All Ford had to do was make a small step and Robert Patrick was willing to make a major leap.

Patrick will jump back into NHRA Pro Stock class next season with a 2010 Mustang and a Bob Ingles engine program. He’s planning a debut at the 2010 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

“I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to see more people racing Fords in NHRA Pro Stock next season,” said Patrick, a former IHRA world champion. “We have a major challenge ahead of us and now that Ford is involved more in NHRA Pro Stock, we feel confident that we can have a competitive program.”

Patrick will run a minimum of 12-races in 2010, focusing on the NHRA Full Throttle events contested east of the Mississippi River. His Mustang will carry major sponsorship from his family’s Purvis Ford, Lincoln-Mercury dealership with additional support from their Easy Care franchise.

All Ford had to do was make a small step and Robert Patrick was willing to make a major leap.

Patrick will jump back into NHRA Pro Stock class next season with a 2010 Mustang and a Bob Ingles engine program. He’s planning a debut at the 2010 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

“I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to see more people racing Fords in NHRA Pro Stock next season,” said Patrick, a former IHRA world champion. “We have a major challenge ahead of us and now that Ford is involved more in NHRA Pro Stock, we feel confident that we can have a competitive program.”

Patrick will run a minimum of 12-races in 2010, focusing on the NHRA Full Throttle events contested east of the Mississippi River. His Mustang will carry major sponsorship from his family’s Purvis Ford, Lincoln-Mercury dealership with additional support from their Easy Care franchise.

Patrick last ran on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in 2002 before returning to IHRA Pro Stock where he won a world championship in 2006. Most recently Patrick has competed on the ADRL’s Extreme Pro Stock tour where he is credited with winning the introductory event.

Patrick hasn’t ruled out the possibility of running a few events in 2009 as a means of evaluating his engine program. He will be utilizing the new blocks and heads developed by Ford Racing and Jim Cunningham.

“We’re planning to test a lot,” Patrick said. “We have a lot of work ahead of us and we welcome the challenge.”

Patrick joins Jim Cunningham and Larry Morgan in the growing list of confirmed Ford teams running NHRA Pro Stock in 2010.

The growing list is encouraging for Brian Wolfe, Ford Racing’s Director of Racing Technology.

"I've been speaking with Robert and Eli Patrick for some time about our plans for Pro Stock and we're pleased they think a lot of the work we've been doing with our new heads, blocks and the Mustang body to make them competitive,” said Wolfe. “To have loyal Ford teams like the Patricks want to come back to NHRA Pro Stock means a lot to us. We are so happy with their vote of confidence in Ford and NHRA."


  

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