Terry Cook
No. 25 Cajun Industries/HT Motorsports Toyota Tundra
Mountain Dew 250 Fueled by Fred’s
Talladega Superspeedway

TALLADEGA, Ala., (Oct. 31, 2009) – Halloween is the scariest day of the year, and racing at Talladega Superspeedway, with speeds close to 200 mph and three-to-four-wide bump drafting,  is very fitting for that persona.  Terry Cook and his HT Motorsports Team brought their superspeedway truck named Freak and qualified on the outside pole.  During the 98-lap race, they overcame many obstacles to finish the Mountain Dew 250 Fueled by Fred’s in the fourth spot.  This marked Cook’s fourth top-five finish this season.

The No. 25 Cajun Industries/ HT Motorsports Toyota Tundra Race Recap

  • Cook qualified his No. 25 Cajun Industries Toyota Tundra in the second spot with a lap time of 53.741 seconds at a speed of 178.188 mph. 
  • At the start of the race Cook started to fall backwards in the draft.  By the first caution on lap eight, Cook told his Crew Chief Danny Rollins, “I am sliding the nose bad and I feel like the motor is blubbering.”  The team pitted to double check the truck.  They closed off the left front shock and then sent Cook back to the race track.
  • Then under the second caution on lap 13, Cook was still having the same problem.  The team didn’t waste any time to double check the Tundra again.  They pitted on lap 15 to check the plug wires but found nothing was wrong.  So Cook restarted in the 23rd spot. 
  • Then on lap 38 the third caution came out.  Cook was insistent something was wrong with the motor and the team wanted to make sure.  So Cook pitted for four tires.  Then the following lap he came in for fuel; and the team utilized the time to check the air box under the hood.  They found the nut on top of the box was loose, but not off.  So the team tightened it, taped it down and sent Cook on his way.
  • Cook restarted in the 24th spot, but only six laps later he was fourth.  Then Cook jumped to the outside and was the outside line leader challenging for the lead. 
  • He took over the lead on lap 64 and then a caution came out behind Cook, and second-place Todd Bodine took advantage of Cook by passing him to the caution flag. 
  • Rollins called for a two-tire pit stop and Cook immediately told him, “I have a vibration.”  Trying not to take any chances, Rollins quickly recalled the action and told the crew to change all four tires. The following lap Cook pitted for gas and as he was exiting the pit road his Tundra was smoking from the rear. 
  • Rollins called Cook back into the pits.  The team jacked up the rear end and checked the gear to find it was ok.  They realized the transmission was leaking some fluid but was still in proper order, so Cook returned to the track in the 21st spot. 
  • The fifth caution came out on lap 71.  Just to be safe, the team pitted to check the air box again.  Everything was fine, so Cook returned to the track ready to finish the race.
  • Six laps later, the sixth caution came out.  Cook said, “I have a vibration under caution that makes it really hard to hold the steering wheel, but when we get going it goes away.”  Cook stayed on the race track and the team agreed to watch the condition.
  • Then on lap 90 the Talladega melee happened.  Cook did a phenomenal job of driving straight through it unscathed.  He said, “I went left, then right and all gas from there.”
  • This pushed Cook to the eighth spot for the green-white-checkered -flag finish.  Rollins encouraged his driver by saying, “You can win from that spot right there and I believe in you.”
  • Cook jumped outside and pushed his way toward the front.  Coming to the checkered flag, he was side-by-side with teammate David Starr.  And Cook edged over the finish line first bringing his Cajun Industries Toyota Tundra home in the fourth spot. 

Kyle Busch won the Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Fred’s.  Aric Almirola, Todd Bodine, Cook and teammate David Starr round out the top five.   The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will race again next Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway.