Derrike Cope's Condition

Cope also complained of soreness, but otherwise came through the crash unscathed. He plans to drive the No. 30 Gumout Pontiac in the March 22 TranSouth Financial 400 at Darlington Raceway.

Cope led four laps in Monday's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He was running on the lead lap when a right-rear tire blew on lap 204. Cope slammed into the turn two wall. After an initial checkup at the infield care center, he was transported by ambulance to Georgia Baptist Medical Center where he was kept overnight for observation. A CAT scan and X-rays on his chest and stomach came up negative.

Cope finished 38th, but retained 31st-place in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings.

"I hate we lost so many points," Cope said Monday night from his hospital bed. "I'm telling you, this Gumout Racing team has got what it takes to run up front. We proved that. It really felt good to race up front. We'll get back to the job at hand at Darlington."

The crash briefly knocked Cope unconscious, and he could not recall the accident.

"I remember passing Dale Earnhardt and that's about the last thing I remember," Cope said of the moments right before the accident. "We're really going fast at Atlanta. Unfortunately, crashes like the one I went through are sometimes the result."

Cope plans to be fitted for a flak jacket to protect his cracked ribs for the upcoming race at Darlington.