Folks Of Interest Passing of Mike Cook

I have just heard Mike Cook the son of Doug “Cookie” Cook of the Stone Woods and Cook, Swindler AA Gas Supercharged, has passed away.
Mike became a mainstay of Land Speed Racing over the years being the SCTA president and chairman of the BNI. He was an engine builder and car builder and owner of Hall Pantera. Many of his roadsters were known for their speeds. Mike and his son Mike Jr. are in the Bonneville 200mph Club and El Mirage 200mpg Club. I met Mike and his wife Penny when he drove for Les Leggit in 1975.
He organized and put on events at Bonneville and also instrumental in the first speed trials in Bolivia. Our youngest children played together at Bonneville during Speed Week. We attend Mike Jrs wedding. He was a great friend to me and I will miss him.

 

We lost a good one there. RIP Mike.

 

Sad to hear, my condolences. RIP Mike.

Pat

 

Dang, sorry to hear about his passing.

 

Mike was one of the most accomplished land speed racers. I often wondered why he didn't make his mark drag racing like his famous dad. @jimmy six can confirm this, wasn't Bruce Geisler a big influence on Mike ? RIP Mike Cook.

 

Wow. Sad News.
Left a good example and big shoes.

 

Sad news. RIP Mike. Condolences to his family.

 

Another good one has left us.

 

Saw that earlier today. RIP Mr Cook

 

Race in Peace Brother. So sad.

 

I’m not sure Marty, Bruce was a positive influence on me for sure finding the roadster I have now. Mike was really close to Bill Burke and his family who also was a positive influence on young guys like me and Mike for sure. Penny was the love of his life and kept him on the straight and narrow.

 

Mike was a nice guy.
He helped me get my Quick Change shortened, when I decided on a different wheel from the original wheel choice.

Mike

 

This is terrible! What was the cause of his passing?

 

My sympathies to family and friends.

 

A big loss for the land speed racing community and a bigger loss for his family. RIP Mike

 

Very sad news. Mike was a very well liked , and all around great guy. Condolences to the entire Cook family, and friends. He made many fans, and I have always been one.

 

God Speed , Mike to Hot Rod Heaven

 

He had the fastest T-bird on the planet for awhile at 298 or so? Is it still the fastest T-bird?

 

Set the record at 291+… probably is especially for 5 miles.

 

Hello,

From the days of Doug Cook at Lion’s Dragstrip in 1958-60, we knew of his family and friends. I took a lot of films of the Tahitian Red 37 Chevy at the drags. It was one heck of a street daily driver that also won a lot of races and trophies at Lion’s Dragstrip. The consistency of each run was evident in the shifting and action.

In 2017, I finally got to talk to Mike Cook at the original Lion’s Dragstrip Museum Grand Opening. I knew he was going to be there and the previous days earlier, I had the most fun time photographing a single 1941 Willys Coupe that was one of the most famous historic race cars in a long line up of race car builds.
real patina...
Then, as the set up was going on, the next day had some move in race cars in the empty building.

I was told that my films were the only ones from that time period of early Lion’s Dragstrip history. On the previous display set up days, race cars that I knew from back in those days were rolled into the warehouse floor. Fortunately, arriving during this time was a great choice as the cars were all alone and waiting for the finished set up display. A photographer’s dream photo shoot time period. No public, no workers, just the drag racing history sitting right in front of you.. That was nice!
Original Lions Museum Grand Opening

June 24, 2017 opening night.
Thanks to Mike Cook’s family and his company.

I was at the Price Transfer Lions Museum Grand Opening in June 24, 2017, I was able to talk to Mike Cook for some time. The Swindler 2 was there on the previous weeks getting ready for the opening displays. I was able to get some great shots in the prelim set up days. No one there to muddle up the background, etc.

The whole museum event was awesome, from the live Cacklefest outside to the multiple car displays inside the Lions Dragstrip wing of the whole Price Transfer Automobilia complex. One topic came up was the 1937 Tahitian Red/Candy Apple Gas Coupe that ruled the Westcoast Gas Coupe/Sedan Classes.

When I mentioned that I had early films of the Tahitian Red 37 coupe, his eyes lit up like Christmas morning explosions… He had barely seen the film shots being shown on the large 80 inch screen in one giant loop of the 57-64 years of racing at Lion’s Dragstrip that I had created. It was the only color movies that are around, showcasing the drag racing action from that time period known to drag racers. I made a 39 minute loop as requested by the museum curators for the display.



The action loop at the Hunter Hill Acala display wall area…

When I told Mike Cook about me sending him his version of the Lions Drag Racing Films, he was ecstatic. He now had the digital version of his dad’s build, racing from the earliest film period to the last one in 1960.

nice original photo and signature for authenticity... thanks, M.

Mike Cook was very informative. His information on the Willys and other builds was enlightening.
He gave me his original copy of the famous “drag race” at Pomona that most have seen on the web.
In a way, I wish I had left my "mic" on to record the whole conversation.


2017 original Lion’s Dragstrip Museum set up days. It sure was nice to be in a huge warehouse all by myself taking photos. Quiet, empty, awesome… come to mind.

Jnaki

I will miss him and but, kept in contact over the years, since. In one parting shot during the conversation at the original museum opening, he quietly pulled me over to the side of the display. He said that a big surprise was coming for us old Gas Coupe and Sedan class racers/builders from the Cook Family camp. My eyes & ears were now open for more news… but at the time, it was hush, hush. YRMV
(A Possible total rebuild/refurbishing of the 37 Chevy Coupe?) What????

I will miss you, Mike!

37 Chevy Thanks for the memories, D.C.

One day, I will find a smooth shifting, sound acceleration of the famous C/Gas 37 Chevy Coupe on an LP Album to transpose to digital and fit to the my old films.

 

R I P

 

Sincere sympathy goes out to his friends, fans, and especially for his family

 

Michael Douglas Cook Sr.
November 21st 1952 – October 27th 2023
​

 

Yes, I know it’s OT or whatever but that blue T-Bird was something special.

 

I have dozens & dozens of photos of Mike Cook Sr.'s cars in my archives . . . including my photos of his racecars at Bonneville in the '80s & '90s . . . but like @Larry Anderson stated above, they're all pretty much Off Topic for the HAMB.

That stated, here's some pics (not mine) of Mike with his father's restored SWC Willys:

images from Mike Cook's Facebook page
​

. . and Mike in his '30-'31 Model A Roadster:

images from Mike Cook's Facebook page​

 

HAMBer @Deuce Bruce Meyer drove a Mike Cook prepared '29 Roadster at Bonneville in 2012:

​

 

R.I.P Never lift!