Brendon Cook | |
---|---|
Nationality | Australian |
Born | 27 December 1970 Belmont (Australia) |
Previous series | |
1989, 1996 1990 1991/92 1998 2002 2003 2004 2005-2007 2009 2011 |
British Formula Ford Championship Swiss Formula 3 Championship AUSCAR EFDA Nations Cup Australian Formula 2 Championship Australian Mitsubishi Mirage Cup Australian MG Trophy Australian Production Cars Australian Mini Challenge Australian Suzuki Swift Series |
Awards | |
2002 | Australian Formula 2 Rookie of the Year |
Brendon John Cook, (also known as BJ Cook), born 27 December 1970 in Belmont, Newcastle, Australia, is best known as a race driver, racing mainly in Australia, but also in Europe.
Contents |
He started racing at the age of 16 in Karts, winning club titles there and moved into Formula Ford in Britain. He raced 4 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 Holland.[1] In 2002 he ran in the Australian Formula Two Championship[2][3][4][5][6] where he finished 8th and took out the Rookie of the Year award. He returned for one race in 2011 in the Formula R class at Eastern Creek.[7]
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][13][14] Australian Production Car Championship. 2009 saw him join the Bargwanna Motorsport[15] team in the Australian Mini Challenge.[16][17][18][19][20][21]
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. [22]
He joined the AUSCAR ranks in seaon 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.[23]
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 |
1994 | CCCC Club Car Championship | 1st | HQ Holden | BCM |
1995 | NSW Formula Ford Hillclimb Championship | 1st | Van Diemen RF85 – Ford | Peter Finlay Racing |
1996 | Australian Formula Ford Hillclimb Championship | 3rd | Van Diemen RF85 – Ford | Peter Finlay Racing |
1996 | British Formula Ford Championship | NC | Martlet DM6 – Ford | 3 Sisters |
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 |
2004 | 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 |
2006 | Australian Production Cars - Trophy Class | 12th | BMW 323i | On Track Motorsport |
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 |
Year | Race | Circuit | Team | Car | Qualified | Outright | Class |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | Eastern Creek 12 Hour | Eastern Creek Raceway | AAP Racing | Peugeot 405 Mi16 | 35th | DNS | DNS |
1996 | Nürburgring 24 Hour | Nürburgring Nordschleife | Fortec Motorsport | Peugeot 405 Mi16 | 111th | DNF | DNF |
2003 | Bathurst 2 Hour | Mount Panorama Circuit | Mal Rose Racing | Mitsubishi Mirage RS | 22nd | 17th | 3rd |
2003 | Bathurst 24 Hour | Mount Panorama Circuit | Mal Rose Racing | Mitsubishi Mirage RS | 46th | DNS | DNS |
2011 | Eastern Creek 6 Hour | Eastern Creek Raceway | Trans-Tasman Motorsport | Suzuki Swift Sport RS | 20th | DNF | DNF |
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[24] | 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 |
† Championship still in progress
School | Barker College | ||
---|---|---|---|
Rugby union career | |||
Playing career | |||
Position | Fullback, Wing | ||
Amateur clubs | |||
Years | Club / team | ||
1989 1989 |
Singleton Pirates NSW Country U21 |
||
Professional / senior clubs | |||
Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
1990 1990–91 |
Sydney University Oak Bay |
0 3 |
(0) (8) |
Cook played both Rugby League and Rugby Union in his early years as a utility back, usually full 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 21's 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. He retired from rugby after a knee injury in Canada.
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 to Kim (2001), has one son Jenson (2004) and a daughter Mollie (2007) and now lives in the Sydney suburb of Lane Cove North. Cook's father John won a National Title in Under 16's soccer for NSW, and a National Junior Surfboat title with Swansea Caves Beach as well as two Bronze Medallions in the pool and surf. Brendon followed his father by achieving a Bronze Medallion in the pool.