Derrike Cope

A promising baseball career that turned on a single pitch led to Derrike Cope's career in the world’s fastest growing sport, NASCAR racing.

A Daytona 500 winner and one of the handful of drivers in the history of major league stock car racing with multiple race victories, Cope appeared headed to a career in major league baseball. Turning down inquiries from the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs during his high school days in Spanaway, Wash., Cope instead took a scholarship to Whitman College.

There in 1978, Cope turned to chase a wild pitch and his knee collapsed. The media collateral and anterior cruciate ligaments were severed. For a catcher, it was a terminal injury. During the recovery, Cope helped his brother with a race car. His father was an engine builder for some of the top teams in NASCAR Winston West competition, and that involvement led to a greater interest on Cope's part. He began driving, and starring in Winston West competition.

Owners of NASCAR Cup cars had their interest piqued by the young phenom on the West Coast, and owners Jim Testa and Dave Fuge brought Cope to the Winston Cup Series in 1988. Showing considerable talent, Cope moved to a team owned by New Englander Bob Whitcomb in 1990.

It was that year that saw Cope shock everyone in the motorsports world - except his own team - by winning the Daytona 500. Holding onto second place most of the day, Cope outclassed everyone except Dale Earnhardt throughout the race, leading several times. But when Earnhardt's car cut a tire in the third turn of the final lap, Cope took advantage and vaulted to the lead to win the race.

Cope backed up the victory a few months later, winning the 500-miler at Dover, Del., one of the most grueling races in NASCAR Cup racing. In fact, it was so grueling that NASCAR and track officials later cut 100 miles off of the event, making it a 400-miler. In 1993, one of NASCAR's legends called on Cope. Cale Yarborough asked Cope to drive for his team, and the Washington native accepted the call.

In 1995, Bobby Allison brought Cope into his stable. The driver moved to MB2 in 1997, its initial year, and then gave Bahari Racing its most prestigious years in 1998 and 1999. Bud Moore, one of NASCAR's winningest car owners, brought Cope into his stable in 2000. In 2001, Cope and Warren Johnson formed Quest Motor Racing, the team which fielded the successful No. 37 Friendly's Chevrolets in 2003. In the past couple of years Cope has run partial Cup schedules and in 2004 a full Busch schedule. His relationships with his teams and sponsors during this period also allowed for an affiliation with FOX Sports as a racing analyst. Cope was even able to broadcast live from tracks running events in which he had entered.

Patience and consistently solid driving efforts have paid off. Currently Jay Robinson Racing is finalizing the details for a primary sponsor that will support the team and Cope to run a full Nextel Cup schedule in 2005.

When not racing, Cope is very involved with school age children, giving motivational speeches and insisting on the importance of staying in school and avoiding drugs. He is highly involved in the March Of Dimes, DARE and support of various charities. "Whether you want to be or not, a professional athlete is a role model. You just have to determine what kind you are going to be," Cope said. "I decided a long time ago that if I made it in sports, I was going to be as positive as I could be. We all have an obligation but especially when you can influence.