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Bob Whitcomb Racing

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Bob Whitcomb Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that formerly competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. As a successor to DiGard Motorsports, the team achieved its most prominent victory in the 1990 Daytona 500 with driver Derrike Cope. In the same year, they secured a second race win with Cope at the wheel. From at least 1989 until 1990, the team had a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports.[4] The team shut down in 1993.[5]

Bob Whitcomb Racing
Owner(s)Bob Whitcomb
BaseCharlotte, North Carolina
SeriesWinston Cup
Race driversKen Bouchard, Derrike Cope
SponsorsSimoniz
Purolator[1]
ManufacturerChevrolet
Ford
Pontiac
Opened1988
Closed1993
Career
Debut1988 Daytona 500
Latest race1992 Hooters 500
Drivers' Championships0
Race victories2[2][3]

Cup series

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During the 1987–88 NASCAR offseason, Keene, New Hampshire businessman Bob Whitcomb bought the assets and the points for the DiGard Motorsports team and rechristened it "Bob Whitcomb Racing". Whitcomb earned his money in the concrete industry[6] through his family's concrete and stone manufacturing business.[7]

In 1988, Whitcomb hired fellow New Englander Ken Bouchard to pilot the No. 10 Ford, winning that season's Rookie of the Year award.[8][9] The team eventually switched to Pontiac for the final three races of the season. Despite winning Rookie of the Year, Bouchard managed only one top 10 and failed to qualify for five races, including the Daytona 500. In 1989, Bouchard returned, and the team continued to drive Pontiacs.

Five races into the 1989 season, Bouchard was fired in favor of Derrike Cope, who had recently left Jim Testa's No. 68 car. Cope brought sponsorship from Purolator Filters to the team, who required that Cope be the driver if they were to sponsor the No. 10.[10][11] Together, the team garnered four top-10 finishes in 1989 while also failing to finish nine races.

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.[12] Cope and Purolator would both return to the team. 1990 would be the breakout 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.[11] Cope would win again later that season at Dover. These would be Cope's only victories in the 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.[13] The team lost sponsorship from Purolator, and this effectively caused Bob Whitcomb to shut the team down two weeks before the 1993 Daytona 500 Speedweeks,[13] leaving Cope without a ride.[14] Cope was subsequently offered to drive the 98 for Cale Yarborough Motorsports, leaving Jimmy Hensley without a team for the start of the 1993 season.

The crew chief in 1990 was Buddy Parrott.[8][12] In mid-1992, the single-car team switched crew chiefs, hiring Barry Dodson, formerly of Rusty Wallace's Penske team.[15]

The team's assets went for sale in 1993,[16] but Whitcomb would make one more attempt as an owner at Richmond in September 1994.[17] Dirk Stephens would fail to qualify.[17]

Car No. 10 results

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NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 NWCC Pts
1988 Ken Bouchard 10 Ford DAY
DNQ 		RCH
23 		CAR
8 		ATL
16 		DAR
13 		BRI
21 		MAR
31 		TAL
DNQ 		CLT
11 		DOV
14 		RSD
DNQ 		POC
14 		MCH
17 		DAY
36 		POC
16 		TAL
35 		GLN
27 		MCH
25 		BRI
DNQ 		DAR
18 		RCH
19 		DOV
25 		MAR
17 		CLT
33 		NWS
27 		29th 2378
Chevy NWS
27
Pontiac CAR
18 		PHO
23 		ATL
DNQ
1989 DAY
16 		CAR
38 		ATL
37 		RCH
DNQ 		DAR
22 		BRI NWS MAR 29th 2316
Derrike Cope TAL
30 		CLT
12 		DOV
28 		SON POC
36 		MCH
9 		DAY
26 		POC
35 		TAL
38 		GLN
40 		MCH
6 		BRI
29 		DAR
25 		RCH
25 		DOV
8 		MAR
13 		CLT
6 		NWS
26 		CAR
11 		PHO
14 		ATL
12
1990 Chevy DAY
1 		RCH
29 		CAR
12 		ATL
29 		DAR
27 		BRI
32 		NWS
21 		MAR
17 		TAL
40 		CLT
9 		DOV
1 		SON
13 		POC
12 		MCH
12 		DAY
28 		POC
13 		TAL
7 		GLN
35 		MCH
19 		BRI
27 		DAR
9 		RCH
35 		DOV
13 		MAR
24 		NWS
22 		CLT
7 		CAR
33 		PHO
14 		ATL
12 		19th 3140
1991 DAY
26 		RCH
32 		CAR
34 		ATL
11 		DAR
31 		BRI
32 		NWS
15 		MAR
DNQ 		TAL
28 		CLT
12 		DOV
27 		SON
30 		POC
10 		MCH
41 		DAY
17 		POC
36 		TAL
35 		GLN
13 		MCH
34 		BRI
29 		DAR
4 		RCH
16 		DOV
36 		MAR
19 		NWS
30 		CLT
33 		CAR
15 		PHO
16 		ATL
24 		30th 2516
1992 DAY
34 		CAR
19 		RCH
19 		ATL
14 		DAR
16 		BRI
10 		NWS
14 		MAR
22 		TAL
12 		CLT
17 		DOV
33 		SON
18 		POC
12 		MCH
22 		DAY
34 		POC
19 		TAL
22 		GLN
34 		MCH
33 		BRI
12 		DAR
12 		RCH
35 		DOV
9 		MAR
20 		NWS
22 		CLT
17 		CAR
14 		PHO
7 		ATL
15 		21st 3033
1994 Dirk Stephens 51 Ford DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH
DNQ 		DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL NR 0

References

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  1. ^ "Driver Season Stats: Derrike Cope". Racing-Reference.
  2. ^ "NASCAR Statistics: Whitcomb Racing". DriverAverages.com. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  3. ^ "Bob Whitcomb Ownership stats". Racing-Reference.
  4. ^ "The History of Hendrick Motorsports 1990–1999". Jeff Gordon Online. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  5. ^ "Cope's NASCAR team shut down". The Roanoke Times. January 29, 1993. p. B6 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Glick, Shav (June 7, 1990). "Motor racing: Cope Not Just Lucky; Petty Not Just a Name". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  7. ^ "Milton CAT 100: An Immersive Fan Experience". Milton CAT. June 2021. Archived from the original on December 9, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Gilbert, Stephen (February 22, 2015). "Reliving Derrike Cope's Daytona win, 25 years later, by Steve Gilbert". The Keene Sentinel. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  9. ^ "Ken Bouchard has won NASCAR's Rookie of the Year..." UPI Archives. November 22, 1988. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  10. ^ Harder, Christopher (April 7, 1990). "Auto Racing: Millionaire Sportsman Seeks to Make Profit". UPI Archives. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Fleischman, Bill (February 20, 1990). "Cope's first hit a racing home run". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Glick, Shav (February 19, 1990). "Stunning Finish at Daytona : Auto racing: When a cut tire flattens Earnhardt, unheralded Derrike Cope comes away with first victory". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  13. ^ a b The Official NASCAR 1994 Yearbook and Press Guide. UMI. 1994. p. 46.
  14. ^ Zizzo, Mike (January 28, 1993). "Cope: no ride for Daytona 500 but he's hoping". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  15. ^ The Official NASCAR 1993 Yearbook and Press Guide. UMI. 1993. p. 44.
  16. ^ Rockne, Dick (January 27, 1993). "Cope's Stock-Car Team Up For Sale". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  17. ^ a b https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1994_Miller_Genuine_Draft_400_%28September%29/W/
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