Cook, Christine Marie Fall Short at Richmond

Richmond, PA September 9, 2006 -- Chris Cook’s plans of qualifying for the Emerson Radio 250 on Friday were derailed because of an unlucky draw in the order and he and the Christine Marie Motorsports team fell just short.

The third driver on the track during qualifying, Cook turned in a top speed of 122.867 mph, and he missed out on the starting grid for the NASCAR Busch Series race by a mere .011 mph.

"We just missed the setup a bit, and the weather did not help, either," said Cook, driver of the VisitPa.com No. 43 Dodge Charger. "The cars we had to beat were later draws and the track temperature decreased, making things much faster for them."

The Christine Marie Motorsports was one of a handful of teams that fielded a total of 48 cars, making Cook’s chances were that much harder because some cars qualified through NASCAR rules.

Cook was one of five drivers who took qualifying laps but did not earn a spot in the race.

Nonetheless, Cook was thankful for the opportunity.

"A big thanks to VisitPa.com for helping us and to Chris Evans for making it all happen."

About Christine Marie Motorsports, Inc. (CMM)

Christine Marie Motorsports, Inc. was founded in 2004 by Chris Evans, a successful western Pennsylvania businessman and amateur racer. Evans met veteran driver Chris Cook while attending the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, where Cook was an instructor. The two developed a friendship and later a business relationship that led Evans to form Christine Marie Motorsports, which is named after Evans' youngest daughter, for the purpose of competing in NASCAR with Chris Cook as the driver. The team is based in Indiana, Pa.

###END###

Back to news articles.