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Amber Cope

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Amber Cope
BornAmber Nicole Cope
(1983-08-18) August 18, 1983 (age 41)
Puyallup, Washington, U.S.
Height5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Weight100 lb (45 kg)
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
2 races run over 2 years
2011 position130th
Best finish130th (2011)
First race2011 Iowa John Deere Dealers 250 (Iowa)
Last race2012 F.W. Webb 200 (Loudon)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2010 position104th
Best finish104th (2010)
First race2010 Kroger 200 (Martinsville)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
Statistics current as of July 14, 2012.

Amber Nicole Cope (born August 18, 1983) is a professional stock car racing driver. She is known for making NASCAR history with her sister Angela Cope-Ruch, becoming the first twins to compete in one of its top three series. They made their NASCAR debut in the Camping World Truck Series in Martinsville, Virginia on October 23, 2010. Amber finished 26th and Angela finished 30th.

Cope and her sister began racing in Go-Karts at the age of nine. The sisters quickly gained attention by winning poles and races year after year. By age 15, they stepped up to late-model race cars—even before they had driver's licenses.[1]

In 1995, Cope finished third in the Tri-cities Gold Cup "Yamaha Class". By 1998, both sisters were PSGKA Gold Cup winners in the "Junior Piston Port".

Cope and her sister split seat time in 2006 at the ARCA Re/Max Series at Berlin, Gateway, Chicagoland, Milwaukee Mile, and Toledo, Ohio. By 2008, the twins qualified for the ARCA Re/Max Series at Kentucky Speedway, with positions 8 and 15.

On July 14, 2012, Cope was involved in an incident with Kevin Harvick during the final stages of a Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire when it appeared as though she forced Harvick down the racetrack, which in turn slowed his momentum and enabled Brad Keselowski to win.[2]

She is the niece of 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope.

Racing career

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Residents of Cornelius, North Carolina, Amber and Angela Cope became the third generation of Copes to enter into the world of racing, when, at nine, the girls' parents gave them a go-kart for Christmas. Once they began competing locally, the girls made a name for themselves and became the most accomplished go-kart racers in the Greater Puget Sound region.

At 15, they progressed to late model race cars even before they had their license to drive. In 2000, a very short time after their debut in late model stock cars they acquired national attention when they were featured on The TODAY Show with Bryant Gumbel.

In 2006, the twins split seat time at the Automobile Racing Club of America's (ARCA) Re/Max Series at Berlin, Gateway, Chicagoland, Milwaukee and Toledo, Ohio. In 2008, they qualified for the ARCA Re/Max Series at Kentucky Speedway with positions 8 and 15.

On October 23, 2010, Amber and Angela Cope became the first twins to compete in the same NASCAR national touring series event,[3] competing together in the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series.[4]

Amber Cope made one start in the Nationwide Series in 2011. In 2012, she shared the No. 24 SR2 Motorsports Toyota in the Nationwide Series with Angela Cope and Benny Gordon on a part-time schedule.[5] In her only Nationwide Series start of the season in the F.W. Webb 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, she became the center of controversy after holding up leader Kevin Harvick late in the race. Harvick afterwards stated that Cope "is trying to be Danica Patrick...and [should] find a new job".[6]

Motorsports career results

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NASCAR

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(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Nationwide Series

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NASCAR Nationwide Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 NNSC Pts Ref
2011 Keystone Motorsports 93 Chevy DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX TAL NSH RCH DAR DOV IOW
32 		CLT CHI MCH ROA DAY KEN NHA NSH IRP IOW GLN CGV BRI ATL RCH CHI DOV KAN CLT TEX PHO HOM 130th 0 [7]
2012 SR² Motorsports 24 Chevy DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX RCH TAL DAR IOW CLT DOV MCH ROA KEN DAY NHA
26 		CHI IND IOW GLN CGV BRI ATL RCH CHI KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 82nd 18 [8]

Camping World Truck Series

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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 NCWTC Pts Ref
2010 Rick Ware Racing 6 Dodge DAY ATL MAR NSH KAN DOV CLT TEX MCH IOW GTY IRP POC NSH DAR BRI CHI KEN NHA LVS MAR
26 		TAL TEX PHO HOM 104th 85 [9]

ARCA Re/Max Series

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(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Re/Max Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ARMC Pts Ref
2006 Andy Belmont Racing 1 Ford DAY NSH SLM WIN KEN TOL POC MCH KAN KEN BLN POC GTW
DNQ 		NSH MCH ISF MIL 121st 145 [10]
DGM Racing 72 Chevy TOL
27 		DSF
McGlynn Racing 75 CHI
DNQ 		SLM TAL IOW
2008 Derrike Cope Inc. 70 Dodge DAY SLM IOW KAN CAR KEN TOL POC MCH CAY KEN
38 		BLN POC NSH ISF DSF CHI SLM NJE TAL TOL 124th 125 [11]

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

References

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  1. ^ Arca Re/max Berlin (2006) - Angela makes debut in Berlin Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Bill Catania. Angela Cope to make ARCA debut at Berlin raceway in Andy Belmont's #1
  2. ^ "Brad Keselowski wins N'wide race". ESPN Nascar. ESPN. July 14, 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
  3. ^ Younger, Amanda (February 8, 2011). "Cope twins hope to mix fashion, fierce racing in NASCAR". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  4. ^ Cain, Holly (October 23, 2010). "Twins Angela and Amber Cope Make Historic NASCAR Start at Martinsville". AOL News. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  5. ^ Adamczyk, Jay (February 12, 2012). "Benny Gordon plans partial Nationwide effort". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-12.
  6. ^ Owens, Jeff (July 20, 2012). "Amber and Angela Cope answer critics, vow to prove to Kevin Harvick they belong in NASCAR or quit". Sporting News. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  7. ^ "Amber Cope – 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  8. ^ "Amber Cope – 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  9. ^ "Amber Cope – 2010 Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  10. ^ "Amber Cope – 2006 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  11. ^ "Amber Cope – 2008 ARCA Re/Max Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
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