
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I have been able to watch Derrike in several races
including Talladega, most recently at California Speedway, and also at Phoenix where he
finished second in 1995. I really like the new team with SKITTLES® Bite Size Candies as
the sponsor. It is especially nice that they don't seem to have the financial instability
that many of the teams have. I expect great things to happen as the team gains experience
at all the tracks and with each other.
I also hope Derrike has the opportunity to drive in
the Busch Grand National and Craftsman Truck series in the near future. The fan club site
has been a great place to get all the latest info about the team and I have contributed
several Race Reports to it. I really enjoy reading other fans' experiences at the other
tracks. While I hope to see Bobby Allison associated with this great sport in the future,
I can easily say that I will be a Derrike Cope fan for a long time to come.
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