NASCAR Winston Cup Series ACDelco 400 Preview: #36, Derrike Cope
22 October 1997
#36 Derrike Cope, Skittles Pontiac Grand Prix
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
ACDelco 400 Advance
North Carolina Motor Speedway
DERRIKE COPE NOTES & QUOTES: ACDELCO 400
ROCKINGHAM, NC - As the Skittles Race Team prepares the #36 Pontiac for "The
Rock," driver Derrike Cope looks to past experience to guide him around the
1-mile track at North Carolina Motor Speedway for the ACDelco 400 race.
At the oval track in Rockingham, Cope has posted six top-15 finishes,
including two eighth-place finishes. Having run strong in the past several
races before several miscues, the Skittles team remains optimistic about
their chances at Rockingham.
With five top-10 qualifying efforts on the short track, Cope has found the
right formula for qualifying and, along with the successful qualifying
combination of late, Cope could easily find himself taking the green flag
from the front.
In the past two races, Cope has found himself starting the Skittles Pontiac
in the 13th and fifth positions. Most recently, his fifth-place qualifying
effort at Talladega was the Skittles team's best start of the season.
The Skittles team has been putting together some really strong race cars
and we've been able to move to the front," said Cope, who finished 18th
during the Sears DieHard 500 in Talladega in spite of getting involved in
two incidents including "The Wreck" that claimed more than 20 cars.
"We have taken the information we learned from the first race at a track
and applied toward the second," said Ryan Pemberton, crew chief for the #36
Skittles Race Team. "I think it shows from our recent qualifying success
and strong runs that we have been able to capitalize on our previous
experiences."
Cope's Record at North Carolina Motor Speedway (since 1989)
Best Finish: 8th; 1996 Goodwrench Service 400 and 1995 Goodwrench 500
Top-5 Finishes: None
Top-10 Finishes: 2
Best Start: 4th; 1994 ACDelco 400
Biggest Payday at North Carolina Motor Speedway: $25,525; 1996 Goodwrench
Service 400
YEAR EVENT Start Finish Earnings Reason
1997 Goodwrench Service 400 26 31 12,255 Running
1996 Goodwrench Service 400 29 8 25,525 Running
ACDelco 400 27 39 17,675 Accident
1995 Goodwrench 500 6 8 18,425 Running
ACDelco 400 10 19 17,650 Running
1994 Goodwrench 500 32 29 9,900 Running
ACDelco 500 4 37 10,950 Engine
1993 Goodwrench 500 9 18 13,635 Running
ACDelco 500 17 19 13,550 Running
1992 Goodwrench 500 26 19 8,375 Running
ACDelco 500 24 14 9,800 Running
1991 Goodwrench 500 14 34 12,100 Engine
ACDelco 500 15 15 15,050 Running
1990 Goodwrench 500 15 12 10,475 Running
ACDelco 500 15 33 7,975 Broken Valve
1989 Goodwrench 500 DNQ
ACDelco 500 6 11 6,625 Running
By Muhleman Marketing