Ben Patterson isn’t exactly sure how to react to his claim to fame in drag racing. All he does is basically smile and nod his head in acknowledgement when praise comes his way.

Patterson, 22, an Australian citizen, made drag racing history when he became the youngest tuner in the nitro ranks to win a championsyip when Darren Morgan clinched the ANDRA Top Fuel crown. He needed only to take the green light during Saturday’s qualifying session at the Castrol Edge Winternationals hosted by Willowbank Raceway.

This is not a bad first insertion on a resume for a “kid” just trying to balance the hours at the shop with those in pursuit of a degree in engineering.

Ben Patterson isn’t exactly sure how to react to his claim to fame in drag racing. All he does is basically smile and nod his head in acknowledgement when praise comes his way.

Patterson, 22, an Australian citizen, made drag racing history when he became the youngest tuner in the nitro ranks to win a championsyip when Darren Morgan clinched the ANDRA Top Fuel crown. He needed only to take the green light during Saturday’s qualifying session at the Castrol Edge Winternationals hosted by Willowbank Raceway.

This is not a bad first insertion on a resume for a “kid” just trying to balance the hours at the shop with those in pursuit of a degree in engineering.

“It’s been a lot of hard work balancing school and racing, but it’s fun and rewarding,” said Patterson. “I enjoy it and it’s awesome to win a championship, regardless of age.”

Youthful enthusiasm is one of the assets Patterson has made the most of since getting his first nitro gig at 16. Patterson would race Junior Dragster at the ANDRA meetings during the day and finish up the evenings as a parts washer for the Lamattina Top Fuel team.

This seemingly insignificant role would yield a career shaping union. Patterson met Morgan and the two of them built a strong working relationship.

Patterson learned a lot from Morgan and even more from noted American tuner Lance Larsen. He’s a proud Larsen protégé along with  Brian Corradi, another noted tuner who became an upper echelon crew chief under Larsen’s tutelage.

“Lance is the sort of guy you can ask a question and he’s going to give you an answer,” Patterson said. “He came down here a few years ago and I’ve been to the States twice now. He’s an awesome guy. We couldn’t have won the championship without his help. It’s awesome to have him helping me.”

While Patterson readily admits his fellow crew chiefs have been accepting of his talents, regardless of his age, there might be a few who believe his age might be a detriment when the pressure is on. Regardless of opinion and age, Patterson forges ahead knowing every crew chief faces challenges under pressure.

“Tuning a fuel car, everyone has to deal with the same challenges,” Patterson confirmed. “I’ve been doing this now for six years. A lot of these other crew chiefs have been doing it for a long time. It’s a big learning experience.”

While working his way towards an American tuning role might be a logical future goal, Patterson admits his foremost goal is to repay an individual who took a chance on a kid with a dream.

“I just want to repay Darren for the chance he took on me,” Patterson said. “He took a big chance on a kid like me and putting him in this role. Not a lot of people would have taken that chance.”

Last Saturday, Morgan celebrated  taking the chance with a championship.

 

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