Qualifying Report
No. 10 ppc Racing Power Stroke® Diesel Ford

- Terry Cook qualified 20th for tomorrow’s inaugural Easy Care Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga.

The No. 10 ppc Racing Power Stroke® Diesel Ford team entered the Atlanta Motor Speedway with continued momentum from last month’s event in Daytona Beach, Fla. Driver Terry Cook took 17 laps around the 1.54-mile quad-oval in first practice, posting the 22nd fastest speed at 176.443 mph. The Power Stroke Diesel crew made several adjustments under the leadership of crew chief Fred Wanke in preparation for the two-lap qualifying run.

Qualifying began just past the 1:30 p.m. timeframe with Cook drawing the 28th spot to attempt to qualify. Cook’s time held the 14th spot with six more competitors posting faster times at the conclusion of qualifying. Cook was followed closely by the production crew at Animal Planet and was interviewed by two popular radio stations (96 Rock and 106.7 The Eagle) afterward.

"We're a little disappointed with the qualifying effort but we feel like we have a really good race truck,” said Cook. “We've already got our first pole of the year, so it's the second race of the year and we came down here to win this thing. After what I just saw right there, we definitely have a truck that can win it. For whatever reason, we don't have a lot of speed, but we're good; we have a good race truck."

The Power Stroke Diesel crew regrouped and prepared for final practice, changing several components on the No. 10 Ford F-150. Cook posted the 21st fastest speed at 174.208 mph, just 0.09 sec off the fastest competitor. Cook commented on what kind of racing he would expect for tomorrow’s event:

"You're going to be off the throttle but the race win is going to go to the guy that can hold it wide open the longest. For sure, it's a situation with the tires falling off here. You're going to lose a second-and-a-half to two seconds over a 40-lap run. You're going to definitely be off the throttle and that's what I like about racing when you get to a track where you put a lot of the driver back into it. Anybody can hold it wide open all the way around here for a two-lap qualifying run but you have to race them for 40 laps that way."

Cook and the rest of the No. 10 ppc Racing Power Stroke Diesel crew will prepare for tomorrow’s event like any other event – out to reach Victory Lane.