2003 Winston Cup Season Updates

	2003 Winston Cup Season Updates
	These are various updates throughout the season on Derrike Cope's racing.

Homestead
November 11, 2003 - Derrike will be driving the #79 Dodge for Arnold Motorsports in the season's finale this weekend at Homestead, Florida. The #37 Chevy will not be entered in Sunday's Ford 400. Ernie Cope and the #37 crew will be working for Hermie Sadler's #02 for the Homestead race.

Looking back to last week's performance at Rockingham, Derrike indicated, "We were disappointed with our poor qualifying effort. We had a good run in Happy Hour with our car being better as our tires had some wear on them. In the race itself, we had the car handling well, particularly on old tires. We were running competitive times and moving up in the field. We picked up a vibration and shortly thereafter blew a left rear tire and spun out. In that incident we damaged our exhaust pipes and headers. That damage significantly affected our performance, so we took the car to the garage."

Derrike Discusses Phoenix and Atlanta
November 4, 2003 - Looking back on his recent team performance at Atlanta and Phoenix, Derrike commented, "Atlanta was a productive effort and our qualifying success provided a big morale boost for our team. Actually, our qualifying lap was just about perfect. In the race itself we had the car handling pretty well. We struggled horsepower-wise and eventually dropped out due to engine problems.

"The big issue for us at Phoenix was handling. We were 30 minutes late to practice due to problems with the steering box. Our car was loose in practice. However, each time we came in for adjustments our speed picked up when we went back out. In qualifying we were okay in turns one and two. However, we were wicked loose in three and four. As a result we just didn't make the cut. Once again we learned a lot from our experience that will serve to assist us in our quest to become more competitive." Derrike is entered in Sunday's Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400.

Subway 500
October 20, 2003 - Looking back to yesterday’s Martinsville run, Derrike summarized their day. "First, we were close to qualifying on speed. In our qualifying run I spun the tires which hurt our time. I think that occurred because we needed more forward bite. In the race after about ten laps the car would respond and then would be good on long runs. After the car came in, our lap speeds would be comparable to those of cars in the middle of the pack. In my opinion we had put together a competitive effort. Clearly, our short track program is improving. We knocked a hole in the top of the radiator when we did some front end damage to our car. We tried to keep the temperature down by removing tape on the front end to increase airflow. Eventually, overheating put us out of the race."

Derrike will be entering each of the remaining races of the 2003 Winston Cup season with PHM on the car.

Derrike Discusses Banquet 400
October 7, 2003 - We caught up with Derrike this morning after his return home from Kansas City. Looking back on Sunday’s race Derrike summed up his thoughts, "We continue to learn more each time that we are on the track. We continue to struggle with qualifying. Clearly we need more horses and are working to increase our power plant output. I was pleased with our Happy Hour. In the race, we were too loose to start and adjusted to overcome that condition. As we made changes we improved. We developed an oil leak and lost twenty laps as we repaired it. Our crew continues to improve each week as we gain additional experience."

Loudon Update
September 15, 2003 - Derrike updated us with what happened at Loudon. He said, "Again, a very disappointing outcome from Loudon. We were decent off the trailer, but kind of hit a wall as practice went on. We then had gotten a bad set of tires which we could not practice on which only left us with two sets...thus not allowing us to do a full blown simulated qualifying attempt. We then made some adjustments based on our banzai lap on 20 lap used tires. We adjusted the wrong way and when we took our attempt at qualifying we were very loose. The race track had loosened up at the same time by comments and times of the other competitors. With some of the other prominent teams having trouble like Bobby Labonte and Steve Park, we were unable to use one of our existing provisionals. The bottom line is we just have to get better on Friday's!

"Loudon was the race where the two winners of the Friendly's summer promotions were to come and enjoy the race, only to have us miss the race. The Ultimate Race Weekend winners Stan and Michele Barker spent the weekend with me and we still had a great time. Additionally, Seneca Tedford, the winner of the Coloring Contest from the Friendly's Restaurant visits, was at the race track with her family as well. On Saturday evening Friendly's catered a dinner for all of them as well as the entire team. Under difficult circumstances I believe everyone had a great time. Since we were unable to participate in the race with Seneca's design we will be taking the same car with her design to Dover so that Seneca can see her car race!

