1990 Daytona 500 | Cope vs. Earnhardt and the filming of Days of Thunder | Classic Full Race Replay

[@JeffInDFW]

Anybody notice how much better the TV coverage was back then? The fast continuous movement between the booth and the multiple pit reporters was SO much better than what we have today. It was clear they had done a LOT more homework because they have so many more of the quick stories to toss in like "This team blew an engine on the dyno earlier this week and had 2" of oil all over the floor but were still able to put together a great engine for today", etc. Todays coverage just comes across as 3 hours of BS'ing. Chris Economaki makes me want to gouge out my eyes, but Ken Squier, Ned Jarrett, Mike Joy and Dave Despain were so epic they made up for it. David Hobbs is Epic for 24 Hours of LeMans coverage, but does not fit in NASCAR IMO.

[@MegaBroski12]

As someone who was born in 99 it is fun for me to go back at watch all of these old races that happened before I was born. Currently watching through the entire 1990 season after watching through every race from 87 to this race. Crazy how fast things were changing every year during this time

[@GingerMulletYT]

Here after the Cope DJD episode. I'm just in love with old races. Amazing time

[@MrNicholas7]

It's wild to watch pit stops from that era. No speed limit, you can practically stop anywhere in the vicinity of your pit stall, crews aren't wearing fire-proof uniforms or helmets, there's practically no concern about tire control, the windshields get cleaned with squeegees and rags, you always get a push from the crew when you leave, and excess gas can just pour out of the car as you drive down the pits.

[@JosephByrne]

I can't get over the guys holding up the signs in the middle of pit road. "Yeah if this goes wrong I'm screwed."

[@solofourohsixgaming]

I jus can't believe 76 crew had to die before they changed that.

[@OffTheRailsPodcast]

@@JosephByrne Yeah this is the year people got ran over and died

[@Dark-sx3bd]

@@JosephByrnecan you give a time stamp

[@JosephByrne]

43:20 you can see a few guys standing in pit road holding up the signs@@Dark-sx3bd

[@rolltide9547]

At 1 point Dale had a 7000 foot lead. This car Earnhardt had was the best superspeedway car in history. He won both Talladega races and the firecracker 400 with this car.

[@enroy37]

Yes he did. The Lumina super speedway/plate car RCR debut in Talladega, Ala. in May of 1989 was for the remaining 3 plate races of that year and they were basically the old 4th gen Montecarlo chassis that were rehung with the early debut of the Lumina body. But RCR had this new chassis built in 4 months in the winter of '89/'90 with the sole purpose of having it built from the ground up with a Lumina body before the 1990 Daytona 500 and the rest of the '90 plate track season. This new car as you mentioned was a very dominate and a stout piece of equipment that RCR built that was 3 for 4 and a quarter of a mile short of 4 for 4 in 1990. Earnhardt could take the lead just about anytime he wanted and win in these 4 plate races with this car. So I would have to agree also that this car was the best super speedway car ever in 1990. And it didn't do bad with very respectable finishes and a win with plate races in 1991.

[@mrnascar9129]

Bill Elliotts 1985 thunderbird was far more dominant than Earnhardts 1990 lumina ever was.

[@enroy37]

@@mrnascar9129 I would have to agree with you, but were talking about Earnhardt's '90 super speedway season. I know your thinking of Elliott's win at Talladega in that '85 season, and it was undoubtedly one of if not the most dominate comebacks displays in NASCAR history along with his record breaking pole win in '87. Not to split hairs but Elliott's '85 super speedway finishes was close to but not like Earnhardt's '90 super speedway season. Out of Elliott's 11 wins and finishing 2nd to Darrell Watrip in the final points standings in '85 his plate track finishes were 1st,1st,2nd,and a 4th, respectable but not like Earnhardt's 4 plate track races in '90 and winning the championship. It's not where you start, nor how you run,but it's where you finish that counts. Just like that tire on the last lap in the 1990 Daytona 500. But also keep in mind Elliott's '85 season was before restrictor plates. The same could be said about the dominance of Richard Petty,Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as well. It's the natural evolution of drivers era's.

[@tuowl0564]

Only an R&D Hendrick car driven by Sacks could keep up with him at the plate races in 1990. Those two literally drove away from the field at 'Dega and had race amongst themselves....

