The 2025 NASCAR season is shaping up to be a promising one! Having competed in the 2021 Daytona 500, veteran racer Derrike Cope might return to the world of stock car racing. If rumors are to be believed, the 66-year-old, amongst a list of only a handful of drivers to compete in the sport in five consecutive different decades, could be involved in one of the three national series in some capacity next year. Exciting, isn’t it?

While speculation is rife about his role, the excitement is already at an all-time high. The California native will aim for success on the racetrack, even though he might not be behind the wheel in 2025.

Could Derrike Cope team up with a veteran racer in 2025?

If there’s ever a driver who’s a shining example of longevity, it’s Derrike Cope. The veteran has competed in at least one Cup Series race in five consecutive decades, with his last appearance being the 2021 Daytona 500 and his first back in 1982 at Riverside. Cope drove the No. 15 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Rick Ware Racing, which had an alliance with his own StarCom Racing, but finished the race 40th in the driver standings, which was rock-bottom on the grid. Having learned from his mistakes, the racer will not be returning to NASCAR as a driver in 2025, but his involvement could very well be equally influential.

In a post uploaded by nascarrumornostaliga, the social media account wrote, “Sounds like Derrike Cope could be making a return to NASCAR in some fashion. Cope Family Racing LLC name has been created in the last few months. Allegedly his Michelin Pilot Challenge driver, Nick Tucker, will be the driver for the part-time Xfinity Series team. Will run Chevy. Tucker has 29 Truck starts.”

If the rumors are anything to go by, this seems like an interesting development in the motorsports world. For those who don’t know, Nick Tucker is the owner of Nitro Motorsports, a team that competes in the ARCA Menards Series, and his most recent appearance came at the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in 2021. The 39-year-old hasn’t competed in NASCAR since 2009, which was for Lafferty Motorsports and GunBroker Racing, and has no prior experience in the Xfinity Series.

However, Nick Tucker and Derrike Cope have worked together in the past. The racer competed for Derrike Cope Inc. during the 2008 Camping World Truck Series, making six appearances during the period but not finishing higher than 31st. Given his limited experience, is Tucker the right man to lead Cope Family LLC, even in a part-time capacity during the 2025 season? Time will tell. However, NASCAR fans didn’t shy away from expressing their opinion, even though the information might just be simply a baseless rumor.

Fans share their thoughts about Cope’s NASCAR comeback

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As expected, it didn’t take long before NASCAR fans voiced their opinion at the prospect of Nick Tucker teaming up with Derrike Cope for the 2025 Xfinity Series season. While many were excited at the possible match-up, some expressed their apprehension, especially because of the 39-year-old racer’s limited NASCAR experience. A Reddit user wrote, “Nick Tucker hasn’t ran in NASCAR or ARCA in over a decade, that would be incredibly interesting.”

Another fan had a more optimistic appraisal of the situation and went on to express confidence in Tucker’s ability to be a versatile driver across different types of tracks. The fan wrote, “Always nice to see a new team start up, Even if it’s a part-time Xfinity ride. Considering CFR’s alleged driver (Nick Tucker) was a Michelin Pilot Challenge driver, they’ll probably frequent Road Courses/Superspeedways.” Remembering Derrike Cope’s disastrous appearance at the 2021 Daytona 500, a motorsports enthusiast went on to write, “Hopefully as an owner only. His last starts in cup show that there needs to be some level of “protecting them from themselves” when it comes to driving.” In his 26 races at Daytona, Cope has one win, a top-5 finish, and a top-10 finish, although the veteran’s last top-10 finish was back in 2000, coming 6th for Fenely-Moore Motorsports.

Echoing that sentiment, another Reddit user went on to say that it would be in Derrike Cope’s best interest if he didn’t compete on the racetrack anymore. While the California native has been a competitive racer in the past, a fan felt that the veteran simply doesn’t have what it takes to push the limits on the track. The fan wrote “I sincerely hope he’s not driving. The man hasn’t had a lead lap finish since 1998- and he was a rolling chicane with Starcom.”

A motorsports enthusiast felt optimistic about the prospect of Nick Tucker joining Cope Family Racing LLC. Believing that the role could potentially transition to full-time in the future, the fan felt it might be the 39-year-old’s best opportunity to make his mark in the NASCAR world. On that note, the fan wrote, “They say part time now, we’ll see how part time is actually part time in the end. Nick Tucker does have talent and does have NASCAR experience, he was a shop guy who never really got a shot at a full time capacity. Interested to see what he can do if this team does take the track.”