Big pace on an oval: It’s in the genes
The founder of the Norwich Cooke racing dynasty – Kenny – started out racing in Spedeworth’s Saloon Stock Cars in the early 1970s.
He recorded his first win as a white-graded novice at Yarmouth in August 1971 – indeed all three of the Cooke family racers have taken wins at Caister Road. Ken became a prolific winner in Stock Rods too when they came along, before switching to Hot Rods.
He is often remembered for running ex-Barry Lee cars, including a former 351 Ford Escort RS and the infamous ex-works Opel. After he hung up his helmet he went on to be a well-respected steward at the East Anglian raceways.
Kenny’s son Mel was also racing by 1978, taking his first Stock Rod win in July of that year. He moved into Nationals and kept on winning, including the Wimbledon-staged BP final in 1986. But Mel enjoyed Stock Rods more, returning to the class and becoming one of the men to beat, claiming the World crown in 1988 and 1990.
That 1990 victory at Buxton was a classic which featured a nail-biting battle for the lead throughout the 50 laps between Cooke and Perry Clack. Although Cooke got over the line first, he always acknowledged that Clack had been the quicker man and his son is in fact named after his gallant opponent that day.
Coincidentally, when Buxton returned to the NHR tour in 2019 it was 29 years to the day since Mel won that World Final there. It was only fitting that Perry was on the grid, even if he didn’t manage to pull out a win from somewhere.