Ray evernham, a former modified driver, nascar sprint cup series championship crew chief and television analyst, had this to say about cook. Cook captured the national crown six times, and evans won nine. Jerry cook is one of only a handful of drivers ever to win more than five driving titles in a single racing division, capturing six nascar modified championships during the 1970s. Nascar hall of fame class of 2016 jayskis nascar silly. Jerry cook nascar classics is at the official nascar shop. Jerry cook born june 20, 1943 is a nascar modified championship race car driver. Jerry cook and richie evans had epic nascar rivalry the state. Cam gagliardi ken meahl jerry cook t hr ee western new york drivers whose careers crossed paths a young man from lockport, new york developed an interest in auto mechanics and stock car racing, early on in life, hanging around the racing garage of veteran cam galgliardi. He began racing at the age of and won the track championship at uticarome speedway in 1969 he eventually went to become a sixtime champion in the nascar modified series 197172, 197477. Cook, 72, was named one of nascar s 50 greatest drivers in 1998. Nascar joe gibbs racing car chief jerry cook youtube. Cook retired from racing in 1982 to become the modified series director. Jerry cook made his name in modifieds, winning six nascar modified championships, including four consecutively from 197477. He was inducted into the nascar hall of fame in 2016.
Each year, thousands of fans have attended the event, where they can meet many of their favorite nascar drivers from the monster cup, xfinity, camping world truck series and the whelen allamerican series. Cook became nascars modified division director in 1985. Super nascar drivers from new england on super bowl week. All the while, he was vying with another driver from his hometown of rome, n. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. Rome racing great jerry cook entering nascar hall of fame.
If richard petty is the babe ruth of stock car racing, then rex white is joe dimaggio. Cook, 73, had already been inducted into three other halls of fame and was named one of nascars 50 greatest drivers during the organizations 50 th anniversary season. In 1998 cook was named to nascars list of the sports 50 greatest drivers. The 1960 nascar grand national champion, rex white, is hardly a household name today, but a look at his accomplishments reveals that he was chevrolets best driver in the early 60s and one of its most consistent drivers ever. According to connecticut state police, the crash occurred during the afternoon when. Photo by sherri stearns on january 21st, 2019 at hickory motor speedway reunion. Jerry cook born june 20, 1943 in lockport, new york is a nascar modified championship race car driver. Jerry cook takes modified route to nascar hall of fame.
He also won the most popular driver award in the truck series in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Terry cook is the son of harold cook, a former driver and mechanic, and laureen cook. Jerry cook made his name in modifieds, winning six nascar modified championships, four coming consecutively from 197477. Nascar hall of famers bobby allison, bobby labonte, and jerry cook will be on hand.
Jerry cook nascar classics, jerry cook collection, jerry cook. Jerry cook s name will always be part of one of the nations most intense ontrack racing rivalries. Jan 18, 2016 jerry cooks name will always be part of one of the nations most intense ontrack racing rivalries. If they ever name a rodney dangerfield of nascar modified racing at stafford, it would be jerry cook. He joins his rival from his hometown of rome, new york, richie evans, as only the second hall of fame driver whose career wasnt connected to. Jan 12, 2016 jerry cook born june 20, 1943 in lockport, new york is a nascar modified championship race car driver. Of all that ive done in all the years with the racing and then with nascar, this is the ultimate. After capturing six nascar modified championships including four straight from 197477 while establishing a rivalry. Modified great cook joins rival in the nascar hall of fame. Jerry cook s name will always be part of one of the nations most intense ontrack racing. Jerry cook won six nascar modified division championships in a sevenyear span 197172, 197477. In 2003, he was named one of the nascar whelen modified tours 10 greatest drivers. Nascar issued a statement on behalf of chairman jim france.
Nascar whelen allamerican series nascar home tracks. He also has a brother jerry not to be confused with the nascar hall of famer of the same name, who competed in a single truck series race and seven arca racing series events. Browse through our highres professional motorsports photography. Earlier this year the nascar modified tour welcomed one of its greatest champions to the hallowed grounds of the facility located in charlotte, north carolina jerry cook. Click on the number of races to see individual races for that year. In this capacity he was a technical coordinator, then developed the modern modified tour and now lives in mooresville, n. Comments 14 video links 0 contact info 0 jerry cook born. Jerry cook made his name in modifieds, winning six nascar modified championships, including four consecutively from 19741977. Get the latest race results, news, videos, pictures, win record and more for jerry cook on.
Jan 23, 2016 charlotte jerry cook made an impact on nascar behind a wheel and a desk. Nascar nascar classics, nascar collection, nascar classics. May 20, 2015 jerry cook jerry cook made his name in modifieds, winning six nascar modified championships, including four consecutively from 197477. Jan 22, 2016 romes jerry cook, a sixtime national modified stock car champion in the 1970s when he was a regular at vernons uticarome speedway, will be officially inducted into the nascar hall of fame. Speedwaymodified championship and then began working for nascar.
Evans was the first modified driver inducted into the nascar hall of fame in 2012. Benson is one of 26 drivers to win a race in all three of nascar s major series. Jerry cook gear, jerry cook diecasts, store, jerry. Stefaniks racing career had lasted more than 30 years, and that he had served as a bridge between generations of older drivers like jerry cook and richie evans to. Jan 12, 2016 ray evernham, a former modified driver, nascar sprint cup series championship crew chief and television analyst, had this to say about cook. Nhof driver jerry cook stands next to butch lindley car at. Jan 18, 2016 jerry cooks name will always be part of one of the nations most intense ontrack racing. Modified great jerry cook to go in nascar hall of fame. Empa hall of fame eastern motorsport press association. Jerry cook gear, jerry cook diecasts, store, jerry cook. Nhof driver jerry cook stands next to butch lindley car. All the while, he was vying with another driver from his hometown of.
Jerry cook was voted to be honored as one of the fifty greatest modified drivers of alltime as voted on by the public. The rrign of nascar modified drivers jerry cook and richie. Cook is a sixtime whelen modified tour champion, winning all six of his titles between 1971 and 1977. Jerry cook born june 20, 1943 is a former nascar driver from ottawa lake, mi. Learn more about the nascar hall of fame jerry cook never intended to support his family driving a modified stock car. Jerry cook 6time modified series champion, 19691982 cook is a sixtime whelen modified tour champion, winning all six of his titles between 1971 and 1977. The two brothers worked on father harolds car as teenagers.
He eventually went to become a sixtime champion in the nascar modified series 1971 72, 1974 77. Cook, 73, had already been inducted into three other halls of fame and was named one of nascar s 50 greatest drivers during the organizations 50 th anniversary season. All the while, he was vying with another driver from his hometown of rome, new york, ninetime champion and nascar hall of famer richie evans, for supremacy in nascar s openwheel realm. Modified driver jerry cook one of five chosen for 2016 nascar. Voted into the hall of fame with cook were bruton smith, terry labonte, curtis turner and bobby isaac.
Modified legend jerry cook enters nascar hall of fame. Charlotte jerry cook made an impact on nascar behind a wheel and a desk. After capturing six nascar modified championships including four. Watch your favorite driver in style when you shop our unbeatable selection of jerry cook apparel at the official nascar shop. Sep 16, 2019 former nascar driver michael stefanik died in a singleengine plane crash in connecticut on sunday. Jerry cook captured the nascar national modified division title six times.
Sep 15, 2019 before wednesday, jerry cook was a member of three hall of fames dedicated to auto racing, but the ultimate one wasnt one of them. Daytona beach, fl january 15, 2016 jerry cook never intended to support his family driving a modified stock car. Jerry cook made his name in the modified division, winning six nascar modified championships, including four consecutively from 197477. Jack ingram left won three straight nascar late model sportsman division championships 197274 and two nascar busch series titles 1982 and 1985. Cook has since advanced up the nascar management ladder and currently holds a front office position at the sanctioning body and is seldom seen at events in the northeast. Also scheduled to sign autographs are nascar hall of famers ned jarrett, leonard wood, rex white and jerry cook and current drivers sam hornish, chris buescher, joe and john hunter nemechek. It kind of snuck up on the young resident of rome, new york. He began racing at the age of and won the track championship at uticarome speedway in 1969. It kind of snuck up on the young resident of rome, ny. Jerry cook stats, race results, wins, news, record, videos. Every nascar fan can find officially licensed jerry cook clothing and gear as we offer a variety of sizes and styles. Add to your collection with authentic jerry cook memorabilia and collectibles such as jerry cook diecasts, home decor and much more. The rrign of nascar modified drivers jerry cook and richie evans began in 1971 and lasted through 1985.
Cook, who built his first modified at the age of, took the wheel by happenstance, when his hired driver wrecked two of the race cars he owned. Jerry cook takes modified route to nascar hall of fame get. Regardless, cook started last 34th in the field and drove to a 32nd place finish after early clutch issues. Jerry cook and richie evans had epic nascar rivalry. Jerry cook is inducted to the nascar hall of fame 2016. After two consecutive runnerup finishes in the modifieds in 1969 and 1970, cook won his first title in 1971, repeated the next year, was second in 1973, then. He began racing at the age of and won the track championship at. Jerry cook and richie evans had epic nascar rivalry the. Rex white, is hardly a household name today, but a look at his accomplishments reveals that he was chevrolets best driver in the early 60s and one of its most consistent drivers ever. Jerry cook july 31, 1939 rome, ny most recent race. He drove for thorsport brother, terry cook drove the teams other truck. Get all the top jerry cook nascar classics for men, women, and kids at nascar shop. He started out with an old coupebodied car then converted to. He joins his rival from his hometown of rome, new york, richie evans, as only the second hall of fame driver whose career wasnt connected to nascars premier series.
It kind of snuck up on the young resident of rome, n. Click on the year to see the standings for that year. All the while, he was vying with another driver from his hometown of rome, new york, ninetime champion and nascar hall of famer richie evans, for supremacy in nascars openwheel realm. Red farmer, ned jarrett, jerry cook, ralph earnhardt, cale yarborough, david pearson, sterling marlin, harry gant, geoff bodine and jack ingram. Nascar cup series results view all series statsseries drivers. He competed in one craftsman truck series event in his career.
Jerry cook retired as a driver after winning the 1982 spencer n. Meet nascar drivers at annual stocks for tots benefit. Cook retired as a sixtime nascar modified division champion and was also named as one of nascar s alltime 50 greatest drivers during the organizations 50th anniversary season in 1998. Jan 26, 2016 cooks pursuit of the nascar modified crown accelerated in 1969 after he joined businessman pete hollebrand and hollebrand trucking in a partnership that gave jerry the resources to compete with. Jerry cook made his name in modifieds, winning six nascar modified. Jerry cook cook, a native of rome, new york, raced throughout the northeast and won a total of four modified championships in the 1970s. He joins his rival from his hometown of rome, new york, richie evans, as only the second hall of fame driver whose career wasnt connected to nascar. Numerous nascar drivers to appear at stocks for tots. Modified racer jerry cook headed to nascar hall of fame.
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