[@pc88k]

@@enroy37hell yeah brother

[@ryeinc]

Can’t wait to watch! I just put my life savings on Earnhardt winning this thing.

[@SubatomicParticle123]

...

[@Foxfire_forty-nine]

Richard Petty sure has had some bad luck the past few seasons but I'm sure he'll turn it around and get win number 201 very soon. Bet on that as well.

[@braydenfletcher8159]

@@Foxfire_forty-nine Gordon had a couple years that weren't the greatest but I have a feeling about 2004....He's gotta Title win #5 soon right?

[@carmonajr18]

This is probably my top favorite Daytona 500 race. Just because how dominant Earnhardt was before the tire puncture on the last lap. Plus, this is where they filmed “Days of Thunder”.

[@dirtystockcardriver]

Same here. Days of Thunder was magical when I was a kid

[@J.C...]

Oh wow. I didn't realize this was the flat tire race. My grandma has been a NASCAR fan most of her life so I'm sure she was watching this. They even went to a few races IRL back in the day. She had the pit radio and everything. I gotta ask my mom again what got grandma into NASCAR.

[@J.C...]

​@@dirtystockcardriveryep. I still love that movie to this day.

[@chrispratt9401]

I was about 13 but remember watching with my grandpa. I was also a big Days of Thunder fan. I still have unopened model kits of a couple of the cars but somehow missed them filming the movie during this race.

[@thesigmaworkshop]

Best. 500. Ever. Derrike Cope the only driver to start in the 1990 and 2021 Great American Race.

[@orionmalik3120]

Instablaster.

[@gtrdriver27]

9:50 race start 25:39 first caution 33:54 2nd green flag 41:53 2nd caution 54:00 3rd green flag 2:17:46 3rd caution 2:22:21 4th green flag 2:27:00 end of the race

[@m.c.martin]

It’s amazing to see how much Daytona has changed since then.

[@faststang89]

Yeah its went to hell

[@camdog2520]

@@faststang89how 💀

[@kangarooswild]

couple interesting things about this 500. despite restrictor plate Earnhardt pulled away from the field by himself. Schrader drove through the field twice before his mechanical failure. the fact there was filming of a movie during the race is pretty cool. Cope to his credit was consistently in 2nd or top 5 majority of the race...

[@jamesmcintyre4243]

its cause Cope is the GOAT thats why LMAO

[@racingmaniac2549]

Thanks NASCAR for the upload.

[@pens87668]

I can only imagine the pain my grandpap felt when he watched this back then. He loved watching Earnhardt race.

[@retrostuff8976]

Yes but it's also shows how good Dale was. He rebounded after this heartbreak into a championship season. It's almost like this pissed him off.

[@J.C...]

The Days of Thunder race?!? No way!! I've always loved that movie since 1991 or whenever it came out.

[@Scrapla1]

I remember going to Six Flags Atlantis a old water park in Florida and later that night we went to see Days of Thunder, great memories.

[@screw_bird]

i like how they put the theme from Rain Man with tom cruise over the presentation of the drivers

[@joshuacrousey3950]

Wow im 35 years old i remember my dad watching this live. Wish it was still the same. Nothing like it used to be

[@tuowl0564]

I'm 40, was 7 when this race happened, and still remember it like it was yesterday. My dad was a huge Elliott fan so he took great pleasure in Earnhardt's demise given the rivalry those two had in the 80s.

[@WhichHandlesArentAvailable]

Fyi: People had to Cope with Earnhardt losing

[@kevinadamdarapai]

8 years later, he finally done it

[@HalfEliteRacing]

Lol

[@MyKittyPercy]

Like I said on the other video, can’t feel anything other than happy for Cope when you look at that crew reaction to the win. Tough loss, but Earnhardt’s career doesn’t need 2-time Daytona 500 champion to be considered a GOAT. On and off the track, he did so much for NASCAR.

[@dirtystockcardriver]

Earnhardt is GOAT period. 🐐

[@waremergencypower6024]

Loved the way these cars sounded. I’m in the minority who prefers this over the boom tube sound.

[@rebelracing88]

Agreed. The old h-pipe exhaust sounded way better to me because the cars roared down the straightaways.

