That was thirty years ago, and now Cope is set to make his return to the site of his first Cup victory at the age of 62. He’ll be piloting the No. 15 Chevrolet for Rick Ware Racing complete with a NASCAR Charter.

A NASCAR Charter means the car is automatically in the field and does not have to race in during the Dual Qualifying races or rely on qualifying day speed. For Cope, the return is one he’s been looking for even though he still works as Team Manager for StarCom Racing.

“After you win it, you feel you can go back and win it again,” Cope said during a Zoom interview with reporters. “Every time you go there, you feel that way. I still feel that way.”

Cope noted that he’s aged, but that’s not going to be a factor for him. He says his job is to go out on February 14^th and have fun and race hard for the team.

“I don’t have to prove anything,” Cope said. “I don’t have to go down there and worry about anything. I will just go down there and have fun and race the car and hopefully get to 180 laps (of the 200-lap race) before I have to go to battle.”

Final NASCAR Cup Series Start

Cope has not been away from NASCAR since he stopped racing full-time. He raced part-time, owned a team, worked with driver development, and more. But following the 2021 Daytona 500, his last start in the 500 came in 2004, he says this may be the time to hang up his Cup Series helmet permanently.

But, he’s still going to race as hard as he can.

“I will go to Daytona and if I do make it to the end … and be in a position to race hard, they’ll know I’m there. The one thing I have always done is I’m not afraid of anything. I’m not afraid of mixing it up. I’m not afraid of pushing and shoving. I’m not afraid of wrecking.”

Too Old?

Don’t bring up his age. Cope says he’s ready and aware of the skills needed to race. In classic NASCAR driver form, Cope ran down the things a driver looks at when preparing a race.

“I really don’t care what other people think. If I did, I probably wouldn’t be in this position. So, honestly, it’s really about what I want. – Going to a place like Daytona, certainly, I think is a lot more mental and understanding the air and what type of runs, what type of surges the car will get, assessing your car, making good conscious decisions, driving within yourself,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. I think we obviously have a lot of guys that don’t do that.”

As for older drivers in the Daytona 500, Cope is fifteen years older than any other driver in the field. But he’s not the oldest to run in the Super Bowl of NASCAR racing.

• Mark Thompson was 66 years old when he finished just outside the top-twenty during the 2018 Daytona 500. He crossed the start/finish line in the 22^nd spot.
• Dave Marcis raced in 33 Daytona 500’s His last run in the Great American Race came when he was 60 in 2002 where he finished 42^nd due to his engine going bad.
• At age 72, Morgan Shepherd passed his physical for the 2014 Daytona 500 but failed to qualify. Never count Shepherd out, he raced in two Cup Series races that same season.

A Gift

Cope is set to make NASCAR history if he can pull off the win. But it’s not something he was planning on doing. In fact, the whole thing was a surprise gift after a NASCAR Cup Series career that included two wins and 427 starts beginning in 1982.

According to Cope, racing in the Daytona 500 once more was a surprise from his wife, Elyshia – who is the Marketing Director for StarCom Racing, and the team’s owners.  “I wasn’t privy to. … It was a gift. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve loved Daytona. I felt like that if I was going to end things I’d like to be doing it there.”

The post Derrike Cope Returns to Daytona 500 at Age 62 appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

Hendrick Motorsports made the announcement earlier this week. It finalizes one of the missing puzzle pieces in the NASCAR rumor mill known as “Silly Season.” That’s when fans speculate on what driver will fill open seats next season.

Bowman, who already pilots the No. 88 for Hendrick should be familiar with his situation. Two seasons ago he took over the No. 88 Chevrolet for then Hendrick driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt has since moved to the broadcast booth for NBC sports.

“It’s definitely pretty similar, you go from (replacing) the most popular driver of all time to (replacing) arguably the greatest of all time,” Bowman told the Associated Press. “It’s just an honor for me to get to drive another car with a great number.”

Johnson and Bowman have a similar path to the Cup Series. Johnson was a young driver working his way up looking for a competitive ride when he approached Jeff Gordon for advice before a race. Gordon – already a seasoned driver and partial owner – must have been impressed.

Those conversations turned into Hendrick and Gordon starting the No. 48 team just for Johnson to pilot. Johnson drove the car in all but one race (737) since the team’s inception. He missed one race due to a positive COVID-19 test. Justin Allgaier filled in for him.

Bowman’s path to the Cup Series is somewhat similar. He made several starts in lower series before taking a chance for a part-time opening at Dale Earnhardt Jr’s team which is associated with Hendrick. The move paid off with several Xfinity starts. When Earnhardt was sidelined due to concussion concerns, Bowman filled the Cup Series seat for ten races.

Once that door closed, Alex Bowman stayed with Hendrick as their test simulator driver for an entire season. When Earnhardt stepped away from the No. 88, Hendrick announced him as the new driver.

Since then, he’s won two Cup Series races and made the Playoffs battling for a Championship.

“Every season, Alex gets better,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “Not only do we see it in the statistics, but his confidence and leadership have truly blossomed. Today he’s a proven winner and playoff contender, and his best years are ahead.”

