Cook Poised To Capture Another Kansas Truck Series Victory


Martinsville, VA (April 23, 2007) - The last time Terry Cook visited Kansas Speedway, he wound up in Victory Lane celebrating his sixth career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory.

“It was one of those weekends where even when things went wrong, we overcame them easily,” said Cook (right) of his win in the 2006 O’Reilly Auto Parts 250. “We cut a right-front tire down early in the race and we went a lap down with a green-flag pit stop. Fortunately, we were able to drive back through the field and get our lap back and then power to the front leading the last 40 laps to get the win. It was a big deal because it had been 94 races since my last win at Indianapolis in 2002. It was a great day and one I’d like to experience when we go there again this time.”

Cook will get that chance when he and his No. 59 HT Motorsports/Harris Trucking Toyota Tundra take the green flag in this year’s Kansas race this Saturday, April 28.

“Nobody’s ever won two Truck Series races in a row at Kansas,” Cook stated. “I sure wouldn’t mind being the first to do it.”

Cook and his HT Motorsports team – new together this season - have had an up and down 2007 Truck Series campaign to date brining fast trucks to the track only to come home with less than hoped for finishes. Currently 19th in the standings after a 15th-place finish at Martinsville (VA) Speedway in the most recent NCTS event, Cook knows a good run at Kansas this weekend will go a long way in boosting the team toward the Top 10 in the division point standings.

“Kansas is a first-class racing facility - they did an awesome job building that place,” Cook stated. “The trucks can run two- and three-wide pretty much all around that place. It gets a little tight doing that in Turns 3-4, but there is definitely room to race there. I like any racetrack that is fast and has racing room – multiple grooves where you can search around to find the best place for your vehicle. Maybe that’s why I’ve been able to have some pretty great runs there in the past.”

Cook’s stats at Kansas back him up as he’s consistently stayed out of trouble completing 988 of 1,005 (98 percent) of the laps contested in his six NCTS events at the track. His 9.3 finishing average – thanks to four Top-10 efforts – is among the best of all drivers heading into this weekend’s Truck Series event.

“You have to be really careful when you drive underneath someone in the corners at Kansas,” said Cook, explaining what it takes to get to the finish at Kansas. “If you drive in too deep, you lose the side force – the cushion of air on the side of your truck – going into the corner. When you lose that air on the spoiler, your truck is going to get loose and there’s only so far you can chase your truck up the racetrack. That’s especially true if there’s someone just a foot or two outside you. If that happens, you’re going to run up into them and both of you are going to be wrecking and hitting the wall.”

Cook will be definitely be looking to avoid that situation in Saturday’s race at Kansas. According to the Sylvania, OH driver, his HT Motorsports team is capable of putting a winning Toyota Tundra under him - it’s just a matter of time before it happens.

“Things seem to be coming together and we’re positive about our chances at Kansas,” said Cook. “I won there last year, my crew chief, Danny Rollins, has had success there in the past, and the Toyota folks seem to run great everywhere. They’ve proven that winning the first four races of the season. That’s incredible. Our expectations are that we can put our Toyota in Victory Lane at Kansas. “Our program is building to the point where I feel confident in saying that. I know we are going to win somewhere this season – Kansas could be it.”

Cook and his HT Motorsports Tundra will take the green flag in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway Saturday at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. The event will be telecast live on The SPEED Channel and will be broadcast by MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio.