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Bob Whitcomb Racing
Owner(s)Bob Whitcomb
BaseCharlotte, N.C.
SeriesNASCAR Cup Series
Race driversDerrike Cope Ken Bouchard
SponsorsPurolator
ManufacturerChevrolet, Ford. Pontiac
Opened1987
Closed1993
Career
Debut1987)
Latest race1992
Drivers' Championships0
Race victories2[1][2]

Whitcomb Racing was a NASCAR Winston Cup team that won the 1990 Daytona 500 with driver Derrike Cope.

History

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".

In the late 1980s, Whitcomb hired fellow New Englander Ken Bouchard to pilot the number 10 Ford[3] 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.[4][5] 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. 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.[5] 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. The team lost sponsorship from Purolator and this effectively caused Bob Whitcomb to shut the team down, leaving Cope without a ride.[6] 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[7]

The team's assets went for sale in 1993.[8]

References

  1. ^ "NASCAR Statistics: Whitcomb Racing". www.driveraverages.com. Retrieved 2022-10-05. ((cite web)): no-break space character in |title= at position 19 (help)
  2. ^ Sharma, Ashwini. "Owner". Racing-Reference.
  3. ^ Gilbert, Stephen. "Reliving Derrike Cope's Daytona win, 25 years later, by Steve Gilbert". SentinelSource.com.
  4. ^ "Auto Racing: Millionaire Sportsman Seeks to Make Profit". UPI. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  5. ^ a b Bill Fleischman (1990-02-20). "COPE'S 1ST HIT A RACING HOME RUN". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
  6. ^ "COPE: NO RIDE FOR DAYTONA 500 BUT HE'S HOPING – Orlando Sentinel".
  7. ^ Gilbert, Stephen. "Reliving Derrike Cope's Daytona win, 25 years later, by Steve Gilbert". SentinelSource.com. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  8. ^ "Cope's Stock-Car Team Up For Sale | The Seattle Times". archive.seattletimes.com. Retrieved 2022-10-05.


Category:American auto racing teams Category:Defunct NASCAR teams

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