Michelle Arntson

I became a Derrike Cope fan a couple of years ago after seeing his commercials. I know that sounds really, really weird but there was something about Derrike that really appealed to me so I started watching races, asking questions, and generally making a pest of myself. Most people I talked to had no idea who he was; a few knew he was the guy who won the 1990 Daytona race. But I'm stubborn.

So I went to the race at California Speedway where Derrike was starting in the last position. Well, as race fans know, the drivers are introduced starting with the end of the field. Here they are tooling around the track and there he is, waving at the crowd. I, who happened to be seated in the middle of about a billion Jeff Gordon fans, jump up, yelling and cheering for Derrike, totally oblivious to the strange looks I'm getting from all around me. Turns out, I'm pretty much the only person cheering, jumping up and down, and generally making a fool of myself for Derrike. Being the kind of person I am though, I looked around and said, "What? There are other drivers besides Jeff Gordon." Needless to say, I got some very nasty looks. Oh well, that's me, making friends wherever I go.

After that incident, I became an exceptionally devoted DC fan and have found myself in numerous conversations and arguments over him. He is one of the few guys out there that is truly a gentleman, so as long as he's racing, I'll be a loyal fan.