Terry Cook Homestead preview

HOMESTEAD, FL (February 26, 2001) - After a fourth-place finish in the inaugural Daytona 250 last year, Terry Cook was anxious to get to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race of the season. "I think a lot of people thought our run at Daytona last year was a fluke and that we'd come back to earth at Homestead," stated Cook. "To run as well as we did and finish eighth at Homestead, the last truck on the lead lap, showed we weren't a fluke. We could get the job done." Cook got the job done again this year in the season-opening event at Daytona rocketing from 16th to the Top-5 in just three laps. By the 24th circuit, the Sylvania, OH driver was at the front of the pack and stayed there with the leaders eventually settling for sixth place in the final running order. Like last year, Cook is hoping to follow up the Daytona success with another top run at Homestead. "Daytona was a blast, but its time to put that behind us and concentrate on Homestead," Cook stated. "I love racing on the big tracks, but Homestead has a challenge all its own. It's fast and flat. You have to have a big motor to get down the straights and a great handling truck to stay on the bottom through the corners. I'd like to think we'll have plenty of both and be in the hunt for the win when we go green at Homestead." You can't fault Cook for his enthusiasm. After the strong start to the 2000 NCTS campaign, Cook saw his season go south in a hurry, the victim of repeated mechanical failures and bad racing luck. By the end of the season, Cook was on the outside looking in as he and SealMaster Racing parted ways. In stepped Bob, Kay and Ron Keselowski - K-Automotive - and things have been just fine for Cook ever since. "They rescued me, there's no doubt about that," stated Cook. "I was pretty frustrated and they gave me an opportunity to drive one of their trucks in the final race at California. We started 26th and finished seventh. It was a great day and led to bigger and better things during the off-season." Not only did Cook sign with the team for the full 2001 NCTS campaign during the winter months, but the team secured a factory deal from Ford as well. While the K-Automotive group is still actively seeking a primary sponsor for the season, Cook is confident the right marketing partner is just around the next corner. "I think we proved we were heading in the right direction at Daytona," said Cook. "The Keselowski's have always been winners, whether it was in USAC, ARCA or the Craftsman Truck Series. This is a team that went right down to the final race of the 1999 season with a shot at the championship. Unfortunately, a crash saddled them with a third-place finish in the points. We're shooting for even better things this year and a top finish at Homestead would go a long way in making that happen - both in the championship chase and in our sponsor hunt. It's been a while since I won a race (Flemington, NJ, 1998), but with this team, anything is possible." The Florida Dodge Dealers 400 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Homestead-Miami Speedway will get underway at noon Eastern Time Sunday, March 4. The second race of the 2001 NCTS season will be telecast live on ESPN and will be broadcast live by MRN Radio.

- David Johns