[@dirtystockcardriver]

So many great names in this!!! Ken Squire my all time fave!

[@andrewwilson1811]

Fact: Cope also won at Dover

[@Sharpiecar]

Yes that’s true

[@RickCross777]

My favorite paint scheme of all time..... that #10.

[@christhomas2644]

Damn these cars look amazing, especially the Lumina. The paint schemes are awesome and they just eound amazing. What a great period ror NASCAR

[@Votedjt2024]

That is my favorite moment remember that race on Daytona 500 in 1990 derrike cope win first win

[@dirtybirdsrise]

"There goes Durk Cope on the inside!" 😂

[@FishNFoolLures]

You mean Dork Dope?

[@muhammadwahyuhidayat21498]

@@FishNFoolLures or that mean is Derrick Cope?

[@jolicska]

min30:17 gasoline is overflowing from the car's tank as it's leaving the pit like the cap is missing, but nobody cares and they are talking about humidity. Good old days loving it!

[@SaadNabil]

This is where they film Days of Thunder! Must be an amazing movie! Cruise Like Thunder!

[@TheAutisticKeybladeWielder]

WE KNOW.

[@erikcorr3261]

The Greatest Daytona 500 Upset In History.

[@erikcorr3261]

@Brett Barker yeah I will admit the 2021 500 was a huge upset as well.

[@kevinadamdarapai]

Mick McDowell now done the same

[@WheelerMotorsports]

Trevor Bayne

[@camerongreenwoodcrampakacgc.]

1990. One of my favourite Daytona 500 of all time apart from many others.

[@miketuttle6617]

Grew up watching this era of racing

[@gavkiwi]

The starting grid music is from the Tom Cruise movie Rain Man when Charlie & Raymond are at the casino and getting those matching suits.

[@wildethang93]

Cruise himself was there at that same race as he was filming Days of Thunder

[@nitrotech6771]

Days of thunder is a great movie probably my favorite tom Cruise movie of all time I like how they're showing the film process

[@jamesmcintyre4243]

Yeee the GOAT Derrike Cope intimidating the intimidator & dominating & winning the Daytona 500 then dominating at Dover later this same year 😎

[@chrisatkins7959]

What race are you commenting on? It sure is not this one.

[@jimmydean5182]

Intimidated? Where?

[@DustonEllis24]

This race brings back good memories because this was the year I was born

[@nascarvintage17]

the car of Derricke and Buddy Parott and Bob Witcomb was so cool i finded at the time like that pink flashy i love it this car and this driver personally !

[@zerodos_02]

Rusty's crew chief with the foreshadowing 30 some laps from the end: "If you want to beat Earnhardt you'll have to shoot his tires out" Would have been epic if Schrader had not blown up but give Cope credit he was top 3 almost all race.

[@melaniemarks1168]

Can’t wait to watch it!

[@stormtruppo]

Seeing a Skoal and Kodiak car in tobacco sponsorship. Don't see that anymore.

[@sethjette5812]

Legally not allowed to

[@stormtruppo]

@@sethjette5812 well aware. Just miss the good old days.

[@SN-nh6pq]

Liberals just ruined so much

[@BelowTheYellowLine]

@@SN-nh6pq and tobacco will ruin your mouth and life

[@sevendst19]

Winston sponsored the series until 2003 or 2004. I still call it Winston Cup.

[@hotwheelscrazy2.o371]

And it's crazy. Not one single scene in Days of thunder shows dele car except for that one, 2-second scene showing him spinning out on that TV and that's pretty much it

[@thegreattreon0177]

I watched this live on tv back in 1990. Damn near cried when Earnhardt cut that tire down and lost because of it

[@SLMdirtfan]

Me too.............for joy that is!

[@stevenwaller2934]

Man the last 30 laps of this race is like the ultimate exercise in hubris, starting from that interview with Chocolate Myers. "We're gonna win by 20 seconds, theres not going to be a problem with the tires".

[@EthanCanseco3737]

7:21 R.I.P Slick Johnson February 23rd 1948 - February 14th 1990

[@dylanwatson1287]

Schrader was Earnhardt's only real competition as far as being able to pass him and would've stayed, drafted with and challenged Earnhardt the whole race had he not blown up. Cope was good and could keep up with Earnhardt for about ten laps and then Earnhardt was gone like nobody could see him until the end.

[@johnsnow1355]

Too bad he was the guy who killed him by hitting him and putting him into the wall to cause his death.

[@catamount21]

27:58 Davey Allison plows into his pit wall, almost killing his signman

[@JJHastonian85]

Dale almost did it. And how ironic it was they mentioned the 8 car hit them. 8 years later Dale won it. Then we got dale Jr. In the 8, and 88

[@ricksanchezsflask8794]

26:02 "A tough break for Richard Petty!"

[@osumbuckeyenut]

Seen video of Teresa makes you think... if only Dale knew back then that she would single-handedly destroy the Earnhardt empire after his passing

[@grungyflannel]

It was doomed the moment he passed, the fact that they had as much success as they did was due to the peices dale put into place.....teresa was smart from a money sense, but not so much putting the right people in the right place, and once the wheels started comin off it snowballed quickly....she should have given jr, kelley and kerry controlling interest if she didn't want to oversee day to day operations. But grief and pride can cause people to make bad decisions for what they think are the right reasons.

[@sevendst19]

@@grungyflannel yup Jr talked about this on his podcast recently, he said he was the only guy who could have realistically stepped in and saved it but he wasn't ready at the time and didn't have the wisdom his father had to be that kind of leader

[@PeteV80]

I was 9 years old watching this the first time

[@benanderson1176]

This was when NASCAR was great and wasn’t ruined by the chase and playoffs

[@Foxfire_forty-nine]

Yes look at this tight, close racing at the superspeedway tracks. Oh yeah.

[@braydentaylor4639]

And the ten people who liked this comment are just as shitty as you.

[@ark-mark1]

That victory party sounded like a flok of seagulls 😂

[@dannyboy_m3821]

38:25 Earnhardt passes by the Days of Thunder cars

[@DewkChronic]

1:53:13 That is why Dale junior put his hands like Mark Martins.

[@Caseihisthebest123]

we will never forget #3

[@knobdikker]

😴😴😴😴😴😴🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

[@jereynolds_9977]

1:01:30 'Cheech Gaurdi, any idea whats happened here? 'Motor' 'Blown? 'Yeah' 'Terminal?' 'Yeah' old school, no bs, right to the point. how it should be.

[@J.C...]

He's dang right it would benefit the sport. I think DoT had a HUGE part in NASCAR getting as big as it did right after that.

[@Falkenroth1]

Cars sounded better back then.

[@Foxfire_forty-nine]

It is too bad they raced like they were at Michigan or Kansas or Kentucky instead of close and tightly together like in Talladega or Daytona.

[@anthonydeloreto3881]

2004 & 2005 beg to differ.

[@joemannix7471]

Derrick Cope had the advantage of being able to look at the inside wall with his right eye and the outside wall with his left eye.

[@austinreed5805]

The Days of Thunder crew were at this race.

[@stevorules1820]

Oh really? I couldn't tell by the title, description and the commentary.. Thanks for clarifying lol

[@TailsFan369no2]

@@stevorules1820 1:04

[@lensw0rld633]

@@stevorules1820 😅😅

[@kurtkazim8086]

a good race - but SO sad, that #3 beaks down 😭😭

[@usm05065]

It's funny. You had three drivers of the Hendrick 5 in a line. The previous one in Bodine, the current one in Rudd, and the next one in Terry

[@codym8897]

1990 1. America's Funniest Home Videos, The Simpsons, Twin Peaks, America's Funniest People, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air make their television debuts. 2. Austin City Limits in its 15th season on PBS, and Austin City Limits celebrated its 15th anniversary. 3. George Strait released his 10th studio album "Living it Up". Alan Jackson released his debut album "Here in the Real World".

[@Abecam45]

90s baby

[@jakeiverson57]

Dale’s car is at least twice as good as anybody else’s. What a cruel loss.

[@knobdikker]

😩😩😩😩😩😩

[@ma2la]

I was telling my son about the end of the race so i figured i show him, i have to wonder was it the #8 car contact that cut the tire and it took a few laps for it to let go. still hear breakingto watch, but wow daytona was so much better back then.

