4-18-13 Two Podium Finishes For Sabre Cook at Skusa Pro Tour SpringNationals

CRG-USA driver earns two third-place finishes as top S1 Pro Stock Moto rookie in Tucson
 2012 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto champion Sabré Cook made her professional debut this past weekend in Tucson, Arizona. The SKUSA SpringNationals were held at the Musselman Honda Circuit, sporting a record number of competitors for the event and the series. The event was very successful for Cook, as she competed against the top shifterkart drivers in North America, leaving with more respect from her fellow competitors with an impressive double podium weekend. Sabré raced her way to third place finishes in both rounds of competition, placing her as one of the championship contenders and leading Rookie of the Year battle.

Cook and her CRG/DDR Stock Moto package was among the quickest drivers during the S1 practice rounds on Friday. She carried it over to Saturday for the first round of competition on the weekend, measuring up well against the top drivers in the class. She qualified in the third position, putting her directly behind the top two finishers in last year’s championship standings. Sabré remained glued to their bumper through the two heat races, placing third and fourth to start outside row two for the main event. With four drivers in the lead pack, Cook appeared to be the quickest on-track. The drivers seemed to be evenly matched, with Sabré making some excellent moves for position late in the race. Running as high as second, she crossed the line third and earned the fast lap honors for her first podium finish in her S1 debut.

The following day Cook fought her way back from early troubles to stand on the podium once again. A brake issue hampered her speed during the qualifying session, as she recorded the fifth fastest lap time but a penalty for a registration error dropped her two positions in the order back to seventh. As the opening heat race began, she launched off the line quickly, gaining a few spots as they reached the opening corner. Entering the second turn, she was spun around by another competitor. After making one more lap, she retired to save her equipment for the remaining two races. Cook started 17th in the second heat race, fighting her way forward to end up in the seventh position. Another great start allowed Sabré to strike early into the top five. Displaying great skill behind the wheel, she worked past a former Rotax Grand Nationals champion and the 2011 SKUSA Pro Tour champion to move into the third position. Unable to catch the top two, running similar lap times, Cook finished third for her second podium finish of the weekend.

“Overall, it was a successful and pleasing weekend for my S1 Pro Stock Moto debut,” stated Cook as she returned back to her studies at the Colorado School of Mines. “I couldn’t have done it without the grace of God and the support of my family and friends. My mechanic Ricardo Messana did a phenomenal job keeping my kart set-up spot on and many thanks to Jesse Dunham for his help with pre-race preparation. I’m really looking forward to the SummerNationals at my home track, where I feel I can compete for my first ever S1 and Pro Tour victory.”

Cook’s next race will be the opening rounds of the Superkarts! USA Rocky Mountain ProKart Challenge program, set for the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah on May 3-5. The SKUSA Pro Tour will continue on July 19-21 at her home track - Grand Junction Motor Speedway in Colorado. Sabré would like to thank CRG-USA, DDR Engines, K1 Race Gear, Gold’s Gym, Alpine Bank, Brett King Designs JH Precision, MG Tires, and Zamp Helmets for their support of her racing program. Visit www.sabrecook.com for more information and be sure to follow her on Facebook, search for Sabré Cook Racing.