Sponsored by his family's car dealership, Patrick '11, Orchard Park, NY, scored his first career NASCAR/SST Pro Modified victory in August. The new year brought two more titles -- Wyoming County Rookie of the Year and Western New York Tracks Rookie of the Year. These new titles will take him to New Smyrna, FL on January 30th for the Pro All Star Series – Super Late Models – Winterfest 150. With eight nights of racing, Patrick looks to gain even more experience among the big names.
Beginning with go carts and moving on to stock cars, Patrick has been racing since he was ten years old. Now driving a modified stock car, he competes at least twice a week during the summer and also competes in indoor go cart races. He has traveled to New Jersey, South Carolina and Syracuse, NY. "The most important thing in racing is having good equipment and a good crew to work with," said Patrick. "I've been very fortunate having both and also the support of my family."
When preparing for a race, Patrick is also very conscientious about his studies. He either gets work done ahead of time or does some while on a trip. Patrick's advisor, Mr. Brendan Tarry, said, "It is apparent that Patrick approaches his driving with the same mature thirst for knowledge that he does for his education. Judging by the comments his peers at Gow make about him, the comments his friends and family make, and the respect he garners from his fellow drivers, the awards Patrick won for his driving are well deserved. In his junior year, Patrick is doing a fantastic job in the classroom. He is a quiet leader who maintains a solid GPA and a student who strives for perfection in each and every class."
Patrick wrestles and plays lacrosse and would like to study Business in college with racing as a hobby.
For updates on Patrick's performance at Speed Week, visit Speed51.com.
