IHRA Pro Stock World Champion Robert Patrick enters Rockingham Dragway for this weekend’s IHRA Spring Nationals in a different mindset from the last visit. Patrick entered last season’s IHRA World Finals trailing a championship battle he’d led most of the year and squandered during an off weekend at the previous event. The anger was channeled into motivation and as a result, the Purvis Ford/Easy Care-sponsored driver left with his first career world championship.
 
Patrick enters this weekend with every reason to be angry but unlike last season, he shoulders no blame this time, nor does he point a finger, as parts attrition rolled the quickest naturally aspirated Pro Stocker through the beams drawing a red-light start at the IHRA Texas Nationals in San Antonio, Texas. He entered eliminations as the No. 1 qualifier.
 
“Just a simple malfunction in the car,” Patrick admitted. “You are always going to have those things from time to time in drag racing. If you cannot learn to adjust to those things, this sport will stop being fun. They are going to happen and if you cannot accept that, then you’re in the right sport.”
IHRA Pro Stock World Champion Robert Patrick enters Rockingham Dragway for this weekend’s IHRA Spring Nationals in a different mindset from the last visit. Patrick entered last season’s IHRA World Finals trailing a championship battle he’d led most of the year and squandered during an off weekend at the previous event. The anger was channeled into motivation and as a result, the Purvis Ford/Easy Care-sponsored driver left with his first career world championship.
 
Patrick enters this weekend with every reason to be angry but unlike last season, he shoulders no blame this time, nor does he point a finger, as parts attrition rolled the quickest naturally aspirated Pro Stocker through the beams drawing a red-light start at the IHRA Texas Nationals in San Antonio, Texas. He entered eliminations as the No. 1 qualifier.
 
“Just a simple malfunction in the car,” Patrick admitted. “You are always going to have those things from time to time in drag racing. If you cannot learn to adjust to those things, this sport will stop being fun. They are going to happen and if you cannot accept that, then you’re in the right sport.”
 
Patrick was the defending Texas Nationals champion and a repeat victory was something he wanted to accomplish in a bad way.
 
“Right now our focus is on Rockingham and when you can win there, you’re winning in mountain motor Pro Stock country,” Patrick added. “We’re just going to come in there and do the best we can and let the chips fall where they may.”
 
Does this mean losing doesn’t irritate Patrick?
 
“Absolutely not,” Patrick interjects. “Losing is losing and it still stinks any way you look at it.”
 
Then Patrick adds a new way of examining situations.
 
“I just look at the grand scheme of life and I’ve realized there are more important things in life to get all worked up over,” Patrick said. “I guess it’s all a part of growing older in life. You certainly look at things in a different light and you realize what is more important.”
 
Patrick ranks as the fourth winningest IHRA Pro Stock driver, just one victory shy of third place. He’s raced professionally as part of a family-run Pro Stock team with his parents Eli and Bonnie Patrick since turning eighteen years old.
 
“It’s a life I’ve been blessed to have been a part of and you have to look at my Mom and Dad, they’ve made it all possible,” Patrick said. “We have been a family team ever since we started and we’ll only race as one. I really honestly wouldn’t want it any other way.”