#37
Poison Ford
July
3, 2002 - Derrike informed us, "Renee and I attended a Poison concert in
Pennsylvania Saturday night. We had a great time. All the band members are really great
guys and are really excited about the car for the Pocono race. The car looks great! We are also preparing a showcar to go
out to the Poison concerts where fans can get their picture taken with the car as well. It looks like all the guys Bret,
C.C., Rikki, and Bobby are going to be at Pocono for the race as they have a week break in their tour.
"We have built a new car for Indy, it looks great! We are hoping to test on
the 15th & 16th of July. I do not have much more to report at this time. I will
update you soon on the Brickyard and a few other possibilities.
Indy Testing
Scheduled
June 21, 2002 - Derrike and the Quest Motor Racing #37 team have scheduled a test session
for July 15-16, 2002 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "We anticipate
having a productive test session at Indy. The data and information from that
test will be applicable for us in preparing for Pocono as well as the setups for
both tracks are similar. We are looking forward to good runs in both the Pocono
500 and the Brickyard 400. I have always gotten around Pocono well,"
Derrike commented.
As the team was not able to schedule a test at Chicago they do not plan on
entering the Tropicana 400. Tentative plans are for Derrike to run in the Pepsi
400 at Michigan on August 18, 2002.
Sirius
Satellite Radio 400
June 17, 2002 -
Derrike provided us this
post-race update:
"It was not the
outcome I was hoping for but we learned a lot as a whole. We know where a lot of
mistakes were made and the direction we need to go in to get better. We had a
problem with the engine in Happy Hour which prevented us from getting the
necessary practice, thus we really had to guess on the race set-up. When we
tested there we concentrated only on qualifying, which was a mistake. The next
time we test we will need to do some long runs to be better prepared. As for the
race the car was very tight and we were unable to get the car freed up enough to
become competitive. But, it was the first effort and we will have to put this
behind us and move forward.
"I was really pleased
to have all the support from the companies on the car... the Band Alabama, their
record label RCA Nashville, Country Cares for St. Jude's Kids, and Sunoco A-1
Plus Convenience stores.
"But, Duane Wood with
Who's Next Racing, Inc. has made it all possible with the funding necessary for
Michigan ... so a special thanks to him.
"As for the future it
is our intent to go to Chicago, Pocono, and Indy at this time. I have to say
that it felt great to be back in the car...even though we lost the power
steering a few laps into the race so it was a work out. I will keep you all
updated on some upcoming things and test sessions...hope you enjoyed it as much
as we did."
Sirius
Satellite Radio 400
May 27, 2002 -
Derrike and the team leave after the MBNA
Platinum 400 this Sunday for a two day testing session at Michigan to prepare
for the Sirius Satellite Radio 400 on June 16, 2002. "I am pleased to be
running at Dover this weekend and at Michigan later in the month. Several things
are falling into place on the sponsorship front and I anticipate that we will be
making some announcements soon. Right now we are focusing on being productive at
Dover," Derrike commented.
Derrike
Announces Charlotte Sponsorship
May 11, 2002 -
Derrike will be driving the Quest Motor Racing #37 Ford at the upcoming Winston
Open and the Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. He is pleased to
announce his affiliation with Sound Moves as the team sponsor for both the
Winston Open and the Coca-Cola 600. Sound Moves is a world leader in cargo
logistic services for live entertainment and allied industries. Sound Moves
specializes in global freight orchestration worldwide utilizing their network of
offices including locations in: New York, Los Angles, Miami, London, Mexico
City, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Singapore, and Sydney. "We are excited for the
upcoming races and are proud to be affiliated with a company with a world wide
presence," Derrike proudly commented.
Quest
to Field Two Cars at Charlotte
May 11, 2002 -
Quest Motor Racing (QMR), owned by NASCAR Winston Cup driver, Derrike Cope, will
field two (2) Winston Cup cars for the upcoming Charlotte races. GEICO Direct
agreed to a two-race deal with QMR that will include The Winston Open on
Saturday, May 18, 2002 and the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 26, 2002. Late
Thursday, Quest Motor Racing agreed to a deal with Kevin Lepage for Lepage to
drive the #38 GEICO Direct Ford in both The Winston Open and the Coca-Cola 600.
Cope's #37 Ford will be sponsored by Sound Moves, a global freight orchestration
company. Details regarding Cope's sponsorship deal with Sound Moves are
forthcoming and will be available shortly. Player Management International
coordinated both the GEICO Direct sponsorship deal and the QMR/Lepage agreement.
Derrike was excited at the news that GEICO Direct was coming on
board. "We are very pleased to have GEICO Direct on board as a sponsor with
us in Charlotte. They were on our car last year in Indianapolis and we are
excited to have them back," Cope said on Friday. "Just last week we
were trying to get a sponsorship deal put together for one car for one race and
this week have sponsorship deals for two cars for two races! It is a problem you
like to have." He added, "It made things a lot easier for us when
Kevin Lepage agreed to come on board and drive the #38 GEICO Direct Ford because
he is a proven driver with a proven track record at Charlotte and with us
working together it will definitely benefit both cars. The most important thing
is for both of us to make the Coca-Cola 600 and The Winston Open will give us a
chance to test our cars and get a feel for the track and what to expect the
following week."
Reached on Friday, Kevin Lepage was grateful for the
opportunity. "I would like to thank Derrike and GEICO Direct for giving me
the opportunity to run in two of the most internationally recognized premier
celebrations of motorsports." He added, "I'm very excited about
getting back behind the wheel of a NASCAR Winston Cup racecar. Charlotte is one
of my favorite tracks. I qualified 5th there last year and finished 13th in the
fall race. I am looking forward to the alliance with Derrike and with the two of
us working together I am looking forward to two great finishes in the #38 GEICO
Direct Ford." Lepage has 4 Top 15 finishes in six Winston Cup starts at
Charlotte.
GEICO Direct provides nationwide service and ranks as the fifth
largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States. Their
corporate headquarters is located in Washington, D.C. and since the beginning,
the GEICO name has been synonymous with outstanding service. Instead of using
agents, they have marketed directly to customers. At first those customers were
exclusively government employees. In 1958, the company began serving other
customers as well. In 1980, GEICO became the first insurer to provide 24-hour
customer service. Each week, over 10,000 drivers switch to GEICO Direct. As of
December 2001, they insured more than 4.7 million policyholders and 7.3 million
autos. They go to GEICO Direct for the savings, but they stay for the service.
Updates From Derrike
April 24, 2002 -
Derrike will not be driving the 94 car in Saturday's Auto Club 300. Commenting
on future plans, Derrike said, "We continue to focus on acquiring sponsorship for
the Winston Open and 600 in Charlotte next month. I am encouraged with the discussions
that we have had with potential sponsors. Beyond Charlotte I am looking to develop
sponsorship for some additional races during the season." Derrike will be doing two shows
for FOX Sports this weekend.
April
16, 2002 - In a recent conversation Derrike
discussed his current plans in Winston Cup, "Our focus is on the Winston
Open and the Coca-Cola 600 in May. We have the equipment at Quest to go racing.
I have been talking with potential sponsors for the Charlotte races and am
optimistic that we will have sponsorship in place for these events. Our goal is
to use Charlotte as a springboard for additional races during the year."
Derrike
to Leave CLR
March 4,
2002 - Derrike and CLR have
mutually agreed to part ways and to pursue other avenues. Derrike wishes Ted and
the CLR team the best in their racing endeavors.
Derrike Discusses
Plans for 2002
February 6,
2002 - Earlier today we had an opportunity to talk with Derrike regarding his
plans for the current season. In terms of the CLR team Derrike indicated,
"Looks like we will be running at the upcoming Las Vegas, Atlanta, and
Texas races. We are considering Talladega and Charlotte and I'm hopeful that we
will be running there also. We are scheduled to test at Texas March 22nd and
25th."
Derrike shared that Quest Motor Racing
will be entering a Ford 150 in the upcoming Daytona Craftsman Truck Race.
"Matt Mullins will be behind the wheel of Folgers-Jakada sponsored Ford. We
are pleased to be sponsored at Daytona by Morningstar Foods who is introducing
their new coffee latte drink. I am pleased to be associated with Tom Murrin and
his product team for the Daytona Craftsman Truck Race." Regarding his
driver Derrike said, "Matt is a driver with a lot of potential. I am
pleased that he will have the opportunity to showcase his talents for us at
Daytona."
Derrike will be affiliated with FOX
Sports as racing analyst again this season and will broadcast live from the
track when he is entered in the event.
Las Vegas Testing
January 28, 2002 - In
Monday's test, Derrike was 5th fastest with a time of 32.72 and speed of
165.037. In Tuesday's test in race trim, the #57 had a time of 33.07.
Daytona Testing
January 18, 2002 - In
Tuesday's testing, Derrike and the 57 CLR Ford was 26th fastest with a time of
50.325 and speed of 178.838. In Wednesday's test, Derrike was 21st fastest with
a time of 49.866 and speed of 180.484. In Thursday's test, Derrike was 29th
fastest with a time of 50.452 and speed of 178.387.
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