Bob Whitcomb Racing

Last updated
Bob Whitcomb Racing
Owner(s)Bob Whitcomb
Base Charlotte, North Carolina
Series Winston Cup
Race drivers Ken Bouchard, Derrike Cope
Sponsors Simoniz
Purolator [1]
Manufacturer Chevrolet
Ford
Pontiac
Opened 1988
Closed 1993
Career
Debut 1988 Daytona 500
Latest race 1992 Hooters 500
Drivers' Championships 0
Race victories2 [2] [3]

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]

Contents

Cup series

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. Dirk Stephens would fail to qualify.

Car No. 10 results

NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
YearTeamNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031NWCCPts
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		29th2378
Chevy NWS
27
Pontiac CAR
18		 PHO
23		 ATL
DNQ
1989 DAY
16		 CAR
38		 ATL
37		 RCH
DNQ		 DAR
22		 BRI NWS MAR 29th2316
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		19th3140
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		30th2516
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		21st3033
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 NR0

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References

  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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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.
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