Growing up in Tracy’s Landing, Maryland, Mike Cook had a passion for music and playing the drums, touring around the country with his band at the age of 18. His growing interest in engineering began when he was involved with the studio recordings and live productions, even starting a live-audio production business that helped him pay for college. Cook was on track to receive a degree in mathematics at the University of Maryland, until he discovered the school’s Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) Racing Program. He shifted gears and ultimately earned a degree in mechanical engineering.

Cook got his foot in the door of NASCAR with an internship at Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2006, and was instantly hooked. After going back to school to pursue a master’s in mechanical engineering and work for the US Army performing vehicle testing, Cook received the call for a job as a race engineer at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.

Following more than a decade as a winning, lead engineer with drivers Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola, and Chase Briscoe, and earning some of the sport’s most coveted wins, the Daytona 500 and Southern 500, Cook joined Kaulig Racing prior to the start of the 2025 season as the team’s first technical director.