Cook's gamble may pay dividends for 2002
By Troy Fletcher, Special to Turner Sports Interactive
December 30, 2001
5:11 PM EST (2211 GMT)
To achieve more success, sometimes one has to take risks. Veteran NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Terry Cook knows all about that.
Instead of sticking with owner Duke Thorson, who he drove full-time for during the 1998-2000 NCTS seasons, Cook departed for the K-Automotive Racing Team in 2001.
"I thought we would have a good team," said Cook about K Motorsports, which is headed by Bob Keselowski. "But it was pretty stressful at the start of the season because we had an unsponsored program."
Despite the lack of major financial backing, Cook and his new team forged ahead -- with great results. Through 10 races, Cook put together a string of solid finishes, which placed him seventh in the points chase prior to the Sears Diehard 200 on June 30 at Milwaukee.
"We went out each race and were not only competitive, but we also had chances to win," said Cook, who made his NCTS debut in 1996. "That caught the eye of Power Stroke Diesel, which was huge for us."
Power Stroke Diesel came onboard the K-Automotive Ford for the final 13 events of the season, beginning with the Kansas 250 on July 7 in Kansas City, Mo. Cook rewarded his new sponsor by remaining steady and placing a career-best seventh in the NCTS points.
Although that effort was noteworthy, Cook does not want a repeat performance in 2002.
"Obviously, we have much higher expectations for the upcoming season," said Cook, whose lone trip to Victory Lane came in 1998 at Flemington (N.J.) Speedway. "We don't have any clear-cut goals right now, but I know I would like to see us win three or four races and be in contention every week, so we can win a championship."
Cook believes Ted Musgrave is the preseason favorite to be the 2002 NCTS king.
"Now that Jack (Sprague) is gone to the Busch Series, it opens the door for a lot of new players," he said. "Certainly, I think we can win the title, but there is going to be some very tough competition from former Winston Cup driver Robert Pressley and Travis Kvapil. And I think Ted (Musgrave) is going to be the guy to beat this season. I think he could have won the championship last season, but he just had some bad racing luck."
Musgrave, who has a slew of Cup experience on his resume, was second to Sprague a year ago in the points by virtue of collecting seven wins for the No. 1 Mopar Performance Dodge owned by Jim Smith.
"The bottom line for us to be the champion is to be consistent," Cook said. "We need to run in the top five every week and be in position to win every race with 30 to 50 laps to go. We have the same engine builder in Ernie Elliott, three brand-new trucks and we are ready to go to Daytona and start the season off on the right foot."
| 
