MBNA Platinum 400

May 31, 1998
Dover, DE

(May 27, 1998) -- In many ways, Gumout Pontiac driver Derrike Cope's victory in the 1990 Budweiser 500 at Dover Downs was more special than his season- opening win in the Daytona 500 that year. It wasn't the "gimme" many viewed his triumph at Daytona was. As Cope put it, "We flat whipped 'em."

Eight years later, Cope returns to Dover for Sunday's MBNA Platinum 400 under many of the same intriguing circumstances. Like 1990, he's in his first year with a race team, Chuck Rider's resilient Bahari' Racing outfit. And like 1990, Cope is out to prove himself. He hasn't won in his 226 starts since that magical day at Dover.

Cope's crew chief at the time, Buddy Parrott, affectionately called his driver that "little Tasmanian Devil," and Cope had to display all the attributes that led to that nickname when Parrott ran him out of gas that day. Cope peeled off pit road just slightly ahead of leader Rusty Wallace and managed to stay on the lead lap. He eventually caught a caution and worked himself back around. He roared past Ken Schrader for second-place and finally bypassed Wallace for the win.

"That car would drive off and it was actually smoking the right-front tire," Cope recalled. "After I ran Rusty down and continued to drive hard, it was still smoking the right-front, and Buddy would tell me, 'Slow down!' I said, 'I'm not going to change the way I'm driving the car. If it blows it's gonna blow, but I'm not going to change my rhythm.' I wasn't even driving it hard. I was driving it smooth, and it went on to victory."

In many ways, that victory means more to Cope than his shocking Daytona 500 triumph, when he inherited the lead after Dale Earnhardt cut a tire while running over a piece of debris. Critics viewed the win as a fluke. At Dover, Cope's dominating performance proved he was a talent capable of winning on his own at the major-league level.

"That was really the race that I felt like reinforced my belief in myself, my team and my abilities," Cope said. "Dover is both a tough track on race car and driver and it remains so today. To go up there and flat whip 'em, basically, just flat whip 'em, proved we were the best team on that Sunday. We were the best in the world on that Sunday. I proved I can run 500 miles as good as anybody, and when push came to shove, I was able to run one of the best in the business down in Rusty Wallace. The way I look at it is I can drive one of these things. It proved I know how to win."

Now the naysayers are doubting Cope's abilities again. A crash in the March 9 Primestar 500 at Atlanta broke two of Cope's ribs, while a string of accidents has further curtailed his efforts this season. But now Cope is back healthy, and like the days when he drove for Parrott, he has a group of believers behind him at Bahari' Racing.

"I think it's all about the people that surround you, the will and desire, and I have that here," Cope said. "I've never lost that desire, even though I haven't won races in a while. When I go out there I know I can win on any given Sunday. That hasn't changed, especially now because these guys believe in me. I have a passion for being in the car and plus I want to win one so bad for these guys."

Desire is something a driver must have to conquer Dover. With it's narrow racing groove, high-banked turns and concrete racing surface, Dover is one of the most physically demanding tracks on the circuit. Cope can't find a more fitting description of the track than it's nickname, the "Monster Mile."

"You just have to go out there and initiate a learning process, an apprenticeship of Dover," Cope said. "You try and gain confidence. It's a mindset. I broke loose one time there and I knocked the fence down. I had a good race car that day, too. From that point on I've kind of wondered, 'Do I really have it?' You just have to prepare yourself. I really try to feel what the race track will give me at first and then try to work up to it. I may be a bit behind, but I feel like that's the best way to approach Dover. You're just on the edge of your seat while you're on top of the wheel, a lot more than you want to be. When you gain confidence in the car, then it becomes like any other race track. If it's not right and you're on edge, then it can really take a lot out of you."

Under the toughest of circumstances, Cope is out for vindication at Dover in Sunday's MBNA Platinum 400. That "little Tasmanian Devil" is ready to give it another whirl.

Derrike went to first round qualifying and produced a time of  23.642 and speed of 152.271. At the end of the round the Gumout Pontiac was left in 31st position among 46 drivers. The team decided to stand on their time and only slipped to 32nd position where Derrike will start the race.

This is where Derrike was during the race among the 43 cars:

• 30th position - lap 8 of 400
• 21st - lap 25
• 27th - lap 74
• 25th - lap 87 (1 lap down)
• 34th - lap 161 (2 laps down)
• 36th - lap 167 (Derrike had reported a vibration which resulted in a couple pit stops to change tires, including a stop and go penalty for speeding on pit road on lap 168)
• 35th - lap 266
• 36th - lap 360

Derrike finished the race in 35th position, 10 laps down.

(May 31, 1998) -- Gumout Pontiac driver Derrike Cope had a productive run in Sunday's MBNA Platinum 400 at Dover Downs International Speedway turn sour midway through the race when unscheduled pit stops saddled him with a 35th-place finish.

Cope was running in the top-25 after starting 32nd when his car become unmanageable on the treacherous, high-banked "Monster Mile." Crew chief Doug Hewitt determined the changes and the Bahari' Racing crew swiftly made them. But when Cope returned to the track, a loose lug nut made another trip down pit road a necessity. Despite a car capable of finishing in the top-half of the 43-car field, Cope had to settle for worse.

"We had the car running decent through the first 150 miles," Cope said. "I was able to pass some people and we had a productive run going. We came back out after a pit stop and the car was just terribly loose. I couldn't drive it. I about wrecked a couple of times and we don't need to lose another car, so I pitted again. I went back out and we had a loose lugnut so I had to come back in. It was a tough day."

Owner Chuck Rider's Gumout Racing team returns to action Saturday in the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

John Kessler, Patty Leizear, and J. Seravalli were at the race and provided live reports. John's Report, Patty's Report, J.'s Report