It’s one of NASCAR’s greatest underdog stories. After all, it’s not every day that a driver gets the better of the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr. But that’s exactly what Derrike Cope did when he beat ‘The Intimidator’ in the final lap of the 1990 Daytona 500. Nobody expected Cope to win, and why would they? He was 71 Cup Series starts without a win at that time, while Dale Sr. was at the peak of his powers, despite having not won the prestigious event at that time.

Remembering his greatest achievement, Derrike Cope spoke about the final laps of the iconic race in detail as he sat down with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for his podcast, ‘The Dale Jr Download’.

A once-in-a-lifetime victory over the legend

As the 1990 Cup Series season began, all eyes were on Dale Earnhardt, who had yet to win the Daytona 500 despite his three championships. Known for his passion for the race, Earnhardt came close that year but was ultimately beaten by Derrike Cope. Earnhardt would go on to win the Daytona 500 in 1998, but Cope’s victory in 1990 remains a notable moment in the race’s history.

Driving the No. 10 Chevy for Bob Whitcomb Racing, Derrike Cope proved that he wasn’t just a one-hit wonder that season either, winning at Dover Motor Speedway just nine races later. However, it’s his accomplishment at the Daytona International Speedway that has remained etched in the memories of fans more than three decades later.

Remembering the last few laps of the 1990 Daytona 500, Derrike Cope said on the Dale Jr. Download, “The last few laps was pretty much embedded in my mind, because I mean, Elliott and Labonte, they had tried to put a run on me and they had nothing for me. So I know that I really just had to use them to get to Dale. You know, in the last lap, we’re coming down there and Labonte was getting me loose. I had to keep going on the high side. I kept going to the high side all the time, and your dad, he keeps moving up the racetrack and then I lost ground that last lap.”

Shortly after the white flag was waved with just one lap left, Dale Earnhardt’s car suffered a mechanical issue, slowing dramatically. This allowed Derrike Cope, who was trailing the seven-time Cup Series champion, to take the lead. Cope then held off a strong challenge from Terry Labonte to secure the win.

Further noting the very details of that last lap, Cope revealed, “Down the back straightaway, I get I’m getting some momentum though. The cars starting to get a surge. So I knew that I would get back to his bumper if I went to the bottom. I started seeing like you say, you saw some things come up and hit the car, and then all of a sudden, his car starts to turn and he gets yawed out, you know. And all of a sudden, the car just goes ‘woop’ and wiggles and he drives to the right and I drive by the bottom.”

‘The Intimidator’ qualified for the race in second place and led 155 of the 200 laps. The odds were stacked in his favor to get a victory at the prestigious event, eight years before he eventually did. However, lady luck wasn’t on his side, as Senior ran over some debris in Turn 3 of the final lap, blowing his right rear tire. This meant that Cope, who was in the right place at the right time, took advantage of the opportunity to secure one of the unlikeliest of victories.

The race ended with Terry Labonte and Bill Elliott finishing behind Cope, while Dale Earnhardt Sr. was forced to settle for fifth. The 1990 season was arguably the best season of Cope’s career, as triumphs at Daytona and Dover were the only times he secured victories in his Cup Series career. Moreover, both results account for one-third of the top-five finishes of his career, an indication of just how monumental those achievements have been in a career.

Who was instrumental in Cope’s Daytona victory?

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We all know that crew chiefs can make some of the most bizarre strategic calls to ensure their drivers get a competitive advantage, but Buddy Parrott took it one step further. Before the season-opening Daytona 500 race, Parrott knew that one of the best ways of getting the better of Dale Earnhardt Sr. was to get inside his head. In an attempt to unsettle ‘The Intimidator’, Parrott gave Cope a set of instructions that would throw Senior off his game. They succeeded.

In the conversation with Dale Jr. on his podcast, Cope also said, “Here’s what I[Parrott] want you to do, every practice session when Dale goes out, you go out with Dale. I want him to see you all the time. If he goes in the bathroom, I want you to follow him in the bathroom. I want him to see you all the time. That was just Buddy’s method of how to keep us in the focus of somebody’s mind because Dale was the guy you had to beat. You know the guy hadn’t won it, and he is the guy that wants it the worst. So you’re gonna have to beat him.”

With NASCAR heading to the Daytona International Speedway in the Cup and Xfinity Series, Cope’s victory reminds us that the iconic 2.950-mile oval could be the venue where we could see an upset once again. With just two races remaining before the regular season ends, many drivers will be looking to get a surprise victory to secure their place in the playoffs. The time to get results is now, and every driver will be making sure they are at the top of their game to cause another historic upset.

What are your thoughts about Derrike Cope’s victory at the 1990 Daytona 500? Let us know in the comments!