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Jan 15, 2010 - NASCAR.COM - Truck Series is about to get a double injection of style
Amber and Angela Cope hoping to blaze a new trail
Written by By Raygan Swan, NASCAR.COM
When cosmetologists graduate from beauty school, naturally they go to the salon for employment. But that's not always the case. According to a particular pair I spoke with, they're going truck racing instead.
Angela and Amber Cope, twin sisters and the nieces of 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope, are on a mission to show NASCAR that you can beat and bang on the race track and look hot at the same time.
How so? Think Christina Aguilera before motherhood and then put her in a fire suit. You now have an idea of what the Cope twins, who started racing go-karts at age 9 across the Northwest, look like.
Their stock-car racing began nearly five years ago when the sisters left Puyallup, Wash., and moved cross-
country to Mooresville, N.C., upon their uncle's request. He knew they had an interest and wanted to turn them into hard-core racers. But first he would have to make some concessions about their glitzy exteriors and learn
how to be a surrogate father. "I can put up with the platinum hair and makeup, but I told them we can't do heels or holes in the jeans at the
track," said Derrike Cope, who divorced years ago and never had children of his own. "Angela and Amber -- any female racer for that matter -- they come with a unique set of challenges but the girls know I have a strong
work ethic and we've become close over the years."
A veteran of 409 Cup Series starts, Cope recently launched Stratus Racing Group Inc. and will compete in the Nationwide and Truck series. Cope will drive in both series while the twins are slated to drive in a limited
number of Truck races. And there's only so much funding to go around, therefore, the twins will be forced to share the ride. Fortunate for them, sharing is not a new concept. Outside of their go-kart days, the twins have split seat time in every ride they've ever campaigned -- be it super late models or ARCA cars.
"We trade off every other race and when Amber is in the car I will spot for her or help her out and when I'm in the car she helps me get buckled in and will give me pointers on track conditions," Angela Cope said.
Looking to secure sponsorship and start NASCAR's approval process for superspeedways, Amber and Angela attended the highly-publicized ARCA test on Dec. 18-20 in Daytona where Danica Patrick and six other females
all made laps.
Amber and Angela didn't top the speed charts, nor were they the fastest of the females, but gaining notoriety or capitalizing on Patrick's entry into NASCAR is not their focus. "We were out there to just get some laps, we are not looking to run ARCA, we just needed to get back in a car
after being out for over a year and we were out there for our sponsors," Angela said. But the Copes do admit the timing can only help generate buzz and media attention for their truck debut, which may be at Martinsville, the same track Chrissy Wallace debuted at in 2008. However, Wallace, like so many other aspiring talents -- female or not -- doesn't have sponsorship and, therefore, no ride for 2010. Strategic and mindful of how important long-term financial support is, the Cope twins fear their careers will stall out as well. "We've been trying for a long time now and that's why we both went to cosmetology school and both had jobs,"
Angela said. "The funding was never there for us and we never found anyone to back us up."
In addition to financial pressures, Angela said she fears the NASCAR community will not take the twins seriously. "I think the obstacles we run into is that we are girly girls, we are blonde and everyone thinks that we are out to be models not racers," she said. "We will make our mark in this sport, earn everyone's respect and look great.
There has to be a woman driver that will have it all." Yes, and Danica hopes it is her. The open-wheel star has already established her total package status in the IndyCar Series. Time will tell how far her talents and charm will take her in the NASCAR community. So it's still anyone's guess as to who will be NASCAR's next great female racer or how long she will stay.
The Cope twins want a shot. And with some stock-car racing under their belts and round-the-clock guidance from their uncle, it could happen.
"I know female racers come and go, but it just comes down to driving on a consistent basis," Derrike Cope said. "These girls are going to go through the process and build from there. We are going to show up and serve
our time." One thing is certain, the twins are going to stand out among the seasoned, rough-and-tumble truck drivers. "We'll be hard to miss with our platinum blonde hair and big Dior glasses," Angela said.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.
