Tony Cook ~ 1977 Polaris TX440
2014 Crested Butte Colorado, 500 Modified 1st place

1977 Polaris TX 440 ~ Ready for 2014-2015's Race Season

Tony Cook Racing ~ Triton Snowmobile Trailer
~The Racer's Choice~
2013 ~ Rabbit Ears Pass, Colorado

Tony Cook ~ Takes the Holeshot at the Starting Line
2014 ~ Silverton, Colorado

2014 Silverton Colorado: Tony Cook
500 Modified 1st place

Tony Cook ~ #24 ~ 1978 Polaris TX440
2014 Silverton, Colorado
440 Stock Free Air : Tony Cook 1st Place

2013 Grand Lake, Colorado, 440 Stock F/A
Tony Cook takes the solid mid-section on the corner
to secure 1st Place in the qualifying heat.

2013 Craig, Colorado : Trophy Dash 1st place
Tony Cook running hard under the lights to take First!

2013 Craig Colorado, Trophy Dash
Tony Cook High RPM on the dirty snow at under the lights,
both skis off the ground & slinging snow off the track.
Vintage Racing at it's Best!

Tony Cook ~ 1979 Polaris Centurion
2014 ~ Silverton, Colorado
Outlaw Class 1st place

TONY COOK ~ Polaris 1979 CENTURION
2014 Silverton Colorado, 800 Modified 1st place

TONY COOK ~ Polaris Centurion #24
2014 Crested Butte, Colorado
Outlaw Class 1st place

TONY COOK ~ FEBRUARY 2015 - Bondurant, Wyoming
440 SUPER MOD - 1st Place  
  

2011 ~  West Yellowstone, Montana
1972 TNT 440 and 1972 440 Olympic

2011 West Yellowstone, MONTANA
Twin 1979 POLARIS TX 440's
Original Show Sleds & Riders.

TONY COOK ~ YAMAHA
2012 Pinedale, Wyoming
One Lunger 100 Race

WHAT A GREAT LOOKING SLED !

TONY COOK ~ MARCH 2014 ~ WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA

2014 ~ Season Awards

1972 Polaris TX 500 LIMITED on the Bench

TONY prepares the TX for the SNOW WEST Reunion in Yellowstone.

POLARIS + West Yellowstone = Excellence

Tony Cook ~ SNO WEST Magazine Anniversary January 2015
1st PLACE

Q. What got you started in Snowmobiles and how old where you?
A. My parents owned a motorcycle and snowmobile shop in Gillette Wyoming.
My brother and I worked in the shop through our entire childhood up until we both left home.
so I have been around snowmobiles ever since I can remember.

Q. What was the first sled you ever rode?
    A.  1972 Kitty Cat !

Q. When did you start racing?
Where at and what type of sled?
Also, what was the outcome of your first race?
A. My first race was on a 1977 Polaris TX 250, my dad entered
my brother and I in a drag race and told the race director
we just looked young for our age.
I was 7 at the time and I’m sure you probably needed to be 16 to race.
I didn’t understand the importance of keeping the engine RPM up
on the line so the sled had about a 10 second bog w
hen the light turned green, this resulted in a horrible loss.

Q. How many sleds do you have? Trail and race?
    Vintage Race Sleds
        1976 Yamaha Exciter 440
        1979 Polaris TX 440 Super Stock
        1977 Polaris TX 340 Super Mod
        1977 Polaris TX 440 Super Mod
        1979 Polaris Centurion 600 Super Mod
1972 Polaris TX 500
        1972 Ski-Doo TNT 440
        1973 Yamaha GP 292
    Vintage Sleds
1968 Johnson Skee Horse
        1972 Kitty Cat
1972 Ski-Doo TNT 340
        1972 Ski-Doo Olimpic
        1974 Raider
        1976 Skiroule Ultra 447
        1976 Polaris TX 340 Starfire
        Two 1977 Polaris TXL 340’s
        1978 Polaris TXL 340
        1979 Polaris TX 440
        1984 Yamaha V-Max 540
   Classic Sleds
        1995 Polaris XCR 600
        1994 Polaris 800 Strom
    Mountain Sled
        2014 Polaris Pro 800

Q. Why Polaris?
A. Growing up working in a multi-line dealership I was exposed
to the whole era of snowmobiling through the 70’s and 80’s.
The family dealership sold Raider, Kawasaki, Skiroule, Polaris, Ski-doo and Scorpion.
I was drawn in by the Midnight Blue Express and the Red White and Blue colors
that Polaris proudly supported in the 70’s.
Polaris was a special part of my child hood and it
will continue to be a close part of my future.

