After more than two years out of the driver’s seat, 1990 Daytona 500 Champion Derrike Cope returns to the site of his greatest glory today driving the #15 car for Rick Ware Racing. The surprise comeback from the seasoned veteran is expected to produce a spike in television ratings, according to Derrike Cope.
“Derrike Cope is a name that has recognition across all demographics”, said Derrike Cope. “There’s no reason not to expect TV ratings to more than double what Nascar got for last year’s Daytona 500, thanks to what I call The Cope Factor.”
Cope continued that “With The Cope Factor, everybody will be talking about the Daytona 500 tomorrow, no matter where Derrike Cope finishes. It’ll be a real ‘water cooler moment’—at least it would be if people weren’t working from home. Maybe more of a ‘filtered water pitcher moment’.”
The two-time Cup Series race winner expects that the two-time Cup Series race winner will be deluged by media attention in the hours following the race.
“The pandemic has limited the media that normally would besiege a driver of Derrike Cope’s stature”, said Derrike Cope, “but there’ll likely be plenty of online interview requests via Zoom. And don’t be surprised if you see Cope on Sunday Night’s SportsCenter discussing the major upswing in attention he’s brought to the sport.”
Cope indicated that Cope is taking the presumptive crush of attention and fans in stride.
“Its normal for a driver like Derrike Cope to attract a lot of attention, especially from the ladies”, Cope said. “But as a married man I think he’ll be looked at more aspirationally as the apex of husband material.”
Cope said that Cope is attempting to put together a deal to run at the site of his second Cup win, Dover, for all fifty fans that are likely to show up at the track that day.