Bob Whitcomb Racing
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| Owner(s) | Bob Whitcomb |
|---|---|
| Base | Charlotte, N.C. |
| Series | NASCAR Cup Series |
| Race drivers | Derrike Cope Ken Bouchard |
| Sponsors | Purolator |
| Manufacturer | Chevrolet, Ford. Pontiac |
| Opened | 1987 |
| Closed | early 1993 |
| Career | |
| Debut | 1987) |
| Latest race | 1992 |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 2[1][2] |
Bob Whitcomb Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that currently competed in NASCAR Cup. A successor to DiGard Motorsports, the team most prominently won the 1990 Daytona 500 with driver Derrike Cope. The team was able to win a second race with Cope at the wheel that year. It folded in 1993. The team attempted an ambitious engine-building program late in its history which it abandoned. At the time, most major NASCAR teams had their own in-house engine programs. The team shut down when it lost its primary sponsor.
Cup Series
During the 1987–88 NASCAR offseason, Keene, New Hampshire businessman Bob Whitcomb bought the assets and the points to the DiGard Motorsports team and rechristened it as "Bob Whitcomb Racing". Whitcomb earned his money in the concrete industry[3] through his family's concrete and stone manufacturing business.[4]
In the late 1980s, Whitcomb hired fellow New Englander Ken Bouchard to pilot the number 10 Ford[5] and contend for Rookie of the Year, which Bouchard would win. In 1989, Bouchard returned and the team switched from Ford to Pontiac.
Five races into the 1989 season, Bouchard was fired in favor of Derrike Cope, who had recently left Jim Testa's 68 car. Cope also brought sponsorship from Purolator Filters to the team. Purolator required keeping Cope.[6][7] Together, the team garnered four top 10 finishes in 1989, more than the team had scored with Bouchard.
For the 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season, Whitcomb Racing would switch from the Pontiac Grand Prix to the Chevrolet Lumina, receiving technical support from Hendrick Motorsports. They also bought engines from Hendrick.[8] Cope and Purolator would both return to the team. 1990 would be the break out season for both the team and Cope. After a strong Speedweeks, Cope was running in the second position behind Dale Earnhardt in the 1990 Daytona 500. On the final lap, Earnhardt would blow a tire allowing Cope to slide under and score his first career win.[7] Cope would again win later that season at Dover. These would be Cope's only victories in Cup. In 1991 Purolator and Cope returned to the team. Cope posted two top 10 finishes and one top 5. Cope and Purolator again returned for the 1992 season. The team posted three top tens in the 1992 season.[9] The team lost sponsorship from Purolator and this effectively caused Bob Whitcomb to shut the team down two weeks before 1993 Daytona 500 Speedweeks[10], leaving Cope without a ride.[11] Cope was subsequently offered to drive the 98 for Cale Yarborough Motorsports, in turn leaving Jimmy Hensley without a team for the start of the 1993 season.
The crew chief in 1990 was Buddy Parrott[12][8] In mid-1992, the single-car team switched crew chiefs, hiring Barry Dodson, formerly of Rusty Wallace's Penske team.[13]
The team's assets went for sale in 1993.[14]
References
- ↑ "NASCAR Statistics: Whitcomb Racing". www.driveraverages.com. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
- ↑ Sharma, Ashwini. "Owner". Racing-Reference.
- ↑ LA Times. Shav Glick. https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:5Hg8j9rAbv0J:https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-06-07-sp-1674-story.html&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-b-1-e Accessed Oct. 8, 2022]]
- ↑ https://www.miltoncat.com/about/news/milton-cat-100-an-immersive-fan-experience" Milton CAT 100: An Immersive Fan Experience. Milton CAT (business). Accessed Oct. 8, 2022.]]
- ↑ Gilbert, Stephen. "Reliving Derrike Cope's Daytona win, 25 years later, by Steve Gilbert". SentinelSource.com.
- ↑ "Auto Racing: Millionaire Sportsman Seeks to Make Profit". UPI. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bill Fleischman (1990-02-20). "COPE'S 1ST HIT A RACING HOME RUN". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Los Angeles Times. Shav Glick reporter. "Stunning Finish at Daytona : Auto racing: When a cut tire flattens Earnhardt, unheralded Derrike Cope comes away with first victory. " Newspaper|Los Angeles Times https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:JOJWAIjyQf4J:https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-19-sp-863-story.html&cd=32&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-b-1-e Accessed Oct. 8, 2022]]
- ↑ book - THE OFFICIAL NASCAR 1994 YEARBOOK AND PRESS GUIDE, UMI Publications, Inc., published 1994, page 46 "Derrike Cope" accessed 2 Feb. 2023]]
- ↑ book - THE OFFICIAL NASCAR 1994 YEARBOOK AND PRESS GUIDE, UMI Publications, Inc., published 1994, page 46 "Derrike Cope" accessed 2 Feb. 2023]]
- ↑ "COPE: NO RIDE FOR DAYTONA 500 BUT HE'S HOPING – Orlando Sentinel".
- ↑ Gilbert, Stephen. "Reliving Derrike Cope's Daytona win, 25 years later, by Steve Gilbert". Sentinel. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
- ↑ book - THE OFFICIAL NASCAR 1993 YEARBOOK AND PRESS GUIDE -- UMI PUBLICATIONS, INC., PUBLISHED 1993 TO COVER 1992 SEASON, PAGE 44 about "Derrike Cope" - accessed 2 Feb. 2023]]
- ↑ "Cope's Stock-Car Team Up For Sale". archive.seattletimes.com. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
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