[@EdsSledss]

I miss This style of "Stock Car"

[@stephenkessel1990]

notice how the communication is braking up but it was great from the moon

[@roadracing3]

Hmmmm 2:08:20 "If anyone is gonna beat Earnhardt today they are gonna have to shoot his tires out" LOL

[@TarHeelsKenny]

I was 16 and psychically sick after this race. This one hurt

[@dylanhills3244]

1:15:40

[@osumbuckeyenut]

It's entertaining hearing commentators that don't know what they're talking about being corrected by the ones that do

[@huskssnbejs5603]

why isn’t anyone talking about Schraders comeback?

[@gregjohnston576]

I was there!

[@SwineBrothers]

Gotta love fluke winners, they seem to happen every 10 years or so.

[@teodorusdikypermadi]

Dedicated to bobby hamilton. Man tom cruise give a respect

[@kyledpiper]

Was there!

[@mitch_the_-itch]

Its funny listening to the announcers push the Nascar restrictor plate line that "the racing is fast in the low 190s," lol. The year before Ned Jarrett was bashing the restrictor plate racing.

[@MTJfan2017]

Man Dale was so pissed that they were filming a movie while everyone else was racing

[@egycsab]

Was Jay Leno one of the commentators?

[@jsimm4587]

Dale was really disappointed , that was a hard one to handle but he did , too bad we can’t hear him on TV in the booth !

[@ancyentfathoms]

Did anyone ever find that tire sniper?

[@TheAutisticKeybladeWielder]

Bugger!

[@ak102986]

Back when racing was racing!

[@Foxfire_forty-nine]

Yeah. A ten second lead on a superspeedway. How exciting.

[@ak102986]

@@Foxfire_forty-nine You notice that is one example, A wreck that takes out 30% of the field is better?

[@Foxfire_forty-nine]

@@ak102986 aside from the wreck the tight pack racing makes these more watchable and exciting. A lead like that is what you expect at Indy or Michigan or Texas these days

[@Foxfire_forty-nine]

Or Kentucky.

[@ak102986]

@@Foxfire_forty-nine You can argue it make it more exciting, watchable maybe but it also for many make it less exciting/watchable. I would agree but those are bad tracks. Michigan and Texas are jokes.

[@trecooledge1326]

This race was so heartbreaking for me. I mean seriously... Why, why was the last lap of the Daytona 500, on when the race was run on February 18th, such a bad lap for Dale?

[@dirtystockcardriver]

Same here buddy. Fate

[@brettcarmer9232]

I miss AJ Foyt being in some of the races

[@Zoomer30_]

Kyle Petty later adopted the Days of Thunder Mello Yello livery as his official car.

[@TheCarl99edwards]

DOPE COPE

[@deletethemedia3445]

That was Schrader's race to lose. He had the dominant car but bad luck struck him once again.

[@TailsFan369no2]

Cope and I are statemates

[@samcater7768]

I may be the only one but I really wish the official nascar channel wouldn’t spoil the race winner in the thumbnails…

[@chriswarner1523]

David Hobbs kinda gave the command going to break

[@jolicska]

min29:45 commentator says "There are hazards everywhere". Saying calmy with acceptance in his voice, when a tyre rolling in the pit lane like part of the show. commentator keeps talking about humidity

[@DewkChronic]

Blew up 2 engines wow

[@reactingtoacting]

I thought Cole Trickle took this race. Pretty sure I saw that.

[@Mhjeffrey027running]

Fooled Russ Wheeler by going low when he normally goes high

[@nerkonium8231]

why is the video only 2,5 h long when the race was 3h long?

[@ryanburgess3762]

Bring back this package!

[@tommynesbitt4837]

I just wish Texas Terry could have made one more pass

[@solofourohsixgaming]

Whats cool about Tom Cruise is he does all of his own stunts.

[@Allintn22]

Earnhardt having that damn blow out is the only reason anyone even knows Derrick Copes name

[@braydenfletcher8159]

That's not true. Derrike Cooe also won Dover when it was 500 miles that year

[@Allintn22]

@@braydenfletcher8159 not sure if this is sarcasm or not but nobody mentions Cope and Dover its always Daytona

[@covetprice]

#3 Just looks intimidating.