Second Derrike Cope Fan Club Meeting Minutes by Tom Harp

The Second Annual Derrike Cope Fan Club meeting took place at the United Methodist Church in Harrisburg, NC. on Oct. 8th, 1999.

Present were 37 club members from 16 states, and of course our favorite driver, Derrike Cope. Ken Fleming from Etters, Pa. served as "Master of Ceremonies". He welcomed everyone, and thanked them for their attendance. Ken mentioned that Pennsylvania was well represented at the evening's event, with 10 fans present from that state. When Jeff Cope was introduced and mentioned that he was the only club member from Texas in the room, Ken remarked "I guess that's why they call it the Lone Star State!"

Ken introduced club Treasurer Jeff Gutshall from Butler, PA who is studying for his MBA and is taking good care of the club's purse strings. He has helped raise funds with website auctions and other creative methods, and assisted Ken and Jeff Cope in planning this evening's festivities.

Club President Jeff Cope also thanked everyone for attending. He reported that there are almost 1000 DC Fan Club members over the award-winning website. He then introduced Derrike Cope, who extended his appreciation for the fan turn out. Derrike acknowledged the value of the website, and described how he too, was becoming quite proficient in the use of his new computer.

The program was interrupted with a fine dinner of Southern barbecue, baked beans, and salads.

After dinner, Derrike spent over an hour speaking to members about the past year, his career, and hopes for the future. He mentioned his relationship with Doug Hewitt and the Bahari' racing team. He commended the Bahari' facilities and several members of the team. However, the team was never really "ready" to race competitively. The engines never had enough horsepower and "chemistry" among the team was poor. When Eel River Racing took over the operation, Derrike knew he would not be in the car the next year. He was able to sever ties without animosity. He began to question his ability for awhile, but remembered how hard he worked, from what humble beginnings he had, and became more determined than ever to stage a comeback. In his words, "the next time I get in the saddle, those guys will know I've been away for awhile!"

Derrike spoke proudly of his two young nieces who are racing out in Washington State. They have won many track titles, and are extremely competitive. He felt that one of them might become the first female driver in NASCAR, a statement that brought quite a round of applause.

Derrike talked about his new relationship with the Fenley's: Robert, Sue, and Randy Fenley. They are "racing nuts" who are willing to invest deeply in an all-out effort next year to develop a first-class car and team. When the Fenleys visited South Carolina in 1986, they fell in love with racing, and Bud Moore's operation. The shop is in Spartanburg, SC. Derrike described Joey Knuckles, his new crew chief, as "a good kid" who is "driven" to succeed. Ernie Elliott will be working on the motors. The team is so new, they don't have a pit crew yet. This year, they will be running in Charlotte and Atlanta, and testing at other tracks. Derrike described the Fenleys as being "for real" with a commitment to spend $20 million over the next two years, even if there is no major sponsor. Derrike has had many constructive meetings with the people from Ford Motor Company. He said that the spotter was Preston Miller, liaison between Ford Racing and the race teams. He looks forward to running the stronger Ford engines.

Many times during his talk, Derrike emphasized how important it was for him to enjoy racing and the people he worked with. Some of that was lost early in the year, but he senses a "rebirth" of his love for the sport with the Fenley-Moore Motorsports team! Derrike stated, "I have always believed where there is a will, there is a way". He expressed his sympathy for the fans that had to endure his troubles this season. "I felt as bad sitting on the couch as you did", he said. But, he vowed to get back in the winner's circle again. Perhaps he stated, at Daytona!

During the "Question and Answer" period, Derrike fielded a variety of questions. He talked about how important shocks were in the setup of a car. This is an area of expertise for Derrike, since he has built shocks and owns a business that manufactures specialty shocks. He intends to get personally involved in the shop operations, traveling from his home to Spartanburg several days a week. It is very important to build team morale he stated, even if just to "buy the guys lunch" once in awhile. Derrike was asked about drivers he liked to hang out with, and he mentioned Hut Stricklin and Kyle Petty. However, he admitted not to socialize too much with the other drivers because of the competitive nature of the sport. He was asked about the 2000 Taurus which he claims has its problems. He plans to race the 1999 Taurus chassis. Derrike talked about how expensive the sport was getting, mentioning that you need six qualifying engines to be competitive, at a cost of $75,000 each. He agreed with the opinion that a driver should have to race the engine he qualified with. In response to a question about NASCAR's young talent, Derrike mentioned Matt Kenseth and Adam Petty as among many superb rising stars in the sport. Derrike is not sure if his team will be running a Busch car next year.

After his talk, member Bruce Bates of Palmdale, CA presented Derrike with "Derrike Cope Fan Club" collars for his dog and cat. Newsletter editor Paulette Colella of Barrington, NJ presented Derrike with a color version of the latest newsletter.

An auction of Derrike Cope memorabilia and other fan items followed. Jeff Cope recovered from being surprised at being the auctioneer to do a fine job in raising over $1000 for the club. The top items auctioned were a full "Gumout" racing helmet at $355, and a "Bojangles" racing uniform at $250. Derrike graciously signed all items. He stayed long after the program signing autographs, posing for pictures, and just socializing with his fans.

It was a great evening of food, fun, and companionship with fellow fans, and a man deserving of our loyalty, Derrike Cope!