Jerry Cook (born June 20, 1943) is a

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

modified championship race car driver. He began racing at the age of 13 and won the track championship at

Utica-Rome Speedway Utica-Rome Speedway is a -mile Dirt track racing, dirt Oval racing, oval Stock car racing, raceway in Vernon, New York, Vernon, New York (state), New York. It is known as the “Home of Heroes” and has been the home track of several NASCAR nation ...

in 1969.

Racing career

He eventually went to become a six-time champion in the

Modified series (1971–72, 1974–77). His rivalry with fellow Rome, New York driver

Richie Evans Richard Ernest Evans (July 23, 1941Bourcier, Bones, "61 at 61", ''Speedway Illustrated'' (ISSN 1528-4182), Volume 3, Number 8, August 2002. – October 24, 1985), was an American racing driver who won nine NASCAR National Modified Championships, ...

is legendary. He retired after the 1982 season with 342 wins.NASCAR Modified All-Time Top 10 list at nascar.com
/ref> He stayed with the sport, and helped shape the series. In 1973, he attempted to qualify for the Daytona 500 in a No. 07 Chevrolet. In his

Daytona 500 Qualifying Race The Bluegreen Vacations Duel, formerly known as the Twin 125s, is a NASCAR Cup Series preliminary event to the Daytona 500 held annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. It consists of two races, which both serve as a qualifying rac ...

, he spun on lap 44 and finished 25th, failing to make the 500.

NASCAR administration

Cook served as the Whelen Modified Series' director when it began in 1985, and is currently NASCAR's Competition Administrator.

Awards

*Inducted in the

International Motorsports Hall of Fame The International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF) is a hall of fame located adjacent to the Talladega Superspeedway (formerly Alabama International Motor Speedway) located in Talladega County, east central Alabama. It enshrines those who have co ...

in 2009 *In 1989, he was inducted into the

National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

*Inducted into the New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame in 1993 *As part of NASCAR's 50th Anniversary celebration in 1998, he was named one of

NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers is an alphabetical list of NASCAR drivers. In 1998, as part of its 50th anniversary celebration, NASCAR gathered a panel to select the "50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time." It was inspired in part by the NBA's dec ...

. *NASCAR named him #3 on its NASCAR Modified All-Time Top 10 list. *Inducted into the

NASCAR Hall of Fame The NASCAR Hall of Fame, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, honors drivers who have shown expert skill at NASCAR driving, all-time great crew chiefs and owners, broadcasters and other major contributors to competition within the sanctioning ...

in 2016 *Inducted in the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame inducted in 2011.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

( key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. ''Italics'' – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series

=Daytona 500

References

External links

* 1943 births Living people NASCAR drivers People from Lockport, New York Racing drivers from New York (state) Sportspeople from Rome, New York {{NASCAR-bio-stub NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees