Terry Cook Taken Out By Late-Race Accident

(DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.) – Terry Cook and No. 10 Power Stroke Diesel by International race team finished 20th in Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at Daytona International Speedway.  Cook, who led 14 laps and stayed in the top 10 most of the race, was drafting with a pack of trucks down the backstretch on lap 94 when several drivers checked up on the inside lane.  Cook slammed into the truck ahead of him and then was tapped from behind, sending the five-time NCTS winner spinning into the field.  Luckily Cook was able to save the truck and head to pit road, where the ppc Racing pit crew found a broken radiator and oil line.

“We were riding along there at the end of the race and we avoided all of the wrecks and then finally with inside 10 to go the guys started losing their heads,” said Cook.  “Somebody in front of me got turned around a little bit and I drilled the 75 from behind.  When I hit him, I then got drilled from behind and went spinning down in the infield.  It’s just a tough day for the Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford team.”

Cook was fortunate to avoid the prior wrecks, most notably on lap 61 when the lead trucks tangled with lapped traffic.  Cook was fifth in line on the outside when two trucks slammed the outside retaining wall then another from the outside to the inside.  Cook narrowly escaped and took the lead with under 40 laps to go.

However, with the lap-95 accident, Cook was eliminated from the race and talked further about the kind of racing that took place.

“This is probably the worst race I’ve seen here as far as trucks sliding around,” said Cook.  “We typically come here to the garage after the race and you can see a lot of damaged race trucks but not this many wrecked race trucks.  Everyone was using their heads at the beginning of the race and I was impressed by that but it was like their heads just came off at the end.  I think 99 percent of the wrecks tonight could have been avoided so it’s a shame.”

For Cook and the Power Stroke Diesel by International race team, there is no rest for the weary as the NCTS heads to California Speedway for the season’s second night race Friday night.  The California 200 begins at 9 p.m. EST.