Five weeks ago, Calvin Cook parted ways with his car owner.
On Saturday, the Pensacola, Florida, native pocketed $5,000 in his first win since partnering with Mike Williamson to form 151 Racing.
Cook started fifth in the Fall 40 Street Stock race at Magnolia Motor Speedway and passed Jay Burchfield on lap 22 to clinch the highest purse for a Street Stock race in the Golden Triangle this season.
Prior to the race, Cook had a second- and a third-place finish in 10 races since forming 151 Racing, but his results had been mixed while dealing with “new car blues,” he said.
“We’d had some master cylinder issues that really held us back,” Cook said. “But I knew we was good all weekend. We’ve just been trying to tune our car for the feature, and it really showed. About lap 10 or 12, I noticed we were really good, as long as I didn’t screw anything up. The heat got built up in the tires, and we went green flag for so long that it helped me get in a rhythm.”
Jay Burchfield, of Columbus, started second and looked to have the race in hand after taking an early lead. Justin McCree, who won the NeSmith Late Model race, started on the pole for the Street Stock race, but he left the race after 10 laps due to two flat tires.
Burchfield, though, started losing speed through the turns, which allowed Cook to catch him and eventually pass him.
“I was getting tight right there in the middle-out, and I couldn’t keep it pinched on the bottom,” Burchfield said. “I was having to check on the brake, and every time I checked, (Cook) was gaining on me. I needed a 25-lap race instead of a 40.
“The car got tighter as we went, and we lost a little traction getting in and started slipping. I couldn’t rotate on the middle like I needed to.”
Burchfield took second, while Ronald Dunn took third. Brooks Strength, TK King, and Brian Rickman rounded out the top six.
Strength, who leads the Mississippi Street Stock Series points, climbed the most positions in the race and moved from 17th to fourth in the standings. Strength, who won two Triple Crown races at Whynot Motorsports Park and Jackson, said the lack of cautions (one) hurt his chances to reach the front.
“I think I turned my fastest lap time about halfway,” Strength said. “And when we got to racing Ronald, we were back and forth, and second and first kind of got away from us. We were good at practice, and we had some stuff we had to change to get the car down on the deck height, and it kind of messed me up. Well, it messed me up, but it helped me. To hold on to a top five, I’m excited about it.”
Cook credited McRee, his former roommate, with routine advice about how to navigate the changing conditions at Magnolia, which often becomes slick as the race progresses.
“I’ve raced here for three years off and on, catching big shows,” Cook said. “But I’ve never been able to put it together in a feature. This place is tricky. Justin’s taught me a lot about tracks. If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be where I’m at. He’s just told me where to be early and late, and how to drive the slick. Basically, ‘don’t get too sideways.’ ”
n In other action, Justin McRee won the NeSmith Late Model feature. Daniel Bridgman, Jeremy Shaw, Kyle Shaw, and Evan Ellis rounded out the top five. Also, Heath Beard won the Factory Stock feature. Jennifer Byrd, John Johnson, Nick Stoop, and Brad Gable rounded out the top five.
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