Angela Ruch

Angela Cope-Ruch

Cope in 2011
Born (1983-08-18) August 18, 1983
Puyallup, Washington
Height 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Weight 100 lb (45 kg)
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
8 races run over 3 years
Car no., team No. 78 (B. J. McLeod Motorsports)
2011 position 55th
Best finish 55th (2011)
First race 2011 Iowa John Deere Dealers 250 (Iowa)
Last race 2017 Alsco 300 (Kentucky)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2010 position 111th
Best finish 111th (2010)
First race 2010 Kroger 200 (Martinsville)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
Statistics current as of July 8, 2017.

Angela Christine Cope-Ruch (born August 18, 1983) is an American professional stock car racing driver. She and her sister, Amber Cope, made NASCAR history on October 23, 2010 by being the first twins to compete in one of its top three series. That day they made their NASCAR debut in the Camping World Truck Series in Martinsville, VA. Amber Cope, driving the No. 6 Dodge, finished 26th, while Angela Cope was involved in two incidents within 18 laps of each other early in the race and finished 30th.

The twins began racing in Go-Karts at age 9. They quickly gained attention by winning poles and races year after year. By age 15 they stepped up to late-model race cars—even before they had driver’s licenses.[1] Angela took 1st place in 2002 at the Lucas Oil Can-Am 150 at the Sun Valley Speedway. In 1995, Angela finished 1st and Amber finished 3rd in the Tri-cities Gold Cup "Yamaha Class". By 1998, both sisters were PSGKA Gold Cup winners in the "Junior Piston Port". Both sisters split seat time in 2006 at the ARCA Re/Max Series at Berlin, Gateway, Chicagoland, Milwaukee Mile, and Toledo, Ohio. By 2008, the twins qualified for the ARCA Re/Max Series at Kentucky Speedway, with positions 8 and 15.

Ruch currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 78 Chevrolet Camaro for B. J. McLeod Motorsports.

Family history

Amber and Angela's grandfather, Donald Cope, began his racing career at age 18 in 1955. Donald drag-raced motorcycles until 1957. Don and his brothers, Guy and Jerry, then raced front-motor top-fuel dragsters in 1958.

By 1964, brothers Don and Jerry moved to the Pacific Northwest and set up residence. They established a family business, “The Cope Brothers Machine Shop,” in Spanaway, Washington, to support their three children (Derrike, Darren, and Tamara).

In 1966, the brothers got back into the drag-racing scene and took the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Division Six Championship in 1970. Although they were never far from the racing scene, they continued their successful family business. The Cope family has maintained their passion for racing down through the generations.

In 1977, Darren Cope, Amber and Angela's father, made his racing debut in drag racing. Darren and brother Derrike began racing late-model cars in 1979. Darren and Derrike each traded off racing the car on alternate nights. After the first year of Late-Model Racing, Darren decided to pursue other interests, so Derrike's racing career then began in earnest. Derrike raced on the West Coast from 1979–1985. He raced the Winston Cup in 1986 and won the Daytona 500 in 1990.

1983 marked the start of the third generation of Cope racers when fraternal twins Amber and Angela were born to Darren and Mary on August 18.

Amber and Angela currently reside in Davidson, North Carolina.

Biography

Amber and Angela Cope became the third generation of Copes to enter into the world of racing, when, at the young age of nine, the girls’ parents gave them a go-kart for Christmas and thus began their road to NASCAR. Once they began competing locally, the girls made a name for themselves and became the most accomplished go-kart racers in the Greater Puget Sound region. In their seven years of driving go-karts included 50 first place wins and setting on pole position 20 times in the Pacific Northwest. Angela also set new track records at five of six tracks in the same region.

At the young age of 15, they progressed to late model race cars even before they had their license to drive. In 2000, a very short time after their debut in late model stock cars they instantly acquired national attention when they were featured on Bryant Gumbel's Good Morning Today.

As Amber and Angela became more experienced and confident behind the wheel, they knew that in order to pursue a career in NASCAR they would have to leave Washington. They moved across the country to Charlotte, North Carolina to start training with their uncle Derrike. The twins put all of their focus into learning the in and outs of professional racing. They traveled with their Uncle Derrike to every Cup race that he went to and became fixtures on the track and in the pit.

In 2006, the twins split seat time at the Automobile Racing Club of America’s (ARCA) Re/Max Series at Berlin, Gateway, Chicagoland, Milwaukee and Toledo, Ohio. In 2008, they qualified for the ARCA Re/Max Series at Kentucky Speedway with positions 8 and 15. The most difficult part of the ARCA Re/Max Series was that they had to share a car. At times, there would be three weeks before one of them would get back into the seat, losing precious learning time; however, it was a great series for the twins performance-wise.

In 2011, Cope competed in four Nationwide Series races. In 2012, Cope shared the No. 24 SR2 Motorsports Toyota in the series with Amber Cope and Benny Gordon on a part-time schedule.[2] Five years later, now going by Angela Ruch, she made her return to NASCAR's Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series at Kentucky Speedway, driving the No. 78 B. J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet.[3]

Achievements

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Xfinity Series

Camping World Truck Series

ARCA Re/Max Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

References

  1. ↑ Arca Re/max Berlin (2006) - Angela makes debut in Berlin Bill Catania. Angela Cope to make ARCA debut at Berlin raceway in Andy Belmont's #1
  2. ↑ Adamczyk, Jay (February 12, 2012). "Nationwide Series". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN. Retrieved 2012-02-12.
  3. ↑ Allaway, Phil (July 3, 2017). "Angela Ruch Returns to XFINITY Series With BJ McLeod Motorsports at Kentucky". Frontstretch. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
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