FORD POWER STROKE DIESEL BY INTERNATIONAL KENTUCKY POST-RACE REPORT
 
Series: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Date: Saturday, July 9, 2005
Event: Built Ford Tough 225
Track: Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Kent.
 
QUALIFYING RESULTS:
1. Bill Lester, Toyota, 178.141 mph
2. Todd Kluever, Ford, 177.585 mph
3. David Reutimann, Toyota, 177.521 mph
4. Jack Sprague, Chevrolet, 176.927 mph
5. Mike Skinner, Toyota, 176.217 mph
9. Terry Cook, Ford, 175.741 mph
 
RACE RESULTS:
1. Dennis Setzer, Chevrolet
2. Todd Bodine, Toyota
3. David Reutimann, Toyota
4. Mike Skinner, Toyota
5. Ted Musgrave, Dodge
25. Terry Cook, Ford
 
About the Race . . .
Dennis Setzer capitalized on Terry Cook’s misfortune when then leader Cook hit the Turn 2 wall with four laps to go.  Setzer held off a charging Todd Bodine to win his third race in the last four starts of the season and stretches his points lead over Ted Musgrave and Bobby Hamilton to 83 and 153, respectively.  Cook, who led 78 of 151 laps, finished 25th.
 
Tracking the Ford Power Stroke Diesel by International race team . . .
For the Ford Power Stroke Diesel by International race team, tire gremlins once again struck at Kentucky Speedway.  After dominating the race and leading more than half the race laps, Cook seemed destined to win; it was his to lose.  However, with four laps to go and leading the race by a comfortable margin, Cook had a right-front tire blow, sending the nine-year series veteran into the Turn 2 wall.  The incident would bring out the final caution flag of the evening as Cook dragged a heavily-damaged truck to pit road and out of the race.
 
“The Ford Power Stroke Diesel by International truck was awesome tonight,” said Cook.”  It was good and I drove it like I stole it all night long.  I ran every lap like it was a qualifying lap.  Right at the end of final practice, we got on some stuff that livened that truck up.  We talked about some changes and made good calls all night long in the pits.  Everything was just working the way it was supposed to.  I was aggressive on the track and got the lead back every time I would lose it.  With about 10 to go it started to tighten up a little bit but I never thought the tire was going down.  Probably two or three laps before it finally blew, it really got tight and it was just sliding around out there.   I was looking in the mirror and the 46 was coming for the race win so I kept digging but the tire finally blew in (Turn) two."
 
Last year, Cook experienced a similar fate at Kentucky Speedway.  While running fourth and charging to the front, a right-rear tire blew with 11 laps to go.  Cook was asked if the team and he could walk away from this race with their heads held high.  His response:
 
"We definitely can.  We ran extremely good tonight.  It's the closest we've been to a win even though we didn't finish second, third or fourth.  We came up a little short, but we'll take something from it and apply it to the tracks later in the year."
 
Cook and the Ford Power Stroke Diesel by International race team maintain their positions in the NCTS driver and owner points standings, seventh and eighth, respectively.
 
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver Points Standings:
1. Dennis Setzer            1929
2. Bobby Hamilton         1846     -83
3. Ted Musgrave            1776     -153
4. Ron Hornaday Jr.       1731     -198
5. Ricky Craven             1721     -208
6. Jimmy Spencer          1717     -212
7. Terry Cook   1660     -262
8. Mike Skinner             1644     -269
9. David Reutimann        1624     -305
10. Matt Crafton             1612     -317
 
Next Race:
Event: O’Reilly 200
Track: Memphis Motorsports Park, Millington, Tenn.
Date: Saturday, July 23, 2005
TV / Radio: SPEED Channel, 8 p.m. EST / MRN w/ simulcast on XM Satellite Radio, 7:45 p.m.