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NASCAR Winston Cup Series DieHard 500 Preview: #36, Derrike Cope

8 October 1997

 #36 Derrike Cope, Skittles Pontiac Grand Prix
 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
 DieHard 500 Advance
 Talladega Superspeedway
 
                    DERRIKE COPE NOTES & QUOTES: DIEHARD 500
 
 
TALLADEGA, AL - If history is any indication of how the Skittles Race Team 
can showcase the #36 Skittles Pontiac, then driver Derrike Cope should find 
himself posting a high finish this weekend during the Sear DieHard 500 at 
Talladega Superspeedway.

In the Skittles team's first visit to Talladega, they not only posted their 
season-best qualifying effort at the time when Cope started 12th during the
Winston 500, but they enjoyed one of their best finishes of the season. During
the May race at Talladega, Cope moved the Skittles Pontiac into fifth position
before finding himself left out of the lead draft and finishing a respectable 
13th.

The Skittles team will use the confidence gained after qualifying 13th this 
past weekend in Charlotte to catapult themselves into another great starting 
position. The new team has found themselves qualifying on the first day in 14
attempts this season, the second best occurring on the 2.66-mile 
superspeedway at Talladega.

"I'm confident we'll be able to put ourselves in a position to get to the 
front and that is what I plan to do this weekend," said Cope, who has posted 
two top-10 finishes at Talladega Superspeedway.

"Drafting proved to play a major role in our finish in May," said Cope, who 
remains 28th in the Winston Cup points standings. "Restrictor-plate racing 
makes the racing more competitive and stresses the importance of drafting. 
This time we'll make sure to find the right drafting partner and work our way 
up to the very front."

           Cope's Record at Talladega Superspeedway (since 1989)

Best Finish; 7th; 1990 Talladega DieHard 500
Top-5 Finishes: None
Top-10 Finishes; 2
Best Start: 12th (twice); 1997 Winston 500 and 1998 Winston Select 500
Biggest Payday at Talladega Superspeedway: $22,490; 1995 Sears DieHard 500


     YEAR  EVENT                      Start  Finish   Earnings     Reason
     1997  Winston 500                  12     13      18,385      Running 
     1995  Winston Select 500           12     29      22,425      Running
           Sears DieHard 500            23     27      22,490      Accident
     1995  Winston Select 500           25     42      10,990      Accident
           Sears DieHard 500            40     15      18,610      Running 
     1994  Winston Select 500           31     31      10,115      Accident   
           DieHard 500                     DNQ 
     1993  Winston 500                  15      8      22,285      Running
           DieHard 500                  31     36      12,380      Engine 
     1992  Winston 500                  29     12      15,050      Running
           DieHard 500                  24     22       9,090      Running 
     1991  Winston 500                  23     28      13,935      Engine
           DieHard 500                  37     35      13,755      Oil Pan
     1990  Winston 500                  27     40       9,350      Engine
           Talladega DieHard 500        21      7      15,350      Running
     1989  Winston 500                  31     30       3,925      Accident
           Talladega DieHard 50         20     38       3,830      Accident

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