Amber Cope

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

Amber Cope
BornAmber Nicole Cope
(1983-08-18) August 18, 1983
Puyallup, Washington
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 Camping World 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.

They began racing in Go-Karts at age 9. They 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, Amber finished 3rd in the Tri-cities Gold Cup "Yamaha Class". By 1998, both sisters were PSGKA Gold Cup winners in the "Junior Piston Port".

Both sisters 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, she was involved in an incident with Kevin Harvick during the final stages of a Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire when she appeared to have forced Harvick down the racetrack, slowing his momentum and giving the win to Brad Keselowski.[2]

Racing career

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 and thus began their road to NASCAR. 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. In their seven years of driving go-karts included 50 first place wins and setting on pole position 20 times in the Pacific Northwest. Angela also set new track records at five of six tracks in the same 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 instantly acquired national attention when they were featured on The TODAY Show with Bryant Gumbel. As Amber and Angela became more experienced and confident behind the wheel, they knew that in order to pursue a career in NASCAR they would have to leave Washington. They moved across the country to Charlotte, North Carolina to start training with uncle Derrike Cope, traveling to every Cup race that he attended.

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. The most difficult part of the ARCA Re/Max Series was that they had to share a car. At times, there would be three weeks before one of them would get back into the seat, losing precious learning time; however, it was a great series for the twins performance-wise.

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 Cope "[should] find a new job".[6]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

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

Nationwide Series
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
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
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

Camping World Truck Series
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
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

ARCA Re/Max Series

(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
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
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

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

References
  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. 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. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
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