Dalton Cook issued a statement regarding his decision to restart his heat race with a flat tire during the World 100 at Eldora Speedway on Saturday night.

On a restart in Heat 4 with 2 laps left, Cook, who had a left front flat tire, backed up his entry into turn 1 and got clobbered in the left rear by Dale McDowell, who attempted to avoid him. The two got connected as they spun sideways and McDowell’s rear hit hard into the outside wall. McDowell then got clipped in the left front by both Justin Haley and Justin Smith.

💥 A Heat Race #4 crash may have just ended Dale McDowell’s World 100 streak!#World100 🌍 | September 12 | Live on FloRacing 📺 pic.twitter.com/QOQoIDuxDO

— FloRacing (@FloRacing) September 13, 2026

Cook was criticized on the FloRacing broadcast by National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Randy Weaver for attempting to restart the race with the flat. Before the restart, he said, “Dalton Cook has a left front flat now. I hope he ain’t going to try and finish this heat race at Eldora. You might could do that at Crossville, Tennessee, but on a big race track like this where the weight will get back to the left front it’ll be rough.”

After the wreck happened, Weaver added, “And that’s why you don’t try at Eldora with a left front flat.”

However, Dustin Jarrett said, “Said it probably wasn’t going to work with that flat left front tire, but can’t blame Dalton Cook for wanting to give it a go. I mean, it’s the World 100, man. Dalton’s trying to race his way into the show and I don’t blame him for wanting to race his way in.”

On Sunday afternoon, Cook shared in a post to Facebook, “World 100 is in the books , made both prelims, got better over the course of the weekend putting us starting 3rd in the all important heat for the big dance. From the beginning of heat there was racing contact that cut the left front tire, was able to still maintain a good speed to stay in the transfer spot until late race caution with 2 to go.”

From there he explained his decision to stay out as well as why he chose to back up his entry into turn 1, “Considering the fact tire had been flat up until that point and was sustainable we stuck it out. Enter the corner on the final restart I check the fuel for a possible dirty air situation which is always normal to happen. Almost in same sequence as I did that I had contact from behind in the LR that resulted in a wreck.”

“UNFORTUNATELY one of the most popular drivers that we all root for ends up in the situation. . Hate it for them guys but didn’t matter if that tire had 30 pounds of air or zero I was entering that corner the same way and there just was an accident,” Cook continued. “I will catch some heat for being ‘that guy’ for playing a role of a competitor of his magnitude having misfortune I can take responsibility for that. But Dale always keeps it classy and I respect it and choose to leave it like that.”

Cook made similar comments following the wreck telling StockCarReport.com, “The way the circumstances is, I actually got to hear Dale, and he’s really right. The problem is this format don’t let you just automatically go to a B-Main and just try, do what you can. It’s like you got to finish, I think, 11th in order to get to the B-Main.”

“And I’m like weighing it out,” he continued. “I’m like, ‘Well, you know, I got two laps left. I’ll probably get passed. I might struggle.’ So I’m just weighing, ‘Like, dude, I got to try to give myself a shot. I’m pretty good. Car is pretty good. We’re still in the game.’ It’s $5 grand to make the show. I know I’m not going to be out there fighting to win the race. I know where I’m at on the pecking order, but it’s like we had a legitimate shot to make the show. And it cost a lot of money to get up here and do this. And I’m like I can’t just not give it all I got to maybe try to get it.”

“If I had pitted and came in and got a tire, there really wasn’t much of an opportunity that I would even have got that B-Main shot,” Cook elaborated. “So it’s like I’m sitting fourth. I can give up tons of spots and ride around like a three-legged dog. I thought I could make that happen. It just didn’t happen.”

Speaking specifically to the incident, Cook relayed, “Maybe me backing the corner just a smidge if that’s what put Dale closer on me. It’s not his fault whatsoever. And I really hate to be the guy that is pretty responsible for Dale being knocked out. And I fully understand that and he’s a super great guy and I hope he can do it again.”

“Unfortunately, man, it got Dale and that sucks,” he reiterated. “I’m cool with what happened here, but I hate I got that guy. That’s not the guy I want to get in that situation.”

“Eldora, why it’s so good is because there a lot of good highs and a lot of bad lows. And these are going to be one of them lows I got to accept and marinate on it. And just put a smile on and just look at the good things of what I learned ’cause I plan on coming back, I plan on being stronger, I plan on everything just being good. Just take it in stride and just build and don’t let it be that bad. It’s all good in the hood. I can’t even be mad about it.”

NEXT: Shane McDowell Racing Voices Frustration After Dale McDowell Wrecks Out Of World 100 Heat