Jimmie Johnson, who will run a limited schedule in the Indy Car Series next season, added his thoughts to Hendrick’s remarks.

“He earned his way into the (No.) 88 car through hard work and dedication and doing the stuff nobody else wanted to do,” Johnson said. “He’s been running great and he deserves the opportunity to drive the 48.”

Bowman reflected on becoming a piece of history on becoming only the second full-time driver of the No. 48 for Hendrick Motorsports. And on the fact that he’s been tapped by Hendrick – once again – to step into the car of a legendary driver

“I know I’m going to get a lot of the same questions I’ve answered the last couple of years, just replace (the name) Jimmie Johnson for Dale Earnhardt Jr,” Bowman said. “For everyone who has the confidence in me to do it just means the world to me.”

However, “Silly Season” continues! When Alex Bowman moves his helmet from one end of the Hendrick garage to the other to the No. 48 – who drives the No. 88 next season?

The post Alex Bowman taking over when Jimmie Johnson Retires appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

Bubba started his Cup Series career with Richard Petty following his role as a replacement driver for Aric Almirola after Almirola suffered from a back injury. Almirola moved on to Stewart – Haas Racing and Wallace took the seat full-time. That was three seasons ago.

Wallace made his decision abut leaving the team known by releasing a statement on his social media platforms.

“This was not an easy decision as I have nothing but the utmost respect for Richard Petty and his family, but I believe it’s time for someone else to take over the reins of the No. 43,” Wallace said in his post.

“Thank you to the King and everyone at Richard Petty Motorsports for giving me the opportunity to start my Cup Series career. I’ve grown so much as a driver and as a person since joining them. We’ve got nine more races together, and I hope we can finish the 2020 season on a high note.”

While the driver of the No. 43 this season, Wallace is currently ranked No. 23 which is great for the Petty ride considering past seasons. He’s also finished five times in the top-ten this year with a career-best second-place run at the 2018 Daytona 500.

This season Wallace has also become a focal point for equal-rights following an incident where a knot tied in the form of a noose was found in his garage stall at Talladega.

An investigation showed that the noose was there the year prior and had nothing to do with the Mobile, Alabama born driver. Wallace never saw the knot as it was reported by his team members.

During the investigation, NASCAR did inspections of every garage area at every NASCAR Track track and found no other knots tied in the same manner.

As of this writing, plans for where Wallace will drive next season have not been announced. A statement from the Petty team says they will announce plans for their new driver following the end of the season.

“We look forward to the next chapter in the making for the iconic No. 43 team. We will announce our new driver in the future.”

The post Bubba Wallace Leaving Richard Petty NASCAR Team appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

Hamlin, now with 42 career wins, passed Hall of Fame driver Mark Martin who retired with 40 checkered flags. Hamlin joins Jimmie Johnson (83 wins), Kyle Busch (56), and Kevin Harvick (53 wins) as one of only four active drivers on NASCAR’s all-time win list.

Following his most recent win at Kansas, the driver spoke – as he often does, about how hard his team works giving them much of the credit for his success.

“I don’t know we had the best car. We definitely had a top-three car all day,” Hamlin said after the race. “We just went for it there at the end. The pit crew did an amazing job getting us out there in front.”

Hamlin started driving in the Cup Series in 2005 when he entered only seven races during the season. Amazingly, he finished with a top-ten run and a pole that year. In 2006 he became a full-time Cup Series driver and scored two wins that year with 18 top-ten runs and three polls.

The NASCAR season is not over yet with the Cup Series Playoffs on the horizon. Hamlin could certainly log a few more checkered flags this year. And, he’s probably got several more under his belt before he retires. Only two more wins will tie him with Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott who scored 44 Cup Series victories during his career.

The post Denny Hamlin Cracks All-time Top-Twenty NASCAR Win List appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.

Then, a few days later… he tested clean for the virus… twice!

NASCAR protocol for COVID-19 includes social distancing, masks, drivers staying away from garage areas, and regular testing. Johnson failed a test heading into the Brickyard 400 race weekend which forced him from the driver’s seat ending his “Iron-man” style streak of consecutive Cup Series races.

It was an emotional week as both he and his wife tested positive. His wife was feeling bad, probably sinus issues according to some familiar with the incident. They both were tested with results showing they had the virus.

“My first priority is the health and safety of my loved ones and my teammates,” Johnson said. “I’ve never missed a race in my Cup career, but I know it’s going to be very hard to watch from the sidelines when I’m supposed to be out there competing.”

Then, approximately three days later, Johnson was tested twice again as NASCAR requires two positive tests in a row before he could return to the track. This time, both tests came back negative showing the virus was gone. Sadly, Johnson had already missed The Brickyard and the streak of 663 races was broken.

The good news was Johnson said he never felt sick. He returned to his car the following weekend for the Kentucky race as well as the mid-week All-Star race where he finished 17^th Wednesday night

Johnson, when asked, refused to worry about possibly having received false test results. He said the safety of others was more important.

“Take care of yourself, take care of your loved ones. Be smart,” Johnson said.

The post Jimmie Johnson Ends Streak due to COVID-19 appeared first on CitizenNewsWire.