"Thanks for hanging in there with us. With the added news of Primary Sponsorship for the entire 2004 season with PHM, I am sure we can right the ship and become a lot more productive as we proceed."

Mountain Dew Southern 500 Update
September 1, 2003 - After the race Derrike said, "The Darlington weekend was still not what we have been looking for. We encountered a number of problems throughout the weekend which among other things left us with little practice time. We had to take a provisional in qualifying which still seems to be our biggest problem. As the race began we were a little too tight with the chassis set-up. Ernie had made a lot of changes before the race and definitely went the right way. The car was pretty productive. But right away we had a problem with a spark plug wire and lost laps fixing the problem but returned to the race. We continued to adjust the car throughout the day and were making some headway with the car and getting it faster. I was driving the car probably a little too aggressively for being laps down and I ran out of room coming of turn two and got a Darlington stripe. We fixed the fenders and went back out only to do it again. This time I bent the right front lower ball joint and bent the rear end truck arms which ended our day.

"We now look ahead to Loudon, NH. We will skip the Richmond race to get ready for Loudon where we will debut the new paint scheme for the Friendly's Coloring Contest winner, and also have on hand the winner of the Ultimate Race Weekend Sweepstakes.

"This is going to be a really big weekend for us. We will be taking the hauler and the new car to the middle school of the winner prior to the race weekend and then be doing an appearance at the Friendly's Restaurant in Concord, NH on Thursday night. A lot going on and it should be an exciting week for everyone. We will update you again after the Loudon weekend. Talk to you soon."

Derrike Updates Us
August 25, 2003 - Derrike informed us about Bristol and upcoming races. He said, "This past weekend was a huge disappointment to myself along with the crew of the Friendly's Chevrolet. We had the car a little too tight when it came to the chassis set-up and during my qualifying lap I got sideways and that was all it took to not run fast enough. The field was separated by less than two-tenths of a second, thus we were not up in the points enough to get a provisional. So we will go to Darlington, Richmond, and back to Loudon. We will continue to work hard to get better in all areas.

"We are excited about the upcoming race at Loudon where we will showcase the winner of the coloring contest by having the Friendly's Chevrolet painted up like the drawing. We will be taking the car by their school as well. Also Loudon marks the date of the winner of the Ultimate race weekend promotion where the winner will stay in a luxury coach along side myself for the weekend. This should be a great weekend for everyone."

Derrike Comments on the Brickyard 400
August 5, 2003 - We spoke to Derrike earlier today regarding his 36th place finish in Sunday’s Brickyard 400. "First, let me say that it was great to be in the event. Indy is a special place with a wealth of history for both drivers and race fans. Because of our poor qualifying we took a provisional. We went out to qualify in the 40th spot. That was a bad draw as we felt our best qualifying prospects would be if we drew a spot in the top 15. We struggled in both qualifying and Sunday’s race with speed. We were OK on the straight stretches. Our problem was that we were getting beat coming off the corners. We needed more low-end torque from our power plant. That’s an issue that we will focus on for Michigan."

Overall Derrike was positive regarding the team's improvement as evidenced by their finish and commented, "We continue to improve and to use our experience to better prepare us for upcoming races. Sunday Friendly’s and GB Online both got some good exposure during the race and in TV coverage." Derrike shared that, "Early in the race we broke the Heim joint in the sway bar. The team did a good job of repairing that in the pits. However, that put us behind a few laps. Later, we blew a right front tire and as a result had a lot of fender damage. Late in the race Jason Leffler blew a tire when I was passing. That threw him up in front of me and I couldn’t avoid hitting him. That tore up the front end of our car."

This week will be an off week for Derrike and the team as they prepare for Michigan in two weeks. On August 11, 2003, Derrike will be at The Weston in Charlotte, North Carolina with the show car. Also, he will address The Starwood General Manager’s meeting that day at the Weston.

