Brendon Cook

Brendon John Cook (born 27 December 1970) is a former race driver who raced mainly in Australia, but also in Europe.

Brendon Cook
NationalityAustralian
Born (1970-12-27) 27 December 1970
Belmont, New South Wales, Australia
Previous series
1989,96
1990
1991/92
1995-96
1998
2002
2003
2004
2005-07
2009
2011-12
2011

2013		British Formula Ford Championship
Swiss Formula 3 Championship
AUSCAR
Formula Ford
EFDA Nations Cup
Australian Formula 2 Championship
Australian Mitsubishi Mirage Cup
Australian MG Trophy
Australian Production Cars
Australian Mini Challenge
Australian Suzuki Swift Series
Australian Manufacturers' Championship
Australian GT Championship
Awards
2002Australian Formula 2 Rookie of the Year

Career

Open Wheelers

Cook began racing at the age of 16 in Karts, where he won club titles, and then moved into Formula Ford in Britain. He raced four times in the British Junior series, which ran the same races as the outright series, but for different points. The highlight for him would have been out qualifying eventual Formula One driver David Coulthard. After an unsuccessful season of Formula 3 in Switzerland in 1990, he returned to Australia and competed in various club racing including Formula Ford, AUSCAR, HQ Holdens and Karts. He made a brief return to Europe in 1996 for British Formula Ford and 1998 to compete in one round of the Benelux Formula Opel series and the EFDA Nations Cup in the Netherlands.[1] In 2002 he ran in the Australian Formula Two Championship[2][3][4][5][6] where he finished eighth and took out the Rookie of the Year award. He returned for one race in 2011 in the Formula R class at Eastern Creek in a Reynard 913[7] and the 2011 Asian Formula Renault Challenge but didn't start after an accident in qualifying. In October 2011 he raced in the final two rounds of the Thoroughbred Grand Prix series driving a Tyrrell 012.

Sedan Racing

Season 1995 saw an introduction to Production Cars in the Eastern Creek 12 Hour, but a blown head gasket saw them not start. He ventured to the Nurburgring 24 Hour in a Peugeot in 1996, but did not finish. From there he moved to the Australian Mitsubishi Mirage series and competed in the Bathurst 2 hour race finishing 3rd in Class B.[8] 2004–05 he raced a Citroën Xsara in the NSW Combined Touring Car Championship, winning the State Championship in his class. He raced a BMW in the 2006,[9] and a Holden Vectra in the 2007[10][11][12] Australian Production Car Championship. 2009 saw him join the Bargwanna Motorsport[13] team in the Australian Mini Challenge.[14][15][16][17][18][19]

2011 he raced in the final round of the Australian Suzuki Swift Series after practicing at the Eastern Creek and Sandown rounds without racing. He also participated in the Eastern Creek 6 hour, crashing out with two hours to go whilst leading Class E with co-driver Brooke Leech.[20] He rejoined the series in 2012 for the fourth round at Sydney Motorsport Park finishing sixth for the weekend. In 2013 he raced in the GT Challenge class of the Australian GT Championship driving a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup. He finished 2nd in the championship.

Stock car racing

He joined the AUSCAR ranks in season 1991/92 after being a finalist in the Fastrack Driver Program. In the summer of 2006, he returned the ranks of Street Stockers, running at Parramatta City Speedway over the 2006–2007 season. The summer of 2010 he ventured in a part season in Wingless Sprints mainly in New South Wales.[21] In 2011-2013 he tried to break into American speedway by running in selected Factory Stock events with limited success.

Career Results

Circuit results
Season Series Position Car Team
1987 SKRC vs CDKC Clubman Kart Challenge 1st Demon – Yamaha BCM
1989 British Formula Ford Championship NC Van Diemen RF87 – Ford Harvey Gillanders Racing
1990 Swiss Formula 3 Championship 12th Ralt RT23 – Alfa Romeo Jo Zeller Racing
1991 CCCC Formula Libre Championship 1st Van Diemen RF85 – Ford BCM
1993 NSW HQ Holden Series 18th HQ Holden BCM
1994 NSW HQ Holden Series 8th HQ Holden BCM
CCCC Club Car Championship 1st
1995 New South Wales Formula Ford Championship 9th Van Diemen RF85 – Ford Peter Finlay Racing
NSW Formula Ford Hillclimb Championship 1st
1996 Australian Formula Ford Hillclimb Championship 3rd Van Diemen RF85 – Ford Peter Finlay Racing
British Formula Ford Championship NC Martlet DM6 – Ford 3 Sisters
1998 EFDA Nations Cup 4th † Van Diemen – Opel Team Australia
2002 Australian Formula Two Championship 8th Cheetah Mk7-Golf BAE Racing
2003 Australian Mitsubishi Mirage Cup 12th Mitsubishi Mirage RS Mal Rose Racing
2004 Australian MG Trophy 5th MG F Trophy Mopro
NSW Combined Touring Championship Class C 1st Citroën Xsara VTS Fortec Motorsport
2005 NSW Combined Touring Championship Class E 3rd Citroën Xsara VTS On Track Motorsport
2006 NSW Combined Touring Championship Class E 2nd Citroën Xsara VTS On Track Motorsport
Australian Production Cars - Trophy Class 12th BMW 323i
2007 Australian Production Cars - Trophy Class 5th Holden Vectra Mertens Racing
2009 Australian Mini Challenge 7th Mini JCW R56 Bargwanna Motorsport
2011 Australian Suzuki Swift Series 14th Suzuki Swift Sport RS Trans-Tasman Motorsport
2012 Australian Suzuki Swift Series 15th Suzuki Swift Sport RS Trans-Tasman Motorsport
2013 Australian GT Challenge 2nd Porsche 997 GT3 Cup McElra Racing

† Team Result

Speedway results
Season Series Position Car Team
1991/2 Australian AUSCAR Championship 22nd Holden Commodore VN Fastrack
2006/7 PCR Street Stock Championship 26th Holden Commodore VS BCM
2007 RSA Australian Street Stock Championship 43rd[22] Holden Commodore VS BCM
2010/11 Tyrepower Sydney Speedway Wingless Sprint Championship 38th Gambler Holden Fortec
2011 New South Wales Tri-Series Wingless Sprint Championship 40th Gambler Holden Fortec
Arklatex Speedway Factory Stock Championship 18th[23] Oldsmobile Cutlass Shreveport Racing
2012 Arklatex Speedway Factory Stock Championship 51st[24] Oldsmobile Cutlass Shreveport Racing
2013 Boothill Speedway Factory Stock Championship 2nd[25] Oldsmobile Cutlass Shreveport Racing
Arklatex Speedway Factory Stock Championship 11th[26]

Australian GT results
Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final Pos Points
2012 McElrea Racing Porsche 997 GT3 Cup GT Challenge ADE ADE PHI PHI WIN WIN SMP SMP PHI PHI SUR
2		 SUR
3		 HOM HOM NC 0
2013 McElrea Racing Porsche 997 GT3 Cup GT Challenge BAT
DNS		 ADE
3		 ADE
3		 PHI
2		 PHI
Ret		 SMP
1		 SMP
1		 QLD
1		 QLD
1		 HMP
Ret		 HMP
DNS		 2nd 460

Rugby

Cook played both rugby league and rugby union in his early years as a utility back. Starting in league he represented Group 3 and Central Coast Juniors before going to Barker College and playing seven years of union there where he also became a certified referee. After leaving Barker, he played for Singleton Pirates, representing NSW Country Under 21s in 2 games off the bench in 1989 thanks to his family ties with Phil Hawthorne, before leaving for Europe. In 1990 after returning from Europe, he played for Sydney University Colts and at the end of 1990 Oak Bay Castaways-Wanderers in Canada. At the end of the 1992 season he switched to rugby league playing in the 1992 Pacific Cup for Norfolk Island. In 2005 he played a season in Manawatu, New Zealand.[27] He retired from rugby after a knee injury.

Personal life

Cook's parents were hotel owners, and he and his four sisters had a nomadic lifestyle. Thus he went to boarding school at Barker College and then Sydney University. He is married (2001), has one son (2004) and a daughter (2007) and now lives in the Brisbane suburb of The Gap. His father is John Cook. He is also a member of the Wiradjuri people.

References
  1. http://www.driverdb.com/standings/1633-1998/ Retrieved Driver Data Base 18/5/2011
  2. Retrieved 10 March 2002 from Motorsport.com
  3. Retrieved 12 March 2002 from Motorsport.com
  4. Retrieved 12 March 2002, from Motorsport.com
  5. Retrieved 12 Sept, 2002 from Motorsport.com
  6. Retrieved 12 Sept, 2002 from Motorsport.com
  7. "Retrieved 20 June 2011 Natsoft Timing". Natsoft.com.au. 21 June 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  8. "Retrieved 23 Nov, 2003 from". Natsoft. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  9. "Retrieved 4 Sept, 2006 from NMD Articles". Nmd.com.au. 4 September 2006. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  10. "Retrieved 7 July 2006 from NMD Articles". Nmd.com.au. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  11. "Retrieved 17 July 2006 from NMD Articles". Nmd.com.au. 17 July 2007. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  12. "Retrieved 6 Aug, 2006 from NMD Articles". Nmd.com.au. 6 August 2007. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-05-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Retrieved from Motorsports Media 3/5/2011
  14. Retrieved March 2009 from Mini Challenge Web Page
  15. "Retrieved 25 March 2009 from NMD Articles". Nmd.com.au. 25 March 2009. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  16. "Retrieved 7 July 2009 from NMD Articles". Nmd.com.au. 7 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  17. "Retrieved 20 October 2009 from". Speedcafe.com. 20 October 2009. Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  18. "Retrieved 8 December 2009 from". Speedcafe.com. 8 December 2009. Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  19. "Retrieved 20 April 2011 from The Grid UK". Thegrid.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  20. http://www.speedcafe.com/2011/12/11/mostertmorcom-take-eastern-creek-6-hour/ Speedcafe. 11 December 2011
  21. "Retrieved from Natsoft Timing 25 April 2011". Natsoft.com.au. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  22. http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?05/05/2007.PCR.STREET.M 2007 RSA Australian Street Stock Championship Retrieved 17/5/2011
  23. http://www.arklatexspeedway.net/Pointstandings/FactoryStockPoints05-14-2011.htm Arklatex Speedway Points 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2014
  24. http://www.arklatexspeedway.com/Pointstandings/FactoryStockPoints05-19-2012.htm Arklatex Speedway Points 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2013
  25. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Boothill Pointscore 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013
  26. http://www.arklatexspeedway.net/Pointstandings/FactoryPoints09-21-2013.htm Arklatex Pointscore 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013
  27. http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player-4406.html Its Rugby player stats. Retrieved 20 December 2013
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