The trademark rippling muscles that radiate the immense power of the iconic SAMSON monster truck will soon be under the control of a new master. Dan Patrick, one of the most respected names in the monster truck industry for both his driving and fabrication skills, will be hanging up the driver’s suit at the end of 2011. Dan has been involved in the industry and piloting the SAMSON monster truck for over 20 years. In addition, Dan has been involved in motorsports for over 40 years, virtually his entire life. Dan Patrick and the Samson truck have had quite an impact in the industry and selection of a new driver was no easy task.
As Dan contemplated stepping out of Samson, he was posed with the question of who would pilot the famous muscled truck. After considering many different options, it came to his attention that his youngest daughter, Allison Patrick, 26, was interesting in trying to reel in the powerful beast. “I had heard from everybody else that she wanted to drive,” said Patrick. “So last year I asked her, ‘Do you want to drive?’ and she said “Yeah!” Apparently, she wanted to show me that she was a better driver than me. I thought, we’ll that’s a pretty good challenge, so we’ll see what we’ve got there.”
Allison, 26, is a registered nurse in the ICU unit at a local hospital in Circleville and is looking forward to the challenge. “There’s no way I can fill his shoes, but I’m going to try,” says the new Samson pilot. “I’m just going to go with it. I’ve been around monster trucks since I was three, I’ve always wanted to drive the truck, but the timing was never right. Finally, the time just kind of clicked. With everything else going on…I guess I kind of live a double life now.”
Working the intense daily schedule of a full-time registered nurse, Allison has the necessary scheduling flexibility available to allow her to pursue her new endeavors in the monster truck world as well while maintaining her nursing position. “I only work 3 days, but it is 12 hour days. I want to stay full time as long as possible, but I’ll probably have to go part time eventually.”
Legendary monster truck figure Dan Patrick is ready to turn the driver's seat over to his daughter Allison for the 2012 season and beyond.
When asking Dan about potential hurdles in teaching a new driver, Patrick stated, “It will be a challenge, because she’s got the old man’s attitude, and that’s usually not a good one. I’m hoping that she’ll generally do what I say, but sometimes take those unnecessary risks and show us what is going on (with the truck). We’ll have good equipment for her, the safest that we can put under her.”
Any retirement from something you love is bittersweet. Dan found it hard to step out of the seat and has been considering stepping out of the seat for some time, but it will not be a steadfast retirement from the driver’s seat. “This will be my last full year, but I’m going to pick and choose a few races here and there. I may slip in here and there and beat around on some of the youngsters.” Dan will continue his farewell tour throughout the remainder of 2011, while adding Allison into the mix to gain experience before Dan steps out of the seat at the end of the year and turns the reins over to Allison at the start of the first quarter of 2012.
While Dan will be stepping out of the seat, he will still be travelling up and down the road, attending events, as a crewman for Allison. Dan looks forward to the opportunity to watch the truck perform from the sidelines as this will also offer the opportunity to further develop the fabrication and design side of Patrick Enterprises, Inc. PEI is well known throughout the monster truck industry as one of the premiere companies for monster truck parts and pieces all the way to turn-key monster trucks. “We’re still committed to the future of our industry. It gives me a good chance to watch the truck and get a feel for what it is doing, instead of listening to what other people say it is doing. It will help us develop our product better and service the customers we have. We feel we are a major player in the industry as far as building. I’m not retiring, my job is just changing.”
Although 2011 may be his last season, Dan is going out on top, logging one of his best seasons in recent years.
In reflecting back on a long career in monster trucks, Dan joked, “When I started this, I went in blind. When I drove up to the cars the first time, I thought, ‘What in the heck have I gotten myself into? Can I get a stop payment on the check for the truck?’ But I hit the cars, it hurt when I hit, it hurt when I landed. It has been a good ride, I thought it would only be a few years, and now it has been 23 and the industry is still growing.”
With Allison working as a full-time nurse, there will be a little change in the number of appearances for the Samson truck, but expect plenty of opportunity to see the big Samson Chevy. “We are going to keep this to a 20-25 event season for us. When I used to barnstorm it and do 50 events a year, those days are way behind us,” says Dan Patrick. In recent years, Patrick himself has been gradually reducing the schedule and has typically been running between 25 and 30 events a year.
Allison will make her performing debut in the driver’s seat in Mason City, Iowa at I-35 Speedway on July 1st where Dan and Allison will mix racing and freestyle duties. For more information on the team’s upcoming schedule and on Patrick Enterprises, visit them online at www.Samson4x4.com.
(Article By Chris Parrish, Photos By Paul Harry)