Cope's Car Travels Uphill
July 18, 2003 - On a laundry list of the laudable following a Winston Cup win - wives, accountants, multinational corporations - the "guys back at the shop" are rarely forgotten by appreciative drivers.

With a season-best finish of 29th, Derrike Cope likely won't be rattling off his checkered-flag checklist anytime soon. But if the Spanaway, Wash., native were to snag a victory even more unexpected than his Daytona 500 stunner in 1990, he wouldn't be sending a long-distance shout to the unheralded and unknown faces responsible for crafting his winning car. The guys back at the shop also would be the guys standing next to him in victory lane.

In his first year as a Winston Cup car owner-driver, the 44-year-old has embarked on an ambitious schedule of attempting at least 20 races with a skeleton crew. Cope employs three full-timers on his No. 37 Chevrolet. When the team hits the road, the lights are turned off at the headquarters in Huntersville, N.C. - an unheard of concept in an era when new engines and cars are cranked out around the clock by crews that never set foot in a superspeedway.

"It's unfathomable what we've done with what we have," Cope said. "It's a credit to the heart and desire of these guys."

He has missed five races but has started seven, which is respectable considering his staff is dwarfed by multicar teams dedicating as many as 45 to 50 mechanics for each car. Cope plugs holes with a mishmash of personnel. A few attendees of a NASCAR vocational school pitch in to build bodies during the week. Versatile hired hands help handle shocks, tires and pit stops on weekends. The makeshift approach apparently is making progress. In his past two races, Cope has clawed his way into the field without a provisional. Last week at Chicagoland Speedway, he qualified 25th ahead of cars from Roush Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Robert Yates Racing and Richard Childress Racing.

"That's an accomplishment," Cope said. "That's what we're striving for is to not take provisionals. I don't feel we get in a race unless we get in on merit by being one of the top 36 [qualifiers]. I'm not satisfied unless that happens."

He should possess a decent shot at qualifying on speed for Sunday's race at New Hampshire International Speedway, which underwent another off-season facelift in the wake of heavy criticism following last July's race. A repaving has widened the 1.058-mile oval's racing surface to include the apron, and Cope, Jeff Gordon, Ricky Craven, Tony Stewart and Dave Blaney are armed with testing experience. Cope will need the edge. Friendly's, which has provided the bulk of funding for Cope's low-budget team, is based in New England, bringing immense expectations to his tiny squad.

"This is our biggest race of the year, and we put the pressure on ourselves," Cope said. "We're so small, it's often tough to rebound on things like rules changes. It's just takes a while to get on top of the game, but we're starting to make inroads."

By Nate Ryan - Courtesy of Richmond Times-Dispatch

Indy Testing
July 17, 2003 - Derrike tested in Indianapolis on Monday and was 24th fastest of 26 drivers with a time of 171.275. He took the second lowest number of laps with 32 compared to some other drivers who took over 100 laps. Rain postponed testing on Tuesday. On Wednesday Derrike was 21st fastest of 22 drivers with a time of 173.429 and after running 25 laps.

Derrike's Update
July 6, 2003 - Derrike updated us today. He said, "As far as what I have been doing...it has been a very busy time for me. I was in Seattle for a week. I went to see my nieces race, and then was with Performance Friction Brakes visiting the Checker, Schucks, and Kragen Auto Parts Stores making sales calls. Then it was off to Milwaukee for the BGN race with Jay Robinson Racing #49.

"We tested the Cup car last week in Loudon, NH on Monday and Tuesday. The test went very well! We were able to try a lot of things to get a feel for the balance of these cars. We also had some very good cars to compare to: Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Ricky Craven. We look forward to going back as the car seemed to respond very well and we should be competitive.

"I was in the #49 BGN car in Daytona. We struggled there and did not have a very productive day, but sometimes things just do not work out the way you hope. But, we will go on to Chicago and try and do better. We will go to Indy to test on Monday and Tuesday after Chicago before heading up to Loudon, NH. I will let you know how our weekend went at Chicago as well as the test at Indy. Talk to you soon."

