Terry Cook Has Top-10 Finish Taken Away in Overtime Incident at Gateway International Raceway

(MADISON, Ill.) – Terry Cook was looking to repeat his performances at Gateway International Raceway with another top-10 finish until a green-white-checkered restart incident ended his run.  Cook was spun by another competitor on lap 160 in turn one and suffered damage to the No. 10 International Truck and Engines Ford.  Cook finished 26th and talked about the incident

“We had been having brake problems with about the last 30 laps prior to that restart,” said Cook. “We let off the throttle a little early getting into the corner so we made sure we had plenty of brakes but we got guys racing three wide behind us and the driver on the bottom doesn’t have a good entry in the corner because he’s pinched down.  He (Chase Montgomery) flat overdrove the corner and drove right into us and turned us.  The International Truck and Engines Ford had another bad weekend because people just weren’t using their heads but I can guarantee that by the time we get to Michigan we are going to be on track and the rest of the season will be like a dream come true.”

Cook appeared to be on track for his sixth top-10 finish at Gateway after the second caution flag of the evening flew on lap 40.  Cook had pitted earlier on lap 29 for four tires and fuel while the rest of the leaders made their pit stops on lap 41.  The pit strategy enabled Cook to surge into fifth place on the restart and he held his line until relinquishing his top-five position by pitting for fuel on lap 66.

Cook would restart in the top 15 and begin to battle his way to the front until lap 78 when driver Ted Musgrave tapped Cook going into turn one.  Cook was able to save the International Truck and Engines Ford, however, slipped back outside the top 20.

The fourth caution flag flew on lap 106 giving Cook the chance to take on the team’s final set of four fresh tires and add fuel to last to the finish.  A lightning-fast pit stop by the pit crew picked up seven positions on pit road, enabling Cook to restart in 12th place.  Cook was within seconds of the 10th-place competitor late in the event until the lap-160 incident occurred.

Cook and the International Truck and Engines crew have one week off from racing before heading to Michigan International Speedway for Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event on Saturday, July 31st.  The Sylvania, Ohio native considers the two-mile speedway his home track and again looks to add another top-10 finish to his racing career.

Based in Mooresville, N.C., ppc Racing enters its first season of competition in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with driver Terry Cook and the No. 10 Ford Power Stroke Diesel by International race team.  ppc Racing continues its competition in the NASCAR Busch Series, its fifth season, with driver Jason Keller in the No. 22 Miller High Life Ford Taurus.  With co-owners Greg Pollex and Keith Barnwell, ppc Racing earned the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series championship and has scored 27 wins and more than 150 top-five finishes as it enters the 2004 season.