NASCAR West Coast racing for many years was a little different animal than the east coast in the way it was organized. Bill France had his son, Bill, Jr., while stationed inCalifornia in the NAVY in the 1950s form an alliance with successful west coast promoter, Bob Barkhimer, who began staging NASCAR sanctioned races on the West Coast. His company was Bob Barkhimer & Assocs. and his right hand man was Ken Clapp, who later bought Barkhimer's business when he retired and the outfit was renamed NASCAR Western Operations. Many of you know/knew Ken in that role as VP, Western Operations for NASCAR, although he in fact owned the company promoting most west coast events. Owen Kearns who did all the publicity for the Truck Series worked for Ken. Ken had a daughter, Michelle, now deceased who was my first "Miss Wrangler" in 1981.
Often times, to spice up the Winston West races, Ken would pay to have GN & Cup talent appear on off Cup weekends. That's how I first met Derrike Cope.
Ken was promoting a Winston West road course in Seattle (Kent), Washington, the Stroh's 200 on July 8, 1984following the Daytona Firecracker 400 on July 4th (Richard's 200th win).Ken worked a deal for Richard Petty (driving Pontiacs) to race in Kent in a second Hershel McGriff Pontiac. Ken thought it would be neat if Richard's son Kyle also came out with him. Kyle was under contract to 7-Eleven and Ford and could only drive a Ford. When Ken Clapp called me in Dallas and pitched the deal, he told me he could arrange a Ford ridefor Kyle in the car of George Jefferson. Actually, I think it was the only Ford in Winston West at that time.
George was a bearded lumberman in Yakima, Washington who wore a ten gallon hat and was called "Jeff" by all who knew him. He had begun racing in 1966 with the legendary Parky Nall building motors and his #95 cars being driven by his brother Harry Jefferson with great success, even in a few Cup forays. In2004 George Jefferson was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.Over the years a lot of racers drove for and won in George Jefferson cars. That's another one of my most colorful characters in racing whom I highly respect.
George Jefferson
A young rookie named Derrike Cope was driving for George at the time and had already won the Pacific Coast Late Model Championship, the equivalent to the LMS title on the west coast.We agreed to put Kyle in a second Jefferson Ford, sponsored by 7-Eleven and also sponsor Derrike's car in that one race.
Derrike came to NASCAR in an unusual way. His father, Don and Don's brother, Jerry were successful west coast engine builders for drag racers - Cope Brothers Racing Engines, but Derrike played baseball and golf in high school and attended Whitman College on a baseball scholarship, signing with the Chicago Cubs as a catcher. Almost immediately, in the Florida rookie league, Derrike blew out his knee and ended his baseball career. He returned to Spanaway, Washington (on crutches) and began to apprentice as an engine builder for his dad. At the time Derrike's brother Darren (father of the Cope Twins - Amber & Angela , NASCAR drivers) was running some Late Model races. They decided to let Derrike try his hand at it on a rotating basis and Derrike, on crutches, would outrun Darren and became the primary driver. Then on to George Jefferson.
Derrike never wanted anyone on the east coast to know he was an accomplished engine builder... he thought it would detract from his driving. Derrike and George agreed to put Kyle in their only road course car and Derrike drove the oval track car that day. Well, Derrike ran circles around most of those guys in his oval track car, finishing 5th. I was mightily impressed and agreed to sponsor Derrike in George's car under the 7-Eleven banner for the rest of the year. Owen Kearns and Winston had a wonderful time shooting photos of Derrike catching packs of Winston cigarettes in a catcher's mitt. Ironically, If you remember the terrible mauling in 2005 of a California chimp owner in California by his own chimpanzee, that was St. James Davis, last place finisher in the Kent, Washington race that day in 1984.
Later, in September 1984 I talked old friend Paul Sawyer into giving George Jefferson $10,000 to bring a7-Eleven-sponsored car from Yakima, Washington driven by Derrike to Richmond for the Wrangler 400 Winston Cup race as a companion entry to Kyle Petty. Paul also arranged free motel rooms for the crew and Huggins Tire, the Goodyear distributor, threw in some free tires for us. Derrike did make the field, but crashed out on lap 163 in a melee on the famously narrow Richmond frontstretch. I'll never forget what Bill Gazaway and Dick Beatty told me after qualifying. They said they told George Jefferson the car could race, but not to ever bring it back to a Cup show. The car itself was an old Elmo Langley ride that had one too many bandaids on thechassis to suit Dick and Bill. They were very nice about it.
Derrike Cope/George Jefferson Ford at Richmond in 1984
The final race of Winston Westof 1984 was at Phoenix and Tim Richmond drove a7-Eleven George Jefferson team car to Derrike. Derrike wound up winning the Rookie of the Year title, but lost the championship by 4 points. He had stayed up all night before the final race rebuilding an engine for Tim Richmond.
7-Eleven continued to sponsor Derrike and George in 1985 and Derrike came east in 1986. It all happened because a race promoter needeed a Ford for Kyle Petty.
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 07/09/20 01:25:04AM
