He Can Cope With Situation

It has been eight years since Derrike Cope won the Daytona 500, the race in which Dale Earnhardt’s tire went flat on the final turn of the final lap, allowing Cope to cruise home in front, but the Pontiac driver is still savoring it.

“It’s beyond compare,” he said during a lull in practice Monday. “You can close your eyes right now and still feel the sun on your face from being in victory lane. That’s how much of an impact this place has on you. It never leaves you.”

Cope, the only Winston West driver to win the Daytona 500, has not won a race since that 1990 season, but he has newfound confidence this season. He was seventh fastest qualifier for the 500 at 190.617 mph.

“I believe we’re going to be good,” he said. “We’ve been counted out a lot, and when they counted me out [in 1990] we took one from them. These [crew] guys are quiet and unassuming, but on Sunday we can get the job done.”

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If you believe in omens, expect Bobby Hamilton to win the 500. He will be making his first official start in the Morgan-McClure Monte Carlo.

Two other drivers, Ernie Irvan and Sterling Marlin, won their first starts in the Daytona 500 driving the No. 4 Chevrolet.

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Official payout for the 40th Daytona 500 and qualifying events is $7,007,750, with Sunday’s winner guaranteed at least $1,013,300, a figure that could increase depending on whose decals the car is carrying.

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Steve Park, a rookie from Islip, N.Y., tabbed by Dale Earnhardt to drive his Chevrolet in Winston Cup this season, was the fastest second-day qualifier Monday, lapping Daytona International Speedway’s 2.5-mile tri-oval at 189.498 mph. This made him 17th fastest among the 56 qualifiers.

“Richard Childress [owner of the car Earnhardt drives] has helped us a lot,” Park said. “Dale got in the field solidly, so Richard came up and took some of his best guys and told them to treat our car like it was one of his. He lent us a motor too. I can’t say how thankful I am.”

Park is one of four rookies running for the Winston Cup championship. The others are Kenny Irwin, winner of Sunday’s ARCA 200, Jerry Nadeau and Kevin Lepage.

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When drivers qualify this morning for Saturday’s Busch Grand National, there will be some intriguing names in the lineup.

Kevin Schwantz, former world motorcycle road racing champion, was second fastest in Monday’s final practice with a lap of 187.243 mph. Others in the field include Dale Earnhardt Jr., son of you know who; Tony Stewart, Indy Racing League champion and winner of a sprint car and Silver Crown race last week in the Copper Classic at Phoenix; Stanton Barrett, son of rocket racer Stan Barrett; and Lance Hooper, former Winston West champion from Palmdale.

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With the addition of 18,000 new seats along the backstretch, Daytona International Speedway officials said there are 143,000 permanent grandstand seats. Under construction are 28 suites that will be ready for Daytona’s first night NASCAR race, the July 4 Pepsi 400.

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Daytona 500 Facts

* What: Daytona 500, first Winston Cup race of NASCAR’s 50th season.

* When: Sunday.

* Preliminaries: Twin 125-mile qualifying races, Thursday.

* Where: Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile, high-banked tri-oval track in Daytona Beach, Fla.

* Purse: $7 million, with $1 million guaranteed to winner.

* Defending champion: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

* Qualifying: Remainder of field to be determined by finishing positions in two 125-mile qualifying races Thursday.

* TV: Twin 125 qualifying races, Feb. 14, Channel 2, 7 a.m.; Busch Series 300, Saturday, Channel 2, 9 a.m.; Daytona 500, Sunday, Channel 2, 9 a.m.