Derrike Cope took advantage of Dale Earnhardt's misfortune to win the 1990 Daytona 500. Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Enduring Performance: 1990 Daytona 500

Piece of debris keeps Earnhardt winless, puts Cope in Victory Lane

As the black No. 3 Chevrolet led the snaking single-file line of cars down the backstretch for the final time in the 1990 Daytona 500, there couldn't have been a handful of people among the crowd of 150,000 who didn't think Dale Earnhardt was going to finally break his jinx that day.

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Count Derrike Cope among that majority. And why not? Earnhardt, who had led 155 laps and roared back into the lead following the final restart with eight laps to go, had the tires -- and the fuel this time, unlike in 1986 -- to go the distance. Or so it seemed.

"It really was amazing because I had told myself I was really fighting to hold on to second place," Cope said. "My car was very loose."

But in a split second, Earnhardt's car ran over a piece of debris on the backstretch, cutting the right rear tire and forcing the veteran driver up the banking in Turn 3 -- as Cope, Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott and Ricky Rudd flashed past.

"When I saw what was happening to Dale, I just turned that baby left," Cope said. "I saw a hole and had my foot on the floor. I knew at that point we had the thing won. I wasn't going to let anybody by me, even if I had to block the track all the way to the checkers."

For Earnhardt, the frustration at coming so close and not winning again was almost unbearable.

"This has been the biggest buildup and biggest letdown I've ever had in racing," he said. "There's nothing you can do about it, either. You can't kick the car and cry and pout and lay down and squall and bawl. You've got to take it and walk on.

"We just ran short of luck today."

In his two previous Daytona 500s, Cope had finished 33rd and 27th. In fact, his best Cup finish to that point was a sixth. Suddenly he was $188,150 richer -- and would be able to refer to himself as Daytona 500 champion for the rest of his career.

"I always thought given the right equipment I could compete with the best in NASCAR," Cope said later. "Winning the Daytona 500 was something I always dreamed of, and that day, I had a good enough car to stay up front and take advantage of someone's misfortune. It was a tremendous confidence-builder."

Earnhardt's long sought-after Daytona 500 victory would come in 1998. That day, Cope wound up 37th, nine laps down.

Cope won again at Dover in 1990, but he continues to pursue a second Daytona 500 victory.

"I had dreamed of winning the Daytona 500 for years, and to have it come to fruition after so much hard work is something I'll never forget," Cope said. "I can still feel the sunshine on my face in Victory Lane.

"It's such a historic race, and I feel like I'm a real part of NASCAR history because I've won a Daytona 500."