UAW-GM Quality 500

October 11, 1999
Concord, NC

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 4) – It’s showtime for the newly created Fenley-Moore Motorsports operation of Spartanburg, S.C., which takes to the Lowe’s Motor Speedway 1.5-mile tri-oval for this weekend’s UAW-GM Quality 500.

Formed this past August under the ownership of brothers Randy and Robert Fenley, Robert’s wife Sue, and legendary car owner Bud Moore, the team and its venerable #15 ride again with 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope behind the wheel of the Fenley-Moore Motorsports Ford Taurus.

While the Fenleys are living a dream by taking part in their first Winston Cup event as team owners, it’s an altogether different story for Moore, who has been a part of the NASCAR scene since its inception in 1948 and is the fifth-winningest car owner of all time.

“We’re all anxious as can be to get back to the racetrack,” Moore said. “The Fenleys, Derrike, (crew chief) Joey Knuckles, and me … this is a very special group in the making, and I think we’re going to have a good run. We had a good test here a few weeks ago and I honestly I think we have a heck of a good race car. I think we even have a shot at the pole. That would certainly get us off on the right foot, wouldn’t it?”

This weekend’s event kicks off an ambitious preparation schedule for the full 2000 season by the Fenley-Moore camp. Tests are set for Rockingham and Las Vegas in the coming weeks, followed by the season-ending NAPA 500 at Atlanta Nov. 21, and January testing at Daytona.

“Our plan for this rest of this year is to use Charlotte and Atlanta and our extensive test schedule in preparation for the first four races next year,” said Cope. “In a lot of respects, this is a new race team, and we all realize how important it will be to start the 2000 season strongly, But, first things first, we’re feeling confident coming into this weekend. Our test went well here, and the team made several improvements to the car since then. I really feel things are coming together and we’re ready to show people what the future of Fenley-Moore Motorsports will look like.”

Practice and qualifying for this weekend’s UAW-GM Quality 500 begin Wednesday (Oct. 6). Race time is Sunday (Oct. 10) at 1:05 pm. EDT with live television set for TBS.

In practice on Wednesday, Derrike was driving the #15 Ford which was black with day-glo yellow numbers. The back of the car said Taurus2K and the hood had Ford Racing. The team was still in negotiations with potential sponsors. The best lap was 43rd fastest with a time of 29.991 and speed of 180.054.

In first round qualifying, Derrike came out 26th of 50 drivers and produced a time of 29.597 and speed of 182.451. This was good enough for 16th position. At the end of the round, the #15 Ford was left in 24th and the new team started their first race.

Various news articles appeared because of Derrike's first round qualifying:
CountryCool.com, Seattle Times, That's Racin'

In Thursday's first practice, the #15 Ford Taurus was 42nd fastest with a time of 30.613 and speed of 176.395. In Thursday's second practice, the car was 41st fastest with a time of 31.090 and speed of 173.689. In Happy Hour on Saturday, Derrike was 42nd fastest with a time of 31.327 and speed of 172.375.

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 6) ­ Derrike Cope qualified the #15 Fenley-Moore Motorsports Ford Taurus 23rd on the starting grid for Sunday’s UAW-GM Quality 500 during Bud Pole Qualifying tonight at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Cope recorded a qualifying lap of 29.597 seconds, an average of 182.451 mph over the 1.5-mile Lowe’s tri-oval. Sunday’s 1 p.m. EDT race start will be the first for the newly revitalized Fenley-Moore Motorsports operation of Spartanburg, S.C., which features legendary car builder Bud Moore and new owners Randy and Robert Fenley, and Robert’s wife Sue.

DERRIKE COPE ­ "I feel good. To get qualifying over with tonight and have this kind of modest success, I feel really good, and I know the rest of the guys do, too. We do realize that we have a long way to go. I’m a realist, and, believe me, this is really tough racing out here with the best of the best. We locked up a Top 25 spot in our very first time out and that’s a really big step for us. We had some problems in practice today ­ a miss in the motor, an ignition box problem, a spark plug problem. I never got a chance to do a simulated qualifying lap. So, to go out there cold turkey tonight and do this kind of a lap, that’s just great. Now that we’re in the show, it’s important for us to work on a lot of things beginning tomorrow morning with shocks and chassis setup and try and get a feel for what we’re going to need for long runs on race day. If you think about it, these guys haven’t been together for more than a short period of time. Nobody panicked today. Everyone stayed calm, went about their business, and made good conscious decisions. We’re off to a good start from the standpoint of making the most of a tough situation."

RANDY FENLEY (Co-Owner) ­ "I’m extremely happy. It’s a big deal to make it in first-round qualifying. This is a very important race for us. It helps us to build our credibility. We’ve needed to let people know that we’re a credible team, and that’s what we did tonight. We really didn’t have a lot of time to put this team together. Only a few months. And look how well everyone has worked together."

ROBERT FENLEY (Co-Owner) ­ "To have a Top 25 in first-day qualifying is an awesome feeling. It’s been tense for three months. But we have good equipment and good people, and I’m excited about the future of this team."

JOEY KNUCKLES (Crew Chief) ­ "I’m extremely proud of my guys and the car owners for allowing me to do what I needed to do. It means so much for us. Our testing and preparation has come together a lot quicker than I thought it would. At this point, if I had to give us a rating, I’d give us an A. Having qualified on the first day really takes the pressure off and now we can get down to the business of preparing for our first race together."

CONCORD, N.C. (October 11, 1999) - The #15 Fenley-Moore Motorsports Ford Taurus team couldn't be happier after its maiden run in today's rain-delayed UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

The newly formed team, owned by Randy, Robert and Sue Fenley, together with legendary car owner Bud Moore, views its 35th finishing position in this race as a solid starting point for a competitive bid to run the full NASCAR Winston Cup circuit beginning next season.

"We learned some things today," said Robert Fenley, "the biggest being that we've got what it takes."

Crew chief Joey Knuckles views the struggles with tires on today's first pit stop and fuel cell problems in the closing laps as areas of improvement for the team, which qualified 24th on Bud Pole night here last Wednesday.

"I was very happy," said Knuckles. "I think we ran right where we qualified. We had a great first pit stop, but we had a bad set of tires and fortunately lost two laps. We know we have a lot of work to do in the wind tunnel. But, with that in mind, and the green-flag racing that we did today, I'd rate us about a B.

"I'm not frustrated, but I would've liked to have finished with the guys we were running with all day," he added about the two-caution-flag race. "Yet, for somebody to just start a team, make the race and finish, it's a phenomenal deal."

The team is looking forward to its next turn around the track at the season-ending race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on November 21.

"I'm really pleased," said team driver and former Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope. "We had problems, but we battled them and got really competitive at the end of the race. I look forward to good things."

"Derrike drove the heck out of the car today and everyone did an incredible job," said Randy Fenley. "We're just trying to get organized for the 2000 season, and this race is part of the process."

The team sees nothing but movement upward in 2000.

"Now we know where we're at, and it's nowhere but up from here," Knuckles said. "Next year, we will look at this 35th position on our first time out not as a success, but a great starting point. We outran a lot of great race cars today, but we definitely left a lot on the table."