Save Mart/Kragen 350

June 28, 1998
Sonoma, CA

(June 21, 1998) -- Derrike Cope looks to straighten out his NASCAR Winston Cup season that has had more than it's share of twists and turns with a competitive run in Sunday's Save Mart/Kragen 350 on the winding road course of Sears Point Raceway.

Cope is coming off a 26th-place run in the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway after failing to make the starting field the previous week at Michigan Speedway. He's 38th in the point standings while just now fully recovering from two broken ribs sustained in a crash in the March 9 Primestar 500.

The San Diego native enjoys the two road course races that dot the Winston Cup schedule, but he doesn't proclaim himself one of the drivers to pick when looking for a favorite.

"I'm proficient," Cope said of his road racing skills. "I'm obviously not Joe Road Racer. I don't do it enough and I really don't have enough experience at doing it. I'm not that great. I'm anywhere from a 10th- to 12th-place guy to 20th. That's kind of where I'm at, being realistic.

"Out of both places I probably enjoy Watkins Glen more, but I run better at Sears Point. I go there and try to be smart and drive as best I can and try to get as good a finish as I can. I go out there as a realist. I'm more than likely going to have to look for the best possible finish I can."

Sears Point has a different look this year. The road course has been redesigned to a 1.95-mile road course, shortened with the elimination of the old carousel turn. Cope welcomes the changes.

"I feel like the new configuration will be interesting," Cope said. "It's kind of like the old Winston West days to a degree where you run straight up the drag strip and then come down the back section. Now that they've taken out the carousel and that area there, I think it will be more of a high-speed type road course. I don't feel like it's going to be a major problem for us. I welcome the changes they've made. But hey, I may change my mind when I get there."

Cope is hopeful of a strong run at Sears Point in order to provide Chuck Rider's Bahari' Racing team with some momentum heading into the first-ever night race at Daytona on July 4. Cope ran as high as second in the season- opening Daytona 500, before a freak pit road crash ended his chances.

In first round qualifying, Derrike entered the track as the 28th qualifier and with a time of 1:13.465 with a speed of 95.507, was in 24th position. At the end of the round, the Gumout Pontiac was left in 41st position out of 47 cars. The team ended up having to take a provisional to make the race and started the race in 41st position.

Derrike started the race in 41st position. This is where he was during the race among the 43 cars:

• 38th position - lap 3 of 112
• 32nd - lap 20
• 25th - lap 32
• 12th - lap 40
• 29th - lap 41 (Got off the course after a little spin. Unknown how it happened.)
• 37th - lap 42
• 29th - lap 66
• 11th - lap 75
• 15th - lap 90 (Something obviously happened at this point because the car kept falling back in positions but nothing was said about it on television. It appeared the car was off the track.)
• 29th - lap 91
• 34th - lap 95 (down 2 laps)

Derrike finished the race in 38th position, 20 laps down. He was able to move up to 37th in the point standings.

(June 28, 1998) -- Some good pit strategy, solid pit stops and savvy road course driving by Gumout Pontiac driver Derrike Cope nearly netted the 1990 Daytona 500 champion his best finish of the NASCAR Winston Cup season Sunday at Sears Point Raceway.

Crew chief Doug Hewitt had Cope come in early for gas late two-thirds of the way through the Save Mart/Kragen 350. Hewitt's strategy had Cope running as high as 11th with less than 25 laps remaining after he started from his 41st starting position.

But on lap 90, Cope's Pontiac wheel-hopped through turn 11 on the 1.95-mile road course, causing Cope to lose control and hit the Pontiac of Kyle Petty. The damage led to a broken rear end on Cope's Grand Prix, relegating him to a 38th-place finish. Cope still managed to rise from 38th to 37th in the point standings.

"We gained some track position through pit strategy and all that," Cope said. "I had problems wheel hopping all day long. I let Kyle go because I knew he had me beat and then another car came up there and I started wheel hopping again and ran into Kyle. When those things happens you're going to run into some grief."

Next up for owner Chuck Rider's Bahari' Racing team is Saturday's Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Cope ran as high as second in the season-opening Daytona 500 when a freak accident on pit road cost him a possible chance at victory.

Charles Campbell attended the race and provided a live report.