Brian Pattie Biography
Brian Pattie
Crew Chief, No. 42 Dodge
Personal Statistics
Birth Date: April 9, 1975
Birthplace: Zephyrhills, Fla.
Residence: Huntersville, N.C.
Marital Status: Wife, Adriene
Children: Aleesia, Aubree, Alexis and Brennan
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Brian Pattie was well known in the garage area as one of the most talented and mechanically-inclined crew chiefs in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS). In fact, during his relatively short tenure working in the NNS ranks, Pattie has racked up 19 poles and 18 wins calling the shots for some of the sport’s top drivers. It was no surprise when the No. 42 team and its driver Juan Pablo Montoya needed a new crew chief in May; officials at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) called its NNS Crew Chief Pattie to take over.
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Prior to moving to Mooresville, N.C., Pattie earned his racing stripes working in the DIRT Modified and Late Model Divisions in Central Florida with current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) driver David Reutimann. Pattie’s duties included everything from fabricating and setting up the race cars to making the calls atop the pit box on race day.
Pattie’s NASCAR career began in 1994 when he took a position as a fabricator and mechanic for Joe Nemechek’s Nationwide Series operation. He moved to Hendrick Motorsports in 1996 and applied those same skills to the No. 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car.
Realizing what an asset Pattie was, Nemechek hired him back in 1997 as crew chief of the No. 87 Nationwide Series entry. That season marked the beginning of an eight-year partnership with Nemechek and NEMCO Motorsports where Pattie earned 13 poles and 15 wins, with his first win coming in the 1997 Carquest Auto Parts 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
After serving as team manager and crew chief for the No. 7 and No. 87 at NEMCO Motorsports in 2003, CGRFS hired Pattie the following year to help start and run the team’s NNS program by serving as crew chief. He called the shots for the No. 41 Dodge in eight NNS races with Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears and newcomer Reed Sorenson. In those eight starts, Pattie led the team to its first NNS win at Phoenix International Raceway with McMurray, in addition to two poles, three top-five finishes and six top 10s.
CGRFS and the No. 41 team took the NNS program a step further in 2005, running a full season with Sorenson competing for rookie-of-the-year honors and a championship behind the wheel of the No. 41 Dodge Charger. Pattie orchestrated the efforts. At season’s end Sorenson narrowly missed capturing the rookie title and finished fourth in the overall standings. In addition, Sorenson recorded his first series win at Nashville Superspeedway in only his 11th-career start and then went on to also win at Gateway International Raceway. Together, Sorenson and Pattie grabbed two victories, two poles, 12 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes.
The Pattie/Sorenson combination and the No. 41 team embarked on another full NNS season together in 2006. Sorenson also took on the full Sprint Cup Series schedule, driving the No. 41 Target Dodge. It proved to be a very busy year for the young racer and veteran crew chief as they worked around the double-duty schedule and managed to score a 10th-place finish in the overall driver standings, amassing five top-five and 14 top-10 finishes in 34 starts together. Although victory lane eluded them, they had multiple close calls including runner-up finishes to the 2006 NNS Champion Kevin Harvick at Phoenix International Raceway in April and O’Reilly Raceway Park in August.
The 2007 season was a little different for Pattie and company as he switched gears mid-season, working on the No. 42 Nationwide team in place of the 41. Pattie worked with a myriad of CGFRS drivers including Sorenson, David Stremme, Montoya, Scott Pruett, Michael Valiante, Kevin Hamlin, Scott Lagasse Jr. and stock car newcomer Dario Franchitti. Drivers under his watch won two pole positions during the course of ’07 — Pruett started first in Mexico City and Stremme did the same in the April race at Nashville Superspeedway.
Pattie also helped former-open-wheel driver and 2007 IndyCar Champion Franchitti make the transition to stock cars, serving as his crew chief in the ARCA, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series’ races.
Now Pattie embarks in his first role as a full-time crew chief in the Sprint Cup Series with Montoya. While there will be a period of acclimation, Pattie’s knowledge of cars and past successes along with Montoya’s drive and talent is sure to be a winning combination for the No. 42 team. |
