Derrike Cope, who won the 1990 Daytona 500, is getting another shot at “The Great American Race.”
In what’s being billed as his final Daytona 500 start, the 62-year-old Cope will drive the No. 15 Chevrolet for Rick Ware Racing with sponsorship from construction firm Jacob Companies. The team has a charter, guaranteeing Cope a starting spot in the race.
“I have known Rick and his family for a long time and I am excited to have the opportunity to go to Daytona and race for another win,” Cope said in a release. “I am excited to have Don Perry with Jacob Company as the primary sponsor as well. I want to thank Mike and Matt Kohler and Bill Woehlemann with StarCom Fiber for making this all possible! I could not be more excited to get back to Daytona!”
Cope, currently the team manager for Cup outfit Starcom Racing, has made over 700 career NASCAR national series starts.
He has earned two Cup Series victories, the other being a June 1990 triumph at Dover International Speedway. He’s also won at the Xfinity Series level, taking the checkered flag at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in May 1994.
This year’s Daytona 500 will be Cope’s first Cup start since the 2018 Southern 500 at Darlington. During that race, as part of NASCAR Throwback Weekend, his car carried his own Bojangles paint scheme that he ran for NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough’s team during the 1993 season.