Sirius Satellite Radio 400
June 11, 2003 - Derrike updated us, "Obviously Pocono did not go as planned. We lost an engine again after just three laps on the track and it took most of the practice to get it changed. Just did not get a real good opportunity to get going. We continue to make some changes in the engines, and have again done so for this weekend's race in Michigan where GBROnline.com will be the primary sponsor, Friendly's Ice Cream Corp. will be an associate sponsor, and NextStudent.com will also be an associate sponsor. The schedule right now will be Michigan, Loudon testing, Chicagoland, Indy testing, and then Indy."

NextStudent
May 22, 2003 - Derrike is pleased to announce that NextStudent.com has extended their sponsorship to include the MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 to be run at Dover, Delaware on Sunday, June 1, 2003.

Derrike Updates Us
May 19, 2003 - Derrike updated us with some information about the Winston Open. In addition to Great Barrier Reef Online as the sponsor, the sponsor for the one race was NextStudent.com. Derrike said, "We were very happy to have them on board for the weekend. The company helps families with consolidation of loans for college students and all available information on federal loan opportunities." Derrike believes a college education is most important and with NextStudent providing student financial aid and counseling to parents and college-bound, college, and graduate students, the goal of an education is in reach.

Derrike continued, "As far as The Winston Open went...well, not as good as I had hoped for. We had to change engines prior to qualifying and start at the back, which got us behind, plus we had the car a little too tight and could not come back from it in 20 laps. We are at the chassis dyno at this very moment to get a fix on where we are at...and to see if there are any problems that we can change for Qualifying on Thursday night. We will be taking the Friendly's car, along with Great Barrier Reef Online as an associate sponsor back to Charlotte. We continue to struggle, but as I have said we are not going to feel sorry for ourselves or give up. We are capable and will continue to strive to get better each week...until we do.

"Next week we will be testing at Pocono which is one of Friendly's races... as is Dover. So after the test we will head straight to Dover for that race, and then we will be back at Michigan in the Great Barrier Reef Online car there with Friendly's as an associate Sponsor."

Derrike Comments on California
April 30, 2003 - Looking back on Sunday’s race at California, Derrike shared the following. "Obviously we are disappointed with the end result. We had put a lot of effort into preparing for California. Our problem in qualifying was handling. We couldn’t get the car to turn. That can mean two or three tenths which makes a world of difference. We have made some significant changes to address this problem for this week’s race in Richmond. Our engine program can be best described as aggressive. I am pleased with the horsepower numbers that we are achieving. T and L have been working with us on engine development and we have seen significant increases in horsepower. Our challenge now is to address the longevity issues and balance horsepower with durability. I’m confident that we will do that. We were hoping for a better showing for Great Barrier Reef in their initial race as our sponsors. They are great people and we look forward to continuing our relationship. We will be carrying them on our car for the upcoming Winston Open."

Looking ahead to Richmond, Derrike commented. "This weekend will begin the Friendly’s summer promotion. We are looking forward to representing them well. We are making aero changes to increase down force and enhance turning. I expect that these changes and increasing engine reliability will enable us to have a good run at Richmond."

Great Barrier Reef to Sponsor Car
April 22, 2003 - Derrike informed us that Great Barrier Reef will be the Primary Sponsor this weekend at California and will stay with the team as an Associate Sponsor for the rest of the year. Derrike said, "They start at California this week, then the first Michigan race, and then Chicagoland. I am delighted to be working with Mike Hardy and all the folks from GBR Online. This is a great branding opportunity for them and a perfect way to add more exposure about their services. Check them out!" Press Release

Derrike told us, "Right now we are pretty excited about the opportunity with Great Barrier Reef as sponsor...as well as preparing ourselves for a number of races coming up. It looks like we will run...California, Richmond, Winston Open, Charlotte, Dover, Pocono, then Michigan. There is a lot of racing coming up and the guys are really working hard."

