JAMES  PRESTON  "JIM"  COOK   -  10/02/1921 - 11/29/1983

Cook was a stock car racer who competed in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model (PCLM) Series.  Born in Illinois, Cook had lived in Boston before relocating west across the United States to Norwalk, California.  Cook began racing in Boston.  He moved to the Western United States in the early 1940s, and had a successful short track racing career in Southern California, primarily driving for owner Floyd Johnson.  Cook made 39 starts in the Cup series from 1954 through 1970.  Most of Cook's starts were in West Coast races during the time the races counted for both Cup and PCLM points, though he did compete in the inaugural World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and in the 1964 Daytona 500 and Richmond 250.  After this foray, his Cup series starts were limited to an annual start in the Motor Trend 500, then held each January at Riverside International Raceway.  He did compete regularly in the PCLM series, primarily driving for owners Floyd Johnson or Cos Cancilla; finishing in the top ten in points eight 

times between 1956 and 1969, with a best points finish of 3rd on three occasions (1963, 1967 and 1968).  He had five career victories in the PCLM series, the last one coming at Tri-Cities Speedway in West Richland, Washington in July 1969.  A product of midget auto racing when he came west from the Boston area, Cook drove modifieds, hard tops and early late models with great success in and around the LA area.  Cook moved up to the Cup Series in 1954, driving his first race at Oakland Stadium in Oakland CA.  It was 250 

Los Angeles 1957

1960 Cup win Sacramento

laps on a 1/2 mile dirt track.  Cook would start 20th, and bring home his 1950 Ford in tenth spot, in a race won by Dick Rathman.  Cook got $100 for his efforts.  He only made three other starts in 1954, with his next best finish being a 14th place run, also at Oakland.  1955 only saw him run one Cup race, and he fell out with a broken connecting rod and finished 32nd.  He made six starts in 1956, and claimed his first top five finish when he raced at Eureka Speedway in Eureka CA.  He started tenth, but no one could keep up with the powerful Hudson Hornet driven by Herb Thomas, as he motored away from the field, winning by a lap over second place finisher Gordon Haines.  The rest of the top five were Lloyd Dane, Bob 

Keefe and Cook.  In 1957 Cook only made five Cup starts, and it was a lean year as his best finish was a 15th place run at Sacramento.  1958 and 1959 he only ran two races each year.  He again had a good run at Sacramento finishing fourth in a race won by Parnelli Jones.  He had another good run at Sacrament in 1959, when he finished in eighth place.  When the series went back to Sacramento in 1960, Cook had a great run.  He started on the pole and battled Scotty Cain the entire race for the lead.  Cook led 87 laps, but Cain was leading with just four laps to go.  Cook swept by Cain with three laps to go and held on to claim a narrow win.  It was his first and only Cup win.  He also ventured back to the East Coast to run in the inaugural World 600.  He started 51st in the 60 car field, and drove a nice race, finishing in 15th place.  Joe Lee Johnson got the win.  In 1961 he made a few starts with good finishes of fourth at Riverside Raceway, and a seventh at Marchbanks Speedway in Hanford, CA.  1962 he sat out Cup events, and only made two starts in 1963, both at Riverside.  1964 Cook again went to the East coast; this time to run in the Daytona 500.  He finished 23rd in his qualifying race, but made the field.  In the 500 he started 46th, (and last) but had handling issues and decided to park the car before he crashed it.  He ended up being scored with a 45th place finish, winning $725.  While he was out East, the next week he went to Richmond to run in the Richmond 250.  He had better success as he started 24th, and piloted his 1963 Ford to a 15th place finish.  That would be the only starts he made in 1964.  The next six years, he only ran one race per year.  All of them at Riverside.  His best finish was 11th in 1968, although he was 24 laps behind.  Cook's racing career came to an end when he was severely injured in a crash during the 1970 Motor Trend 500 at Riverside International Raceway on January 18, 1970.  His Ford crashed into the end of the turn 9 wall and he suffered head trauma and many broken bones.  After his accident left him using a wheelchair full-time and with large medical and hospital bills, benefit races were held for him at Southern California tracks. During the years he ran in NASCAR's Cup Series, he enjoyed success in the PCLM Series, winning 5 times and finishing in the top 10 in points eight times, driving for Hall of fame members Floyd Johnson and Cos Cancilla. In what is now called the ARCA West Series, he made 36 starts from 1954 to 1957.  His best finish was a second place run at Gardena behind winner Chuck Meekins.  In 1958 he was second again at Gardena, this time behind winner Eddie Pagan.  The next race he was second again.  This start came at Saugus Speedway in Saugus CA, as he finished ten seconds behind winner Danny Graves.  He ran the full schedule from 1967 through 1969.  In 1967 he had a worst finish of 18th the entire year.  It came in the season opening race at Altamont Motorsport Park in Tracy CA.  In the fourth race of the year at Sacramento, Cook would start fourth and lead 155 of the 200 laps beating Scotty Cain by over two laps.  He ended the year third in points, and had two top five and 13 top ten runs.  In 1968, he had only two finishes outside the top ten in 20 starts.  His worst finish was 17th when he had mechanical problems at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg OR.  His best finish came at Gardena when he finished second behind Ray Elder.  For the year he had six top five and a whopping 17 top ten finishes.  Both years Cook finished third in points.  1969 would see Cook get his final win.  He had three second place finishes the first five races.  He was second at Sacrament, behind little known Marty Kinerk.  Then, on the road course at Sonoma, Ray Elder would hold off Cook to get the win.  The following week at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe WA Scotty Cain got the win in front of Cook.  Finally, at Tri-city Raceway in West Richland WA; Cook would break through again to get a win, just in front of Jack McCoy.  He had an impressive season with ten top five and 15 top ten finishes in 19 starts, but finished fourth in the points.  As mentioned previously, Cook had a serious crash at Riverside early in 970 that ended his career.  Cook was murdered on November 29, 1983, by a drifter who broke into his Oceanside, California apartment and beat him to death with one of his racing trophies.  In 2006, Jim Cook was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. Among those also inducted that year was, car owner and music producer Mike Curb, and crew chief and later NASCAR official Gary Nelson.