Dirt
Mountain
Man
Mountain Motor Pro Stock veteran
Robert Patrick planning return
By Bobby Bennett,
CompetitionPlus.com
N
othing inspires a break from a
break like the largest drag racing
sanctioning body in the world
creating a place for your favorite
class to race.
The NHRA’s decision to make the Mountain
Motor Pro Stock division part of its 2020
competition platform was all the motivation
Patrick, a past series champion of the large
displacement style of drag racing, needed to
throw his hat back into the ring.
Patrick will drive a Jerry Haas-built Mustang
with Ford power from Sonny Leonard.
“Dad and I were talking, and we just happened
to catch one of those Mountain Motor NHRA
races on TV,” Patrick explains. “Our dream was
always to race NHRA, but back in those days, we
had to run 500-inch engines, and abandon our
mountain motor program we had going back then.
“Now it was always a dream of mine to run a
mountain motor car in NHRA, but it was an idea
which never seemed like it would happen. Pro
Modified was fun, and we did well, but it wasn’t
what we really wanted to do. Don’t get me wrong,
Pro Modified is a great class, but my heart was
always in racing naturally aspirated.
“Dad was never really a fan of the nitrous stuff,
and so when this came about, I just felt like it
was a chance for us to get back out here, and race
together again doing something we both love.”
Patrick admits he never thought he’d see the
day when the politics of racing would take a back
seat to an awesome show. As he sees it, this style
of Pro Stock is as exciting as it gets.
“Never thought I’d see the day Pro Mods would
be in NHRA, much less Mountain Motor Pro
Stock,” Patrick admits. “But here it is, and I do
believe this will all take off. I knew when the
500-inch car counts started to fall off; if there
was some way they could get the mountain mo-
tor cars in there, either by integrating with the
500-inch cars or giving them their own class, it
was going to be great.”
As it stands now, Patrick and veteran Pro Stock
wrench Tom Peirson will handle the crew chief
duties. He plans to race six NHRA Mountain
Motor events and fit in PDRA events when the
schedule doesn’t conflict.
Patrick has lofty goals.
“I really want to go out there to try and qualify-
ing No. 1 and win each race,” Patrick offers. “But
I will be just as happy to get out there and help
create a high level of excitement for the class. I
want to do my part to get the fans behind this
class, and let the NHRA see what a great deal
these cars are.”
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22 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 154