Cope Race Cars Chasing 5 in a Row at Watkins Glen
September 6, 2022

Clearwater, FL (September 2, 2022)— The Cope Chassis made its debut in the Trans Am series upon the inception in 2010, becoming an official chassis of the TA2 series in 2012, and in the last twelve-years Cope has made a name for itself amongst many teams and independents in the series. Originally found only under the Mike Cope Racing banner, Cope Chassis is quickly becoming the chassis of choice for racers and teams looking for competitive race cars and a passionate racing family. In 2022, a Cope Chassis has found its way to the podium in 8 of the last 9 events and has taken the top spot the last 4 races in a row. Will Watkins Glen make 5? We soon shall see...
Thomas Merrill in the #26 HP Tuners/ Bridgehaul LLC/ Cope Race Car has 7 podium finishes this season with a back-to-back win at Lime Rock and Mid-Ohio. After setting a track record at the Music City Grand Prix in Downtown Nashville, Merrill suffered a disappointing finish which cost him the lead in the championship points. The top seed for the Mike Cope Racing team, Merrill looks to redeem himself at Watkins Glen.
“It was great to out the Bridgehaul/ HP Tuners/ Cope Race Car on the pole with a new track record. Wasn’t great to get into the wall early, but my amazing crew got the car back on track,” explained Merrill after the Nashville event. “With the help of duct tape and a ratchet strap, we went back out and set the fast lap of the race (at the time, only missed it by .2). Goes to show how strong [this Cope Chassis was]. Glad to salvage some points, [and] we’ll keep it rolling to Watkins Glen [this week].”
Nitro Motorsports joined the Trans Am TA2 series for 2022 and chose Cope Race Cars to take them to victory. With Brett Crews, the youngest winning driver in Trans Am history, leading the way for Nitro Motorsports, owner Nick Tucker couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome thus far. Crews pulled out another back-to-back victory for Cope Chassis taking the checkered flag at both Road America and Nashville’s Music City Grand Prix.
“The Nitro Motorsports team couldn’t have found a better chassis supplier than Cope Race Cars. The consistency of them has certainly contributed to our success and wins,” explained Tucker. “We feel confident that Brent Crews can go compete for wins week in and week out with Cope Chassis.”
Showtime Motorsports is another well respected Trans Am TA2 team who chose Cope as their race car of choice. Owner Ken Thwaits, along with two-time TA2 champion Cameron Lawrence and TA2 West Coast champion Carl Rydquist, have been an amazing addition to the Cope Chassis unit. With multiple top 10 finishes this season, the Showtime Motorsports group is inching their way closer to the top spot each weekend and the Cope Race Car family is here to help along the way. At Watkins Glen, Austin Green will jump behind the wheel of #4 Franklin Road Apparel Chevy Camaro. This will be Green’s first time behind the wheel of a Cope machine, and we can’t wait to see what he can do.
None of this would be possible without the support of our independent drivers and teams. Here’s a list of the Cope Chassis’ you will find in the TA2 line up at Watkins Glen International. We can’t thank these teams enough for their continued support of Cope Race Cars and Mike Cope Racing.
- #97 Tom Sheehan and LTK Insulation Damon Racing team
- #03 Robert Noaker and the Robert Noaker Racing team
- #31 Elias Anderson and the Accio Data Racing team
- #37 Mark Ketenci and the Ketenci Racing team
- #54 Bruce Raymond and the Optima Batteries/ Raymonds Auto Racing team
- #08 Chad Christenson and the Forester Pontoons Racing team
Cope Chassis will make up 35% of the field for the upcoming Trans Am presented by Pirelli TA2 event at Watkins Glen. This will be round 10 of 12 for the TA2 series. Practice and Qualifying are scheduled for Friday, September 9th with the main event on Saturday, September 10th at 11:10am EST. Watch LIVE as Speedtour.TV streams live on YouTube. Subscribe to www.youtube.com/thetransamseries or www.youtube.com/speedtourtv to cheer on the Mike Cope Racing team and ALL of the Cope Race Car drivers in the field!
#MikeCopeRacing #CopeRaceCars #CopeChassis #GoTransAm #TA2 #Speedtour
About Mike Cope Racing Enterprises, Inc:
Perhaps no other team has worked so diligently to achieve success over the course of 30 years as MCRE. Over the years, they have successfully launched corporate sponsorships in national series, developed short track and SCCA Road race champions and mentored young upcoming drivers. Lead by Mike Cope, he brings the same enthusiasm, dedication and knowledge to his race team that made him victorious in his own racing career.MCRE offers a variety of services for drivers interested in the Trans Am Series’ TA2 program, including custom builds, arrive and drive programs, maintenance programs, consulting, driver mentoring, set-up and shock dyno. Mike Cope Racing Enterprises is based in Clearwater, Florida. Learn more at www.mikecoperacecars.com.
Mike Cope RaWcing Enterprises partners include: Koury Engines, Keyser Manufacturing, FiveStar Race Car Bodies, Wilwood Brakes, Bassett Wheels, Penske Racing Shocks, Integra Racing Shocks, and Tilton.
Parties interested in the 2022 MCRE “Arrive and Drive” Program in TA2, or would like to purchase a Cope Race Cars Chassis can contact the team office at 727-201-8910 or email megan@mikecoperacecars.com