Craig Cook Explained

Craig Cook
Nationality:British (English)
Birth Date:21 May 1987
Birth Place:Whitehaven, England
Nickname:Cookie
Career1:Scunthorpe
Years1:2008
Career2:Buxton
Years2:2009–2010
Career3:Workington
Years3:2009–2010, 2017, 2024
Career4:Peterborough
Years4:2010, 2016
Career5:Edinburgh
Years5:2011–2015, 2023
Career6:Belle Vue
Years6:2011, 2013–2018
Career7:Glasgow
Years7:2018–2022
Career8:King's Lynn
Years8:2019–2021
Career9:Sheffield
Years9:2022
Career10:Leicester
Years10:2023–2024
Sgp Starts:13
Sgp Podium:0 (0-0-0)
Sgp Finals:0
Sgp Win:0
Indivhonour1:National League Riders Champion
Indivyear1:2009
Indivhonour2:Premier League Riders Champion
Indivyear2:2012
Indivhonour3:Scottish Open Champion
Indivyear3:2013
Indivhonour4:British Champion
Indivyear4:2017
Indivhonour5:Riders Champion
Indivyear5:2018
Teamhonour1:Young Shield Winner
Teamyear1:2009
Teamyear2:2019
Teamhonour2:SGB Championship Pairs
Teamhonour3:Premier League Fours
Teamyear3:2013, 2015

Craig William Cook (born 21 May 1987)[1] is a motorcycle speedway rider from England.

Career

Born in Whitehaven, Cook's speedway career began in 2008. In 2009, Cook won the National League Riders Championship, held on 26 September at Rye House Stadium.[2] He rode for Peterborough Panthers in 2010.[3] [4]

He moved on to Edinburgh Monarchs, who he rode for in the Premier League between 2011 and 2015. As an Edinburgh rider, he won the Premier League Riders Championship, held on 14 October 2012 at Owlerton Stadium.[5] He was twice part of the Edinburgh team that won the Premier League Four-Team Championship, which were held on 14 July 2013, at the East of England Arena and 1 October 2015, at the Media Prime Arena respectively.[6] [7]

He was part of the Belle Vue Aces team that competed in the Elite League from 2011 until 2018. He finished second in the 2014 British Speedway Championship[8] and the 2015 British Speedway Championship.[9]

His domestic success as also seen him recognised internationally, with appearances in the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain, and he was a member of the Great Britain team that finished fourth in 2014 Speedway World Cup. In 2017, he became the British Champion.

In 2018, Cook became a full-time member of the Speedway Grand Series after being given a qualification position after he had finished fourth in the Speedway Grand Prix Challenge Final. This was due to Patryk Dudek, who finished third in the SGP Challenge Final meeting, and also finishing second in the 2017 Speedway Grand Prix Series.

Cook joined Glasgow Tigers in the SGB Championship in 2018 and would stay with them until 2022. As a Glasgow rider, Cook won the Riders' Championship for the second time. The final was held on 2 September at Owlerton Stadium.[10]

In 2019, he left Peterborough to join the King's Lynn Stars and enjoyed a good season, finishing sixth in the SGB Premiership 2019 averages.[11] [12] Also in 2019, he won the SGB Championship Pairs partnering Rasmus Jensen for Glasgow, during the SGB Championship 2019 season.[13]

In 2021, he rode in the top tier of British Speedway, riding for the King's Lynn Stars in the SGB Premiership 2021.[14] [15] In 2022, he rode for the Sheffield Tigers in the SGB Premiership 2022 and for Glasgow in the SGB Championship 2022.[16]

In 2023, he returned to the Edinburgh Monarchs for the SGB Championship 2023, he had previously been with them from 2011 to 2015.[17] He re-signed for Workington (another former team) for the 2024 season[18] and later joined Leicester again in June.

Notes and References

  1. Bamford R.(2008). Speedway Yearbook 2008.
  2. Web site: MONARCHS SIGN CRAIG COOK . Edinburgh Speedway . 30 June 2023.
  3. News: New Panther Craig is Cooking up a storm. . 20 May 2010 . 2010-07-27 .
  4. Web site: ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 . British Speedway . 27 June 2023.
  5. Web site: Speedway: Edinburgh ace Craig is Rider Champ . The Scotsman . 27 June 2023.
  6. Web site: 2013 fixtures and results . Speedway Researcher . 9 July 2023.
  7. Web site: FOURS CHAMPIONS . Edinburgh Speedway . 9 July 2023.
  8. Web site: 2014 British Final Result. speedwayresults.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150129183546/http://speedwayresults.com/result.php?type=611&season=2014. 29 January 2015. dmy-all.
  9. Web site: 2015 British Final Result. Speedway GB.
  10. Web site: Cleator speedway star Craig Cook lifts Championship Riders' Individual Trophy . News and Star with the Cumberland Times . 28 June 2023.
  11. Web site: Club Statement - Craig Cook . 27 March 2019. Peterborough Panthers.
  12. Web site: Lynn Swoop for GB Star . 28 May 2019. King's Lynn Stars.
  13. Web site: Glasgow win the Pairs . Redcar Speedway . 30 May 2023.
  14. Web site: 2021 KING'S LYNN STARS. Kings Lynn Speedway. 18 June 2021.
  15. Web site: Ipswich v Kings Lynn. British Speedway . 18 June 2021.
  16. Web site: British Speedway rider profile . British Speedway . 29 September 2022.
  17. Web site: Cook returns to complete Monarchs . British Speedway . 24 December 2022.
  18. Web site: Comets are Cook-ing . British Speedway . 19 December 2023.