Richmond Test Session Positive
April 22, 2003 - Derrike and the #37 team tested at Richmond on April 15 and 16. “All in all we were pleased with the results that we achieved in testing at Richmond," Derrike commented. "The first day the track surface was extremely slippery as it had just been sealed. As a result the car was tight and due to the slippery surface we couldn’t let it all hang out. The second day the surface came around and we picked things up significantly. We were running with the competition. We acquired a lot of data as we tried a number of things. This will enable us to make changes to improve our handling characteristics and increase our speed."

Martinsville and California
April 9, 2003 - Derrike will be piloting the #37 Chevrolet at the Martinsville Speedway this weekend. Commenting on Martinsville, Derrike indicated that, "We are looking forward to Martinsville. We will be running the same car as we ran in Bristol. Based on our run there we have made some modifications specific to the track at Martinsville. Following Martinsville we will run at California and will be running a new car there in the Auto Club 500. Martinsville and California will provide us the opportunity for our team to gain additional experience to prepare us to represent Friendly’s well at Richmond in the Pontiac Excitement 400."

The Quest Motor Racing team conducted wind tunnel testing last Thursday. "We took both of our speedway cars to the wind tunnel. Our goal was to assess where we were at with the performance of these units. As you would expect we identified both positive and negative aspects with the aerodynamics in each of these cars. We got a good baseline of data and now know what to do to enhance the performance of our speedway cars," Derrike remarked.

Commenting on Saturday’s Busch race at Talladega Derrike indicated, "My running this race was a last minute deal. We ran a different car than we had run at Daytona. We were fortunate to miss the big wreck at Talladega and finished a solid fourteenth."

Derrike Comments on Bristol
March 26, 2003 - We talked with Derrike earlier today regarding last week's outing at Bristol. "We had a strong qualifying effort at Bristol. We are particularly pleased as we were running a car that was not designed for that type of track. The team did an exceptional job to make the necessary adjustments to the car. Our motor was good and had strong acceleration. The car handled well in the qualifying run and obviously was quick. We had some productive practices and concentrated on runs using old tires to adjust the handling for race conditions. That meant somewhat slower times in practice.

"We were quick from the start in Sunday’s race. I was able to get right to the bottom of the track and stay there. Clearly we had made the right handling adjustments to the car. However, early on I noticed that the car was running hot. Evidently a fitting on the block broke which let the water out. The rest is history."

Derrike and the team have scheduled test sessions for Richmond April 15 and 16 and at Pocono May 28 and 29.

Looking ahead Derrike shared, "For a small group, we are doing an excellent job. I am proud of our organization and our team spirit. I am excited with our prospects. Within a week we will have three down force cars completed and ready for testing. In addition our fourth down force car is being assembled. As of now we are planning to run the upcoming races at Martinsville and California."

Bristol
March 19, 2003 - Derrike is really excited about the motor they will be using this weekend and is expecting a good result. Derrike told us the reason they are going to Bristol is because the team decided not to go to Texas. Also cancelled is the Kentucky testing session since it was primarily geared toward going to Texas.

Daytona Update
January 27, 2003 - Derrike and the Quest Motor Racing team are finalizing preparation for a busy schedule at Daytona as the 2003 racing season gets under way in February. Earlier today Derrike shared the following, “We are delighted to have the sponsorship of Friendly’s and to represent them at the Super Bowl of auto racing, the Daytona 500. After our Daytona testing in January, we learned a lot as we evaluated our test data and I feel good about what we have done to improve our performance both in terms of horsepower and addressing aero issues. Frankly, I believe that we are going back to Daytona with a much improved car.”

In addition to the Daytona Winston Cup and Busch races, Derrike will also be driving in the Rolex 24 to be run at Daytona February 1-2, 2003. Derrike will join team members Chris Bingham, Brian DeVries, and Larry Oberto as they pilot the #21 Nissan entry of Archangel Motorsports Services, Inc. See www.archangelmotorsports.com for additional details.

