“Derrike Cope, who owns two career victories including the 1990 Daytona 500, signed a three-year contract Tuesday to drive for Chuck Rider’s Bahari Racing team on NASCAR’s Winston Cup circuit. Cope will replace Johnny Benson Jr., who is leaving to take a ride with the multi-car Roush Racing team, in the No. 30 Pontiac. Cope, in turn, is being replaced next season in Nelson Bowers’ No. 36 Pontiac(duh…not Ford) by Ernie Irvan. Michael Waltrip drove for Rider for nine years before being replaced in 1996 by Benson, who won rookie of the year honors. Cope, 39, signed a three-year deal with Bahari, which is tied for 11th in the season standings. Rider also announced the team has hired chassis builder Steve Leavitt to oversee its new chassis-building effort.”(NandoNet)(9-17-97)
