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Cope to form own team for 2001
Thursday, May 18, 2000
By HOLLY CAIN
After a career of driving other people's cars, Derrike Cope has taken matters into his own hands. Cope, of Spanaway, last week announced a partnership with NHRA Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson to form Quest Motor Racing and field a Winston Cup car for the 2001 season.
Cope, 1990 Daytona 500 winner, drove only a handful of races this season before the Fenley-Moore Motorsports team that hired him quit competing. He has spent the past few months putting together a business plan and working out the details with Johnson and a third "silent" partner.
"I've always driven for other people and now seemed like the right time to try this," Cope said. "I'm taking this from the business approach and the personal approach. I want to prove what I can do with the right, quality people around me.
"I've won in every division I've ever raced and I can still win and I want that opportunity to prove that to myself more than anyone else."
The Quest team will be doing everything in-house, from motors to chassis, and plans to hire 30 people by the end of June. The shop will be located in the Mooresville, N.C., area. The team expects to have two cars completed by July so it can begin a testing program by August. Ideally, Cope will run in three to five races late this season in preparation for the full 2001 campaign.
The team will run General Motors cars although there is no decision yet on whether it will be Chevrolets or Pontiacs. Johnson drives Pontiacs in the NHRA.
The team is aggressively seeking sponsorship now and Cope says its drawn interest from several companies.
"Until we have the sponsorship on board, there's some apprehension, but I feel good about this," Cope said. "We have a good product to sell and people are going to want to be a part of this."
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