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02-14-2003
Cook, Power Stroke® Diesel Ford Ninth at Daytona
TruckSeries.com Report
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After 105 laps of hard racing at Daytona International Speedway, Terry Cook
had just one thing on his mind - winning the season-opening NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series race.
"If I had to do it all over again, I would because this Power
Stroke Diesel Ford team is racing to win," said Cook who went
from second to ninth on the final lap of the 106-Lap event.
"Second place is the first loser and we don't want to settle
because we want to win. We were set to do everything in our
power to do that. I took the shot when I had it and
unfortunately Robert Pressley got me on the outside and then I
didn't have any help at all because he had people lined up
behind him."
Cook's Power Diesel Ford started the 250-mile event on the
Daytona 2.5-mile superspeedway from the fifth spot and battled
handling problems over the first 40 laps of the race. Crisp pit
work by Cook's K-Automotive race team rectified the handling
problems during their first pit stop keeping Cook in sight of
lead and fellow Ford driver Rick Crawford.
"Crawford and I were definitely working together today because
we knew we had to," said Cook, who along with Crawford, the
eventual winner, worked their way to the lead with 25 laps
remaining. "We were doing everything to get what we could. We
were working around the track trying to see where Crawford's
weaknesses were, but we couldn't find a weakness on him."
The two Fords continued to lead the field as the pack crossed
under the white flag for the final lap. Cook darted his Power
Stroke Diesel to the top of the racetrack entering Turn 1 and
appeared to be headed to the lead only to have Pressley make it
three-wide midway through the corner. Now stuck in the middle
of the pack without drafting help, Cook slid back in the field,
his hopes of victory dashed with a disappointing ninth-place
finish.
"It was a situation where I jumped outside to try and real him
in," said Cook. "I tried to stay close to Crawford to keep the
air flow off while we were racing down the backstretch.
Pressley got me on the outside and I didn't have any help at
all because he had people lined up behind him. I was shuffled
back to ninth after running in the Top-5 all day long."
Cook earned $17,150 and is eighth in the 2003 Truck Series
championship standings, 42 markers out of first. The Pittsboro,
IN resident will try to break into the win column at Darlington
(SC) Raceway, the next stop on the tour.
"Darlington Raceway is one of my favorite tracks to race the
No. 29 Power Stroke Diesel Ford on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series circuit," said Cook. "They call it the track 'Too Tough
to Tame'. I am not saying that I've ever even tamed the track
or anybody ever has, but it's a driver's track. It is a track
where you can have the best handling race vehicle, but you
still have to have a driver that's aggressive enough, but not
too aggressive to get around that track."
The Craftsman 200 at Darlington Raceway will take the green
flag Friday, March 14 at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The
event will be telecast live on Speed Channel and broadcast live
on MRN Radio nationwide.
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