Q.    What is your favorite 2 stroke Oil and why?
A. KLOTZ– It has been a part of Snowmobile racing
ever since in can remember and the smell always
brings back a lot of good racing memories.

Q.    What is your Favorite place to race?
    A. West Yellowstone – It’s a special part of racing for many of the racers in the west.

Q.    Have you ever raced at Eagle River or do you ever plan to?
A. I would like nothing more than to load up and go back east to Run Eagle River.
If dreams come true maybe I’ll find myself there of these years.

Q. Is your family involved in racing too?  How do they help and support you?
My dad raced ovals in the 70’s, I can still remember our family
uncrating the new 78 RXL that dad used for oval racing.
Dad later converted everything over to drag racing
and had a very successful carrier racing through the 80’s.
Unfortunately things change and family’s go their own way
so it no longer is a family sport.  My mom still goes to West Yellowstone
with me each year, it’s interesting for Mom to see the
oval racing getting its start back in Yellowstone again.

Q.  Who does the mechanical work on your sled
and what do you do to determine upgrades to your race sleds?
A. I do all of my own builds and mechanical work.
I try to keep up with the latest products through my racing competitors in Colorado.

Q.    Do you break alot of parts racing?
    A. No, I have rarely ever broke anything racing.

Q.    When did you get involved in Vintage Racing?
A. My first vintage race was in 2011, it was a one lunger 100 race
held in Pinedale Wyoming. I found this race by watching You Tube videos
of Eagle River Races and Googling vintage racing.
Pinedale is about 8 hrs. from where I live so I started the hunt for a qualified sled.
When it was all said and done I ended up picking up a GP 292
in Appleton Wisconsin which was a 23 hour drive one way.
In 2012 Colorado started up a vintage oval racing circuit
and I have been involved in that since then.

Q.  Tell us about your 1977 Polaris TX440 sled and the
upgrades.  Why and what has made you determine this build?
A. I built this Sled as a 440 Super Mod for the 2014 West Yellowstone race,
I finished the sled about 5 days before the race
and I haven’t changed anything on it since the original build.
This year will allow me to get more seat time on this sled
to determine what needs to be changed.

Q.    Nice Trailer!  When did you get it?
A. I ordered this Trailer from Triton in 2012 when I decided that
I would be racing more sleds that I had room for in my old trailer.

Q. Do you drag race/grass drag or just oval on snow?
A. Currently I only oval race. We don’t have any grass drags within
a 14 hour drive that I’m aware of, although things seem to be
gaining speed so you never know what the future may bring.

Q.Where do you see the future with your racing and your
snowmobile collection / restorations and innovations?
A. I will continue oval racing until I can’t hold on anymore
or the money runs out – whichever comes first.
As far as restorations, I don’t have the talent that’s needed for that.
I will continue to buy pristine Polaris survivors here and there
although my heart is ultimately in racing.

Q.  Have you ever had any wrecks and or wrecks that have resulted in injury?
    A. I had my first wrecks last year although nothing that resulted in injury.

Q.  Who are your favorite pro riders?
[from the past and current Vintage and New Sled racers]
A. I always liked Steve Thorson and Jerry Bunke as a kid.
I don’t know any of the current Vintage racers from the east.
As far as New Sled racers I would give my vote to Tucker Hibbert,
his accomplishments and commitment to the sport is something
that I give great respect to.
Tucker practiced at one of the Colorado tracks prior to the X-Games
and actually handed out the awards at one of the
Colorado Vintage races in 2013.
Tuckers interaction with the Colorado racers was impressive to see.
He is a class act to say the least.

Thank YOU for taking the time for this interview Tony !

2015 - 340 SUPER MOD~ 1st Place ~ WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA