Cook Racing Technologies Overview
Cook Racing Technologies, formerly Cook-Finley Racing and Chad Finley Racing, is an American professional stock car team based in Mooresville, North Carolina. The team competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and fields entries in the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series West. Bruce Cook is the principal owner and longtime crew chief. The operation fields both Toyota and Chevrolet machinery and emphasizes selective race programs and driver development across national and regional ARCA events and Truck Series starts.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The organization traces its official opening to 1998 with early ARCA entries under the Finley family name. Records show Jeff Finley fielded cars in the late 1990s and early 2000s, establishing an initial presence in ARCA competition. Chad Finley later formed a part-time ARCA team in 2016, reviving the family operation and returning the effort to regular competition.
Chad Finley drove for the team in its early modern era and produced an on-track breakthrough in 2017. In 2020 Bruce Cook, who had served as crew chief for the effort, assumed primary ownership responsibility and the team was rebranded as Cook-Finley Racing before adopting the current Cook Racing Technologies identity. That ownership shift formalized the crew leadership and commercial direction while preserving the team’s part-time, development-focused approach.
Growth Into NASCAR Competition
Cook Racing Technologies grew from regional ARCA entries into broader national and regional NASCAR-affiliated competition. The organization lists an ARCA debut in 1998 and later expanded into ARCA Menards Series East competition in 2020 and ARCA Menards Series West events beginning in 2021. The team also made its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start in 2018 at Gateway, marking the expansion into NASCAR national series starts.
Across this period the team worked with a range of drivers and partners. Early modern-era drivers included Chad Finley, while later seasons featured part-time and development drivers such as Parker Retzlaff, Garrett Smithley, Marco Andretti, Clay Greenfield, Patrick Staropoli, Kaylee Bryson, Spencer Davis and others. A technical partnership with Visconti Motorsports was announced for the 2020 ARCA East effort when Bruce Cook moved into ownership and leadership roles.
Cook Racing Technologies Competitive Journey
Cook Racing Technologies progressed from occasional ARCA starts to a multi-series part-time program that spans the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and West, and selective NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entries. The team’s competitive model centers on targeted appearances, development opportunities for young drivers, and occasional veteran or cross-discipline entrants.
Early Seasons and Development (1998–2016)
The team’s documented origins include late-1990s ARCA entries fielded by Jeff Finley, with the organization listed as opening in 1998. After a period of limited activity, Chad Finley re-established a part-time ARCA effort in 2016, fielding the No. 51 Chevrolet in initial starts. The 2016 campaign included a 13th-place finish at Michigan, a strong fifth-place result at Indianapolis Raceway Park, and a 23rd-place result at Chicagoland following a late-race issue.
That 2016 return set the stage for continued ARCA participation. The team consolidated experience in car preparation, race operations and event logistics during these seasons while continuing to run a part-time schedule built around selected events and driver availability.
Breakthrough in the ARCA Menards Series (2017–2024)
The team achieved a breakthrough in 2017 when Chad Finley scored an upset win at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. That victory represented the team’s first major national-series triumph in the modern era and validated its competitive approach in ARCA competition. Over subsequent seasons the organization ran multiple car numbers and drivers in ARCA and ARCA East events, expanding its footprint across regional and national calendars.
Cook Racing Technologies’ ARCA record includes documented participation across years that culminated in multiple notable results. Parker Retzlaff drove full-time for the team in a prior ARCA East campaign, recording five top-10 finishes and a fourth-place finish in the East standings. The team also fielded the No. 17 and No. 42 entries for a mix of development drivers and established names; in 2024 Marco Andretti ran a multi-race program for the team across ARCA national and regional events, illustrating the team’s use of part-time entries to host both developing talent and guest starters.
In the ARCA Menards Series West program the No. 42 entry scored a victory at Kern County Raceway Park in 2022 with Landen Lewis, representing a key regional milestone for the team’s West Series efforts. ARCA totals through recorded seasons show the team with race victories in the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series West and a single pole position recorded in West competition.
Breakthrough in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2018–Present)
Cook Racing Technologies made its NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2018 at Gateway. Chad Finley drove the team’s Truck Series entries in select starts that season, producing a top-10 result with a sixth-place finish at Gateway and a tougher outing at Bristol after an engine issue. The Truck program has remained part-time, with the No. 84 truck used across multiple seasons for a mix of drivers and attempts.
In 2019 the team announced a shift of assets that temporarily reduced NASCAR Truck activity, before later returning to field the No. 84. Clay Greenfield attempted Daytona and other superspeedway entries in 2022 and 2023, recording a 12th-place finish at Talladega in 2022 and a crash-shortened Daytona result in 2023. In 2025 the team returned the No. 84 to the Truck Series at Martinsville with Patrick Staropoli listed to drive in a part-time program.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2025–Present)
As of 2025 Cook Racing Technologies operates under the ownership and leadership of Bruce Cook from its Mooresville, North Carolina base. The organization fields part-time entries in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and maintains active programs in the ARCA Menards national and West regional series. Manufacturer entries include both Toyota and Chevrolet equipment depending on series and event.
Recent seasonal activity in 2024–2025 illustrates a continued emphasis on driver development and selective, high-impact starts. The team has hosted established guest entrants and developing drivers alike, including Marco Andretti’s multi-race ARCA program in 2024 and the announced ARCA and Truck starts for Patrick Staropoli in 2025. Kaylee Bryson and Spencer Davis have also been confirmed as part-time West Series drivers for the organization in 2025.
Engineering Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
Cook Racing Technologies operates as a flexible, part-time program that fields both Toyota and Chevrolet cars and trucks depending on the series and entry. The team’s competitive approach emphasizes focused preparation for select events and the use of part-time programs to develop young drivers or host guest starters, leveraging experienced crew leadership under Bruce Cook.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Key milestones for the team include the 2017 ARCA victory at Nashville, the organization’s first modern Truck Series debut at Gateway in 2018 with a sixth-place run, the West Series victory at Kern County Raceway Park in 2022, and the 2020 ownership transition when Bruce Cook assumed primary control and the team rebranded. The 2019 season also featured a notable logistical setback when a hauler incident forced withdrawals from multiple events, an episode that affected the team’s short-term schedule.
Cook Racing Technologies Achievements and Results
Across documented national and regional starts the team has compiled more than one hundred race entries and multiple wins in ARCA-sanctioned competition. Official tallies list total races competed and confirm two race victories distributed between ARCA national and West Series competition, a single pole position in West competition, and no drivers’ championships to date.
Truck Series and Development Program Success
The team’s Truck Series program has been a part-time endeavor without a series win, but with credible finishes including a top-six result at Gateway in 2018 and a top-12 at Talladega in 2022. More broadly, Cook Racing Technologies has established itself as a development platform in ARCA and regional series, helping young drivers score top-10s and strong championship finishes at the regional East level, and providing opportunities for guest entrants from other disciplines.
