FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 21, 2012
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Ray Cook Enjoys Strong Speedweeks Highlighted by $7,000 Winternationals Win



BRASSTOWN, N.C. (February 21) - Ray Cook and the D&R Motorsports team have recently returned back home following a successful stint in Georgia and Florida during "Speedweeks 2012." In all, the #53 team entered eight high-profile Dirt Late Model events from February 10-18 at three different southern venues: Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Georgia, Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Georgia, and East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Florida. Ray was fast at all three facilities, as he accumulated one victory, two runner-up finishes, and two additional Top Ten performances.

The trip to victory lane, Ray's second already in 2012, came on Wednesday, February 15 at the East Bay Raceway Park. The Brasstown, North Carolina hotshoe led the 35-lap, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned 'Winternationals' feature event on a couple of different occasions before claiming the $7,000 top prize over Jonathan Davenport, Steve Francis, Scott Bloomquist, and Dennis Erb, Jr. Ray's runner-up efforts came earlier in "Speedweeks" in the Peach State of Georgia. He finished second to only winner Darrell Lanigan on Saturday, February 11 in the $20,000 to win 'Winter Freeze' at Screven, while he also secured a close second to winner Jonathan Davenport a day later in the $10,000 to win 'Super Bowl of Racing' at Golden Isles.

At the conclusion of the six-race 'Winternationals' at East Bay, in which Ray recorded the win and two more Top Ten outings, he was credited with a fifth place finish in the final DART 'Winternationals' point standings. The popular driver known as the "Tarheel Tiger" currently finds himself tied for fourteenth in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series point standings, which were comprised only of the final two nights at East Bay. A complete race-by-race recap from Ray's journey through Georgia and Florida can be viewed by clicking on www.RayCook53.com.

"I am ecstatic on how we performed throughout Speedweeks and I can't thank my team and everyone associated with it for all of their support and dedication," exclaimed Cook upon his arrival back in North Carolina. "My hat is off to the whole MasterSbilt gang. They built me and (Don) O'Neal new cars this off-season and they were extremely fast right out of the box. We had a couple of close runner-up finishes in Georgia that got our trip off to a great start and then the win at East Bay really capped it off. Historically, I have not been very good at that place, but to win there for the first time in 12 years was special and it really gives me some confidence heading into the rest of the season!"

The next event for the D&R Motorsports team is scheduled to be the 15th Annual 'Bama Bash' on March 2-3 at the Green Valley Speedway in Glencoe, Alabama. The unsanctioned, two-day program will be headlined by a $15,015 to win, 75-lap main event on Saturday night, March 3. Ray was victorious in the 2009 and 2010 versions of the 'Bama Bash' and finished a solid ninth in the final rundown in 2011 despite getting caught up in an early wreck. Additional information on the Green Valley Speedway can be located online at www.GreenValleySpeedway.com.

Ray Cook would like to thank all of his supporters including: D&R Motorsports, Hicks & Ingle Company, MasterSbilt Race Cars, Race Engine Design, PPM Racing Products, A+ Moving and Storage Company, K&N Filters, PRC Racing, Real Racing Wheels, Bill Elliott Racing, James Cook Construction, American Race Tire, Bert Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Chizmark & Larson Insurance Agency, DBR Starters, Delph Communications, Demon Carburetors, Eibach Springs, FK Rod Ends, Frankland Racing Supply, GW Performance, Integra Shocks, ISC Racers Tape, JB Performance, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Peterson Fluid Systems, Schaeffer's Racing Oil, Scott Performance Wire, Stealth Carburetors, Sweet Mfg., T&D Machine, Turbo Start Batteries, VP Racing Fuels, Wiles Driveshafts, and Wilwood.

For the latest news and schedule information concerning the #53 team, feel free to visit their official Internet home at www.RayCook53.com.

Media Contact: Ryan Delph - Delph Communications
www.DelphCommunications.com