Terry Cook trades truck for midget at The Dome

Terry Cook of Sandusky, Ohio has something in common with Kenny Irwin, Mike Bliss and Randy Tolsma. Well, sort of! Unlike Irwin, Bliss and Tolsma, who traded rides in the MCI WorldCom USAC Midget Cars for NASCAR Craftsman Truck commitments, Cook will step out of his truck to compete in the March 11 "Thunder in the Dome XVI" invitational USAC Midget Car race at the RCA Dome in downtown Indianapolis, Ind. "I'm going there to win but I'm also going to have some fun," admits Cook, who finished fourth in the February 18 truck race at Daytona International Speedway. He'll drive a Sam Pierce Chevrolet/Beast Gaerte-powered car entered by Sam Pierce of Alexandria, Ind. Mechanical assistance will come from noted car builder and mechanic Bob East of Indianapolis, Ind., who built the cars driven to the last three MCI WorldCom National Midget Car titles by Jason Leffler. "I'm going to have to rely on Bob's vast experience," adds Cook, who actually will be making his second Midget Car appearance. "I got to drive a Kenyon Car late last year at the Indianapolis Speedrome and finished fifth (after starting 10th), but this will be different. I expect a lot of bumping, but we do that in the trucks too." Cook will have to start last in his Team USA heat race as a result of the blind draw for starting spots held recently at the USAC headquarters. "It's going to be hard to pass," he says, "but it won't be much different than when we raced the trucks at Louisville (Ky.) or Erie (Colo.). Those were tight tracks too. I hope to get some good advice from John Heydenreich, who has some RCA Dome experience." Cook finished fourth in last year's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings and scored his initial feature victory at Flemington, N.J. Prior to competing in the trucks, he won track late model stock car championships in Sandusky, Ohio and Flat Rock, Mich. Cook will try to help Team USA claim its fourth consecutive team title in the March 11 race, for which tickets can be purchased from the RCA Dome box office. Special $3 discount coupons are also available at Kroger and Speedway Auto Parts Stores.

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