Above: Liz Patterson has been dirt racing for quite a while. Her inspiration is her father Rod Patterson, who also races.
Photo courtesy of Tri-City Motor Speedway
By Deborah M. Walker
Race car driver Liz Patterson has always loved racing. Exposed to the sport at a young age Patterson says she grew up around fast cars and dirt tracks.
“My dad did it. I grew up around it so I’ve always loved it. I had the opportunity to get into it so I took it,” says Patterson.
Patterson jump started her racing career at Owosso Speedway asphalt race track in the summer of 2008. With encouragement from her father, race car driver Rod Patterson, she made the transition to dirt racing and has been on the move ever since.
“I started practicing in a friend’s race car on the asphalt,” said Patterson. “Then my dad and I went to a dirt track and we decided that we wanted to race dirt instead just because that’s what I grew up around and that’s what I love. It’s little more exciting in my opinion than asphalt.”
Patterson has not won a feature race yet, however she did finish 1st in a heat race in 2010 driving a Shaw late model with a 604 crate motor. Patterson says heat races are very important as they determine a lot about the main event.
“That’s the first race of the night. They race those first, they’re shorter with fewer cars and that determines placement in the main event of the night,” said Patterson.
Patterson says the heat race she won was especially thrilling because she raced alongside her father.
“It was really exciting. My dad was actually in that race with me so it felt really good,” said Patterson.
Patterson says she fights against feeling anxious or stressed when behind the steering wheel. According to Patterson staying relaxed is the best way to overcome nerves and win races.
“I struggled with that a lot in the beginning of this year,” said Patterson. “I put too much pressure on myself so one night I decided I’m just going to go out and have fun. I don’t care what happens. I don’t care if I wreck it. I don’t care if I finish well I’m just going to have fun and that was one of the first night’s where I did well this year. That’s where everything switched and I started preforming better.”
Patterson’s father retired as a race car driver in 2004. Patterson says she is not planning on picking up where her father left off as of yet, but her dream is that one day she will.
“To get to where he was when he stopped I would have to have a lot more support. He was traveling a lot and racing in big shows and I’m just kind of doing the local scene because it’s extremely expensive to do that. I would love to. That’s where I want to be at the pinnacle of my racing,” said Patterson.
In 2011 Patterson had a great season. Patterson raced in Kentucky, running a 2010 Rayburn with a 525 crate motor. There she spent the summer racing at Lake Cumberland Speedway and maintained 2nd in points for most of that season. She also raced at Clinton County Speedway and Richmond Speedway.
In September 2011 Patterson’s luck ran out and her 525 crate motor in her 2010 Rayburn gave out and her season ended.
Patterson took some time off to finish school in 2012 getting her Associates degree in Arts with a concentration in the Foundations of Business.
In late 2013 Patterson climbed back into the driver seat. She raced a GRT with a Chevy 355 engine. Patterson says it felt awkward to be back behind the wheel after almost two years off but she adapted quickly.
“It was kind of like starting over just because you forget stuff and the differences in cars, differences in equipment. It felt like I was a rookie again, but I was excited to get back in. I was ready.” said Patterson.
Immediately the Chevy 355 motor had problems quickly giving out and forcing Patterson to go back to running a 525 crate motor. She finished the 2013 season with that.
“It was awful,” says Patterson. “I had been out of my car almost two years at that point and we had just gotten that put back together and right out of the gate like 20 laps it blew up. I didn’t even get a race on it. I was just practicing, it was horrible.”
For now Patterson is happy racing her GRT with the 525 crate motor. However Patterson says she hopes to obtain a newer race car and use the GRT as a second option.
“I’m hoping someday it will be a backup because it’s old,” said Patterson. “Much older than most of the people I race against. They have better technology than mine.”
To stay competitive Patterson teamed up with Mid-West driver of the year Zack Olger for the 2014 season. According to Patterson this has been a great opportunity and a chance to race in more races.
“It’s been a learning experience,” said Patterson. “He’s helped us so much and helped us figure out what the car needed… He has a stacker hauler so two cars can fit in. I rode on top of that and without that I wouldn’t have raced at half of the races I got to this year just because of financial constraints.”
Patterson says racing is her focus and she will continue to work towards winning.
“Pretty much everything I do is based around racing. I have my business but that is also based on racing. I do other things with it too but the reason the business came about was because of racing,” said Patterson.
Currently Patterson runs her own business, B.A. Wraps, with her father. Patterson says they offer other services however wrapping race cars is their primary business.
According to Patterson she doesn’t have time to do much else besides racing. However, when she does get a spare moment she enjoys crafts and scrap booking informed Patterson.
Patterson says she has learned a lot since she started racing but the main lesson has been to enjoy herself.
“Once you get to the point where you’re not having fun anymore it’s not worth it because it’s so expensive, so time consuming. Then you get to the race track and you’re like why am I here why am I doing this. Just loosen up and have fun with it,” said Patterson.
Patterson says to also stay optimistic and open minded. Attitude is what wins or loses a race informed Patterson.
“I can do anything I set my mind to. If I tell myself I can’t I won’t. You’ve got to be positive about it or you’re dead in the water from the beginning,” said Patterson.
Patterson says one change she would like to see made in the racing world is with women race car drivers. There are not a lot of female drivers out there and she would like to see that change. According to Patterson the best way to get more women involved in the sport is to have them show up and see how exciting it is.
“To get more [women] involved they just really need to come see it and decide that they want to do it,” said Patterson. “We can do it just the same as the men can do it. There are some women racing with me and you can’t tell the difference.”
Patterson says there are still those out there who doubt female drivers. The best way to handle them is to not get excited by her critics, but to do a good job and prove that she is as good as anyone else states Patterson.
“I know that there are people with doubts for girls in the racing community but generally most people are open,” said Patterson. “I’ve run into a couple of problems at race tracks where I almost felt like the guys don’t like getting passed by a girl. I don’t retaliate. I don’t know if that’s true that’s what it seems like sometimes to me. I’ve never asked anybody.”
To continue racing Patterson says she must secure sponsors. To do this meeting as many people as possible and talking to businesses are key. Patterson says she is thankful for whatever she receives from her sponsors. Anything helps Patterson informed.
Patterson says it is a great feeling to race alongside her role models and other drivers she looks up to. For Patterson being on the track with her paragons lets her know she is competitive in the racing world.
“When I was in Kentucky I raced with a lot of people who were on the national circuit that I’ve looked up to that are in the national series that I want to be in and that’s helped a lot; seeing that I can run on any track. Seeing that I’m not in their way I can be competitive with people like that,” said Patterson.
Find out more about Patterson on facebook at Liz Patterson 9*.
This was printed in the October 5, 2014 – October 18, 2014 edition.
