Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, May 8, 1994                   TAG: 9405080085
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LOUDON, N.H.                                LENGTH: Medium

GN VICTORY 1ST FOR COPE SINCE '90

Derrike Cope earned his first NASCAR victory since 1990 when leader Hermie Sadler ran out of gas with six laps to go Saturday in the New England Chevy Dealers 250 at the New Hampshire International Speedway.

Cope, posting his first Busch Grand National victory, had moved into second place ahead of Bobby Dotter seconds before Sadler dropped out. Then he won a five-lap sprint to the finish with Dotter and Ken Schrader.

GN points leader Kenny Wallace finished fourth to retain his points lead over Sadler.

Cope, who joined the Winston Cup tour in 1986, had only two victories in 182 starts - in the Daytona 500 and at Dover, both in 1990. He is the first Winston Cup driver to win the Chevy 250 in its fifth running. He received $32,400 in the $342,432 event, third richest on the GN tour.

Sadler appeared on his way to his second straight GN victory - he won last week at Rougemont, N.C. - as he benefited from a series of collisions and cautions.

Sadler, last year's rookie of the year, took the lead after the 10th of 13 caution flags came out on lap 159. He led by nearly the length of a straightaway by the 190th lap over Terry Labonte before the 11th caution bunched the cars again.

Only 21 of the 44 drivers finished because several early multi-car collisions on the main straightaway left few cars without damage. Thirty-three of the first 100 laps were run under caution.

Cope, starting 14th in a Ford, averaged only 88.560 mph over the one-mile oval. There were 15 lead changes among nine drivers on the sunny day.

Dale Earnhardt opened a nine-second lead before the first major collision on the 66th lap. Another multi-car crash four laps after the restart shoved Earnhardt out of contention, and he dropped out on the 131st lap.

Pole-sitter Bobby Labonte left after 73 laps. Among the others who led the race, David Green finished sixth, Randy Lajoie was 19th and Terry Labonte was 20th.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING