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ROCKINGHAM, NC – Robert Patrick has learned two valuable lessons this weekend. The Purvis Ford-sponsored driver, who competes in the IHRA’s Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock division learned on Friday that one can be the quickest driver and still lose out. On Saturday evening, he found out you can be the second quickest qualifier and end up with more points.
Patrick surrendered five points to championship nemesis Pete Berner on Friday evening by losing out on the Last Man Standing accolades. On Saturday, he evened the scored by capturing those same bonus points.
Patrick's prize-winning run was essentially retribution for a missed combination call earlier in Saturday's qualifying.
Patrick made up for the aborted run during the final day of qualifying for the IHRA World Finals at Rockingham Dragway by laying down his quickest run of the weekend, a 6.291 elapsed time at 220 miles per hour.
“I think if we would have gained the pole position, it would have sent a statement but I was glad to get those five points back,” Patrick said. “We’re headed into Sunday and just trying to do the best we can do. We’ll see how it all works.”
Patrick said the Saturday afternoon was nothing more than being too heavy on the clutch for the conditions.
“It came back to us during the night session,” Patrick said. “We didn’t change a thing on the car except maybe loading a bit more. What happened Saturday night is what we were aiming for earlier in the day. The track came to us.”
Patrick entered this weekend’s event trailing Berner by nine points and surrendered one more by qualifying a position lower. Their Last Man Standing bonus points negated one another.
By official point calculations, Patrick will need to go one round further than Berner to clinch his first-ever championship. However, third place Frank Gugliotta still has a mathematical chance to pass both.
PATRICK GAINS BACK LOST POINTS; ENTERS SUNDAY’S ELIMINATIONS AT NO. 2
ROCKINGHAM, NC – Robert Patrick has learned two valuable lessons this weekend. The Purvis Ford-sponsored driver, who competes in the IHRA’s Torco Race Fuels Pro Stock division learned on Friday that one can be the quickest driver and still lose out. On Saturday evening, he found out you can be the second quickest qualifier and end up with more points.
Patrick surrendered five points to championship nemesis Pete Berner on Friday evening by losing out on the Last Man Standing accolades. On Saturday, he evened the scored by capturing those same bonus points.
Patrick's prize-winning run was essentially retribution for a missed combination call earlier in Saturday's qualifying.
Patrick made up for the aborted run during the final day of qualifying for the IHRA World Finals at Rockingham Dragway by laying down his quickest run of the weekend, a 6.291 elapsed time at 220 miles per hour.
“I think if we would have gained the pole position, it would have sent a statement but I was glad to get those five points back,” Patrick said. “We’re headed into Sunday and just trying to do the best we can do. We’ll see how it all works.”
Patrick said the Saturday afternoon was nothing more than being too heavy on the clutch for the conditions.
“It came back to us during the night session,” Patrick said. “We didn’t change a thing on the car except maybe loading a bit more. What happened Saturday night is what we were aiming for earlier in the day. The track came to us.”
Patrick entered this weekend’s event trailing Berner by nine points and surrendered one more by qualifying a position lower. Their Last Man Standing bonus points negated one another.
By official point calculations, Patrick will need to go one round further than Berner to clinch his first-ever championship. However, third place Frank Gugliotta still has a mathematical chance to pass both.
