Cope Cops Cup

Travis Cope wins the 2014 Governor’s Cup at New Smyrna Speedway (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

New Smyrna Speedway-New Smyrna, Florida  with Bob Meyering

Rocket Sports & Eentertainment  readers know all about Travis Cope. Seems he has made our headlines often with Travis starting the season two for two at New Smyrna Speedway in 2014.  And today Cope finished his year in Victory Lane at the famed half mile racetrack just west of New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

This year’s running of the Governor’s Cup was to take place over three days of racing, Friday’s practice was OK, Saturday night was a complete washout, condensing the show to Sunday. Qualifying would see Rocket Sports & Entertainment friend Steve Nasse set fast time. This would normally mean he would start on the pole, not so fast. Ricky Brooks is in charge of tech today, and you know what can happen. In the drivers meeting, all drivers were told that after qualifying, no team member was to approach the qualified car, or even go over the pit wall. Seven teams were guilty and their times disallowed. Included in the seven were Nasse and Cope.

14 year-old Harrison Burton driving the #12 from the pole (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

There was not a shortage of yellow flags (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

This would put 14 year old Harrison Burton on the pole, followed by two time cup winner Jeff Choquette. Choquette had been fast all weekend and with Nasse starting at the rear, he would be the odds on favorite to win. Augie Grill, going for the three peat today would have to beat the 29 car. Bobby Good starts third, he has never won a race more than 50 laps here at New Smynra. Starting 7th will be Wayne Anderson, who said before the race, “If I win today, I will retire from driving on the spot.” Rounding out the top 10 were David Rogers and Steve Wallace.

37 cars see the green flag fall on the beautiful Sunday afternoon. (No football in Buffalo today, and we aere all in short sleeve shirts watching a super late model race, isn’t living in Florida great!) Choquette takes the lead at the start and survives multiple restarts as Augie Grill works his way up. Lap 17 sees Nasse slow with a deflating right front tire. As he goes up the track, contact is made and the front end of his machine destroyed. Nasse is out of the race. This race is awfully important to Nasse, starting at the rear would not help his chances, but with a fast hot rod, this could have been his day. Meanwhile back up front, Grill catches Choquette by lap 40.

Harrison and Jeff Choquette (29) side by side with Brad May, Jr. trailing (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

Grill applies heavy pressure for the lead over the next 35 laps, finally getting past Choquette on the low side in turns three and four. Grill uses the right side of his car getting past Choquette, and Choquette is not pleased. Diving into turn one, Choquette nails Grill and takes hime out. Grills chances at the three peat are over at the hands of Choquette. Choquette was removed from the race by Rusty Crews the race director in the tower.  Not marked as a disqualification, Choquette was marked in the finish.  The 2 fastest cars are out of the 49th Governor’s Cup, including the one that has led every lap. I spoke with Choquette about the incident, he pointed out that the left side of his car was used up, the right side was fine. He did say he took Grill out, but the contact could not have been hard, as his right front showed. He said anybody who uses him up like Grill did, will look like that pointing to Grill’s extensively damaged 112 car. Grill said he did use Choquette up, but only after Choquette used him up under caution. Grill was disappointed, telling me he thought they had the car to win today.

Augie Grill (112) and Jeff Choquette using it up (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

NO GOOD! Bobby Good was caught by Travis Cope and finished second (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

With the two fastest cars out,  Nasse out, it leaves the top ten at lap 90 looking like this, Duke, Anderson, Rogers, Burton, Wallace, Good, Coughlin, May, Clouser and Boyd. Anderson gets past Duke and leads at the lap 125 break. Travis Cope is up into the top ten. Early after the restart, Anderson is blacked flagged. Oil is coming out of the rear end of his car and he is done. Another leader out of the race. Good has found his way to the front and drives away from the field. On lap 157  Cope takes second from Burton as Good has a ½ straight-away lead. Is there enough time for Cope to catch him? Will we see another caution to bunch the field up? Cope slowly reels Good in and with ten to go and  Cope is on Good’s rear bumper. Two laps to go and it is still Good leading. Heading to the white flag, Good’s brakes fade and he runs high in three and four, Cope drives low, taking the lead at the white flag. Cope wins. Cope is the first Florida driver to win the Cup since
2010 and joins his Uncle Jimmy as a Governor Cup winner.

The sportsman race scheduled for 50 laps, is called due to weather after just 13 laps.

Steve Wallace (66) racing Brad May, Jr. Wallace finished 4th and Gorham 13th. (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

2014 GOVERNOR’S CUP RESULTS with full Rodney Meyering photo gallery

WINNER (26) Travis Cope (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

2ND PLACE (27) BOOBY GOOD (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

3RD PLACE HARRISON BURTON (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

4TH PLACE (66) STEVE WALLACE (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

5TH PLACE 14 Chris Davidson

(6TH PLACE 36 ALEX LABBE RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

7TH PLACE DAVID ROGERS (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

8TH PLACE  81 Brian Campbell

9TH PLACE TJ DUKE (28) (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

10TH PLACE 10M Brad May
11TH PLACE 99 Michael Self
12TH PLACE 9 Rich Clouser
13TH PLACE 10 George Gorham Jr
14TH PLACE 00 Anthony Cataldi
15TH PLACE 20 Anthony Sergi
16TH PALCE 79 Dakotah Stephens

17TH PLACE WAYNE ANDERSON (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

18TH PLACE 19 Ray Black Jr
19TH PLACE 5 Joe Boyd
20TH PLACE 1 Cody Caughlin
21TH PLACE 18 Jordan Ives
22TH PLACE 12G David Green
23TH PLACE 12D Derek Griffith
24TH PLACE 5k Daniel Keene Jr
25TH PLACE 29 Jeff Choquette
26TH PLACE 112 Augie Grill

27th PLACE JOHANNA LONG (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

28TH PLACE 59 Dustin Dunn
29TH PLACE 26P Bubba Pollard
30TH PLACE 12F Brian Finney
31TH PLACE 57 Michael Lira
32TH PLACE 40 Danny Esposito Jr

33RD PLACE 51 Steven Nasse

34TH PLACE 41 Brandon Johnson

35TH PLACE 18 Zach Jarrell

36TH PLACE 119 Rich Maguire

37TH PLACE 22 Dusty Cornelius

GREEN FLAG! 2014 GOVERNOR’S CUP FIELD (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

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Cup smooch from Cope (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

JOE BOYD GETS SIDEWAYS (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

THORUGH THE FENCE! (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

DUSTIN DUNN (59) AND STEVEN NASSE (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

TRAVIS COPE (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

FREDDY QUERY, CREW CHIEF FOR HARRISON BURTON (RODNEY MEYERING RSEN)

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