Looking beyond Daytona, Derrike commented, “Right now we are planning a limited schedule for the Winston Cup season. As we secure additional sponsorship, we anticipate expanding our schedule. Overall, we are encouraged at this time. Things are falling into place. Following Daytona we will be at Rockingham. Our car for the Rock is ready and our back-up car will be completed this week.”

Derrike to be Sponsored by Friendly's in 2003
January 16, 2003 - Friendly's will sponsor Derrike and Quest Motor Racing for races in 2003. Please see the press release for more information.

Derrike Comments on Daytona Test
January 10, 2003 - As you can imagine things are busy at Quest Motor Racing after this week's test sessions at Daytona. Earlier today, Derrike shared his thoughts on their effort, “Obviously we were disappointed with the speeds that we achieved at Daytona. However, I was extremely pleased with our team effort. Our crew chief, Ernie Cope, and I were pleased with how we came together as a unit.”

Assessing the need to pick up additional speed Derrike commented, “We have our car on the chassis dyno now running tests to measure our horsepower output. Also, we are making several aero changes in the car that we tested and our second speedway car. I suspect that we may have slightly missed front end shaping based on our analysis of our testing data. We are addressing that issue while looking at horsepower. We need to pick up an increase in speed of about six tenths. Putting it in perspective, 7 additional horsepower at the rear wheels amounts to a three tenth increase in speed. That can be achieved either by producing additional horsepower, an improved aero package, or a combination of the two.”

Looking ahead to this years Daytona 500 Derrike remarked, “As you can imagine we are working feverishly to prepare for this years race and the upcoming season. We have reliable test information that will enable us to enhance our speed. Bottom line, I am excited and am confident that when we go to Daytona in February that we will be ready.”

In Thursday's morning session, Derrike had a time of 50.267 with speed of 179.044. The afternoon time was 50.144 with speed of 179.483 In Wednesday's testing, Derrike's morning time was 50.255 with speed of 179.087. The afternoon time was 50.133 with speed of 179.522. In Monday's testing, Derrike's morning time was 50.709 with speed of 177.483. The afternoon time was 50.431 with speed of 178.299.

Derrike Consults for Howard in '03
January 5, 2003 - Shelby Howard will have additional expertise in his pits in 2003. The 17-year-old driver starts his second full year in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with NASCAR Winston Cup veteran Derrike Cope serving as a team consultant. Cope, the winner of the 1990 Daytona 500, will be on hand for all of the races that accompany the Winston Cup Series as well as a variety of test sessions.

Howard and Cope first crossed paths at Daytona last month and later had a chance to sit down and talk about the possibility of working together. The new arrangement has already proven to be productive by the results of a test session at Talladega last week. Howard is excited about having the chance to work with Cope and eager to learn all he can. “This is a great opportunity for me," said Howard. "Being able to bounce questions off of a Daytona 500 winner is just amazing. He has already been a big help and taught me quite a bit. I wish our season started tomorrow."

Team owner Shelby Howard III says that bringing Cope on board is being viewed by the whole team as a necessary step. “We had a rookie team and a rookie driver last season, so we had to learn things the hard way. Our guys know that having a seasoned driver like Derrike can only speed up our progression toward becoming a championship team.”

Cope is equally energized about teaming up with Howard for the upcoming ARCA campaign. “I’ve been able to spend some time with Shelby at the track as well as away from it and we've established a good rapport," said Cope. "I’ve been impressed with the way he approaches things and how well he absorbs information."

In addition to the typical ARCA test sessions, Howard will also climb behind the wheel of Cope’s Winston Cup car to gain additional experience. “I’m planning on taking Shelby with us when we test at Kentucky, Lakeland (FL), and Virginia (International Raceway). Anytime he can jump in the seat and log more time will only be beneficial to him down the road,” added Cope.

The 2003 ARCA RE/MAX season kicks off at Daytona next month with the Advance Discount Auto Parts 200 on February 8. The race will be broadcast live on SPEED Channel at 4 pm eastern time.