Terry Cook hopes to smoke the field in Tennessee's barbecue capital. Credit: Nate Mecha/HSP

Cook set to take lead in consecutive NCTS starts

Taking green flag at Memphis will give him 211 races in a row

As Terry Cook gets ready to strap himself into a Craftsman Truck for the 211th consecutive race Saturday night at Memphis Motorsports Park, he may take a quick glance in the rearview mirror before his eyes focus on the task ahead.

It was just two weeks ago that Terry Cook won at Kansas. Credit: Nate Mecha/HSP

Inside the Numbers Terry Cook's NCTS stats Year Starts W T5 T10 1996 3 0 0 0 1997 15 0 0 0 1998 27 1 3 6 1999 25 0 1 3 2000 24 0 1 8 2001 24 0 5 16 2002 22 4 9 17 2003 25 0 0 13 2004 25 0 2 7 2005 25 0 2 8 2006 13 1 2 6 Totals 228 6 25 84 O'REILLY 200 •   Entry List •   2006 Standings •   2006 Loop Data •   TV Schedule •   Complete Coverage KansasTerry Cook returns to Victory Lane after a four-year absence Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

That's because when the field takes the green flag for the O'Reilly 200 (9 p.m. ET, SPEED), Cook will become the series' record-holder for consecutive starts, eclipsing Rick Crawford's current mark of 210.

"The other day, I found out we just cleared $3 million in earnings," Cook said. "All these starts, it seems like yesterday when we got started.

"It's a pretty big deal but it wasn't a goal. I never imagined eclipsing it. I never set out to do that."

Cook's consecutive race streak didn't come without some luck -- and some grit. The streak started at Fontana in 1997, when Cook was driving for Duke Thorson. That pairing continued for four seasons, including Cook's first win, at Flemington.

"There were some difficult times," Cook said. "We elected to leave the No. 88 team with a race left to go [in 2001]. The streak could have stopped right then.

"But Bob and Ron Keselowski offered me a ride at California, and that led to signing a deal to drive with them for the next three seasons."

Cook's next victory -- at Gateway in 2002 -- came under duress, as a severe sinus infection nearly landed him in the hospital. Instead, he somehow wound up in Victory Lane.

"That whole week I was sicker than a dog," Cook said. "On Friday, we had an optional test day and probably about Wednesday I started getting ill. I was ill right through the entire race weekend."

Cook said for a driver, you have to put sickness or injury out of your mind when you climb behind the wheel.

"That's just part of the job," he said. "It's no different than going to work with a cold or the flu. That last 50 or 60 laps, I was just trying to hold on."

That led to three more wins that season and an eighth-place finish in the standings.

Cook injured his back in 2003 and wasn't sure he could make the next start at Milwaukee. Good thing he did, because he won the pole and ended up with a top-10 finish.

"Those are the times I remember when the streak could have ended," Cook said. "Milwaukee in 2003 and Gateway in 2002, definitely."

Since 2004, Cook has driven for Greg Pollex's ppc Racing, compiling 21 more top-10s, including a victory two weeks ago at Kansas.

Cook expects to be in tip-top physical condition this weekend, which is a good thing, since Memphis can be hotter than the spiciest barbeque sauce. Cook finished second to Travis Kvapil at Memphis in 2002, one of his three top-10 finishes at the .75-mile oval.

"Every time we go there, it's extremely hot," he said. "I do qualify well there, but I can't seem to put the entire race together there.

"We had a strong showing at Milwaukee and we're taking that same truck to Memphis, so I'm looking forward to it."

On first glance, Memphis and Richmond would appear to be carbon copies. But Cook said don't let appearances deceive you.

"Richmond is a forgiving racetrack, while Memphis is more of a technical track," he said. "You have to hit the setup spot on.

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"It's extremely hard to pass there, because the groove is right at the bottom of the track. Even passing lapped vehicles can be a challenge. It's one of those deals where you have to be aggressively patient."

In fact, Cook said the track which closely matches Memphis is no longer on the schedule.

"It's like the old Nashville Fairgrounds as much as anything," Cook said. "It races like a typical short track. You need brake going in and a lot of grip in the middle of the turn. You don't carry anywhere near the cornering speed [of Richmond.]"

It's a track which should suit Cook's driving style, since four of his six wins have come on tracks which measure a mile or less. At the same time, Cook said track position -- and luck -- may play a major factor.

"All these short tracks, the field is so competitive," Cook said. "When you look at qualifying times for the whole field, the first 20 trucks are within three-tenths of a second.

"In a 200-lap race, you have to position yourself so that you're near the front, because most of the trouble happens in the back. Typically, if you get in the back of the pack, you're going to get in the melee -- or have to dodge one."