Hall of Famer Patrick dies at 76
Pat Patrick of Sayler Park, Ohio, winner of more than 500 career features and a National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer, died unexpectedly on Saturday. He was 76.
Patrick was a two-time winner of the North-South 100 at one of his home tracks, Florence Speedway in Union, Ky., as well as twice a runner-up in Eldora Speedway’s World 100 and the second-place finisher in 1983’s Dirt Track World Championship in Pennsboro, W.Va.
In a career spanning from 1961 to ’92 Patrick drove for teams owned by Morgan Chandler, Jim Harris, Larry Morrison, Marion Martin as well as Joe Stricker in the famed red No. 68 “Stricker Streak” ride, primarily in the Ohio-Indiana-Kentucky tri-state area.
A multi-time champion at several tracks including Florence, among Patrick’s biggest victories were in the Southern 100 at Southern Ohio Speedway, the U.S. Dirt Track Championship at Cincinnati’s Tri-County Speedway, Pennsboro’s Spirit of 76, Florence’s Kentucky Dirt Track Championship and the Kentucky Klassic at Barren County Speedway in Glasgow, Ky.
He led every lap of the first two North-South 100s in 1983-’84. At Eldora, he was a 14-time starter in the World 100 with four top-five finishes. He finished second to Verlin Eaker in the second version of the event in 1972 and led 85 laps of the ’83 event before finishing second to Jeff Purvis.
Patrick made five starts in the Dirt Track World Championship, finishing second to fellow Hall of Famer Freddy Smith in 1983.
Ralph “Pat” Patrick is survived by his wife Marylou and several children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Visitation is 10 a.m.-noon Thursday, July 6, at Brater-Winter Funeral Home in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a graveside service immediately following. A memorial celebration is 1 p.m. Sunday, July 23, at Jim and Jacks on the River in Cincinnati. Family, friends, fans and members of the racing community are welcome. For a complete obituary, visit braterfuneralhome.com.