Cook Represents NASCAR Modifieds In 2009 IMHOF Class
Cook, Allison, Parks All Have Modified Titles
Talladega, AL — Jerry Cook – a six-time NASCAR Modified National Champion – earned the ultimate recognition for his racing accomplishments as he was one of five 2009 International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees in ceremonies held Thursday night at Talladega Superspeedway.
Cook, originally from Rome, N.Y., earned six NASCAR Modified titles in a span of seven years from 1971-77. A perennial front-runner, Cook finished in the top three in the national standings an astounding 14-straight seasons from 1969-82.
The 2009 International Motorsports Hall of Fame class also included driver Donny Allison and car owners Raymond Parks, Bud Moore and J.C. Agajanian.
“I’m absolutely proud, that’s for sure, because this Hall of Fame is truly international,” Cook said. “There have been some people [inducted] who I didn’t recognize, because they were from overseas, but then I’d read about them and realize how great they are and how they’re definitely deserving to be in it. I’m certainly as proud as I could be to be included with all of them.”
On Thursday Cook became the sixth NASCAR Modified champion to earn International Motorsports Hall of Fame induction along with Bobby Allison, Red Byron, Richie Evans, Red Farmer and Joe Weatherly.
Cook’s six NASCAR Modified titles are third most in the division’s 62-year history behind the nine of the late Evans and Mike Stefanik’s seven. Evans – also from Rome, N.Y. – and Cook combined to win every NASCAR Modified crown from 1971-85. He was recognized as one of “NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers” in 1998 and was named to the “NASCAR Modified All-Time Top 10” in 2003.
Cook’s career behind the wheel ended in 1982 when he was offered a position by NASCAR. He was instrumental in the formation of the present-day NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and served as its first series director. Today he resides in North Carolina and serves as a competition administrator for NASCAR in the Research & Development Center.
The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is the third such recognition for Cook. He is also a member of the National Motorsports Press Hall of Fame and the New York Stock Car Association Hall of Fame.
Cook was not the only inductee Thursday night to have ties to the NASCAR Modified division. Like his brother Bobby, who won the NASCAR Modified national title in 1964 and 1965, Donnie Allison also found success in Modifieds before moving on to stock car racing. Arguably Donnie’s best season in a Modified was 1964 when he won track titles at Birmingham Raceway and Huntsville Speedway and finished fifth in the national standings, just behind Farmer. The Allison’s and Farmer all rose to prominence as part of the ‘Alabama Gang’ and now all three are members of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Parks, who is more widely recognized for earning the first three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (then known as the Strictly Stock division) championships as a car owner, was also the owner of the Modified that Byron piloted to the first NASCAR race win and season championship in 1948.
Opened in April of 1983, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to the preservation of the history of motorsports. Each year, the annual International Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is held on the grounds of the museum to honor those men and women chosen for induction from among the greatest names in all of motorsports. The hall now includes 132 inductees.
Sources: NASCAR WMT PR