Sabré Cook Leads SKUSA Pro Tour
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Rising American karting star Sabré Cook recorded her best career weekend in a shifterkart to become the current championship leader of the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour.
Kicking off her second season competing in the S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto division, Cook was consistent throughout the opening event of the series - the MG Tires SpringNationals at the PKRA Formula K Raceway. Throughout the April 20-22 weekend, The Team CRG-USA driver ran inside the top-five, recording two runner-up main event finishes to leave the weekend atop the point standings in the five round championship.
“I’m still in a bit of shock at how well our weekend went in Phoenix. We struggled to be consistent with our Rotax package at the start of the year. Now back into our Stock Moto program, we had no issues that hurt my performance,” stated Sabré Cook from her Grand Junction, Colorado home after returning from Arizona. “Each session on track, we had an objective and aside from winning, we accomplished it. Our Team CRG-USA Road Rebel with SRS Racing Engines power was near perfect all weekend.”
Familiar with the Phoenix, AZ circuit after competing there in February for the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas program, Cook took to the 3/4-mile circuit with the utmost confidence. The only issue entering the weekend was her health, as Sabré was recovering from the flu during the weekend. The 17-year old seemed to bounce back strong once into the kart seat, leading the way for much of the open practice on Friday. Once Round #1 began, Cook continued her pace at the front of the field, earning her first pole position in the SKUSA Pro Tour, with a lap of 43.975 seconds - the only driver into the 44-second mark. Sabré got away from the start line clean to begin heat one, leading all 10 laps for her first career SKUSA race win. A tad slower off the starting grid in heat two lost her the lead early. Losing another position later, Cook drove to third for an inside row two main event start. A better launch off the line slotted her into the second position in the opening lap of the feature. She fought strong, trying for way into the lead, but was held back in the second position when the checkered flag fell, recording her best SKUSA Pro Tour finish of her career.
Above: Cook 3-wheels her CRG-USA Road Rebel to runner-up finishes at the SpringNationals
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Round #2 on Sunday began with Cook qualifying fourth, just over a tenth of a second off the fast time after the conditions changed overnight. The high 100-degree heat continued to alter the track conditions as the day went on, and Cook battled through to score her second podium finish of the weekend. Holding fourth through the opening heat race, she gained a spot with another great opening lap to start third for the feature. A major key to her results on the weekend was her launch off the starting grid. Getting off the line from the standing start can make or break your race. For Sabré, it made her race as she once again got a great jump to slide into second on the opening circuit of the main event. She challenged once again for the win but came up short, matching her final result from Saturday with another second place run. Cook gained 10 bonus points for recording the fast lap of the race, helping her to hold the championship lead.
“To leave the SpringNationals as the point leader was our main objective. We missed out in gaining our first main event victory, but we have three more rounds to earn it,” continued Cook. “I’d like to thank Alan Rudolph for his help early on during the weekend and my dad for wrenching on the kart, keeping me fast and everything together. Our focus from now until July will be to keep our pace as consistent as we did in Phoenix and to prepare for the SummerNationals.”
Sabré will continue on with her 2012 schedule with the start of the Rocky Mountain ProKart Challenge program. Round #1 will be held at her home track - Grand Junction Motor Speedway - on May 4-6. The SKUSA Pro Tour will continue on July 20-22 with the SKUSA SummerNationals at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Cook would like to thank her racing support program; CRG-USA, Grand Junction Motor Speedway, Zamp Helmets, Xtreme Colors Helmet Painting, Alpine Bank, Gold’s Gym, Enstrom’s Candies.
About Sabré Cook:
Grand Junction, Colorado’s Sabre’ Cook is a rising female motorsports star. Completing her tenth year in karting, the 17-year old is on the verge of breaking out. Growing up at the Grand Junction Motor Speedway, Cook has developed up the karting ranks and is nearing the top level. Over the course of her career, she has earned six Colorado State Championships, two TAG World Championships, a SKUSA Mountain Region title, represented USA at the Bruno Grana International Trophy event in France, and competed all across North America while maintaining a 4.1 GPA in school. She enjoys basketball, golf, acting, singing, volunteering and is a member of the National Honors Society and the Future Business Leaders of America. Her goal in 2012 will be to earn a Superkarts! USA Pro Tour title while advancing her way into open-wheel racing. Visit www.sabrecook.com to learn more about this promising driver.