Derrike Cope jumps back in Daytona 500

The Daytona 500, like this weekend’s Rolex 24, is the race that everyone wants to be a part of.

Jeff Gordon retired from NASCAR in 2015, and then turned around to run in the Rolex 24 in 2017. Jimmie Johnson’s doing the same thing this week. Next month, Jamie Mcmurray will pause his Fox broadcasting duties to run his first Daytona 500 since 2019.

Shoot, even Awesome Bill Elliott attempted to qualify in the 2012 Great American Race — nine years after he stopped racing full-time.

First gear

Which brings us to Derrike Cope. Yes, him ... the 1990 Daytona 500 winner.

Cope, now 62, will run next month’s Daytona 500 for Rick Ware Racing in the No. 15 Chevy. It’ll be Cope’s first NASCAR Cup race since Darlington in 2018, and his first Daytona 500 since 2004.

The last time Cope turned meaningful laps at Daytona? Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the race. Front Row Joe Nemechek finished sixth. The late John Andretti finished 13th. Terry Labonte finished 20th in what would be his final full-time season.

Defending Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, meanwhile, was 8.

“I’m not your average 62-year-old,” Cope told Sirius XM NASCAR radio last week. “I think I’m pretty young at heart. I’m in pretty good shape. So I’ll go down there and drive within myself and my capabilities, and hopefully, I’ll find the patience necessary to get myself to run all 200 laps.

“And if that transpires, then I think I can be in a position to go out there and do battle at the end, and it won’t be easy for anybody if I get to that point.”

Second gear

As long as Cope can stay out of trouble on race day, he’ll get a chance to be there at the end, because he’s in a chartered entry.

The same can’t be said for everyone in this year’s field.

An early look at Daytona’s entry list shows at least eight non-chartered entries for next month’s race, meaning there will be plenty of drama on qualifying and Duel day.

Some of the bigger names who will be vying for the final four spots include: Noah Gragson, David Ragan, Kaz Grala and Ryan Preece.

Third gear

One of the drivers not in the Daytona 500 field this year is Jimmie Johnson, who, by the way, finished fifth in Cope’s last Daytona 500. That doesn’t mean the seven-time champ won’t be in Daytona Victory Lane this year, though.

Johnson’s No. 48 Ally Racing Cadillac had a strong showing at last weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24, and will start sixth for Saturday’s Rolex 24. Johnson’s former Hendrick teammate, Chase Elliott, will be in the No. 31 Cadillac that will start on the pole.

Fourth gear

NBC Sports announced over the weekend that it will shut down operations at the end of the year. The move will impact multiple sports, including NASCAR, which switches from FOX to NBC for the second half of its season.

In a memo, NBC said, starting this year, NASCAR races not broadcast on NBC will now be shown or simulcast on USA Network.

A quick check shows that USA Network used to broadcast Daytona Duel races from 1982-84.

Yes, Derrike Cope was in the Series then, too.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO Derrike Cope returns to Daytona 31 years after his only Daytona 500 victory. It will be his first Daytona 500 appearance since 2004.