280:. Austin had been experiencing severe tire shake and tire spinning problems. So he purchased a set of Hoosiers at the U.S. Nationals and used them in second round qualifying at the next event at Dallas, which was the first time that Hoosiers were used in an NHRA event. After having a relatively slow pass, he made gear ratio adjustments at later events. He started using the tires for all passes after having a 5.64 second pass. He had the first pass in the 5.5 second range (5.56 seconds at 257 mph) and won the race, marking the first time that a Hoosier tire won an NHRA Alcohol Funny Car event.
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Austin had over 200 drag racing wins at
Northwestern regional NHRA, AHRA and open matches. Pat described their relationship, "We've had our tense moments, just the same way as the businesses have been treated. It's competition. It's no different than having a one-on-one basketball game, except we're all grown up. It's never been bad blood."
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His father (Walt Austin), mother, brother Mike, and sister have helped on his team. Walt Austin competed in drag racing from the 1950s to 1970s. He inherited his father's muffler and radiator shop in 1968. Walt's brother Bucky started on his pit crew until opening a rival muffler shop in 1970. Bucky
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Austin won his first national championship the following year. He won four of the five championships between 1987 and 1991, losing the 1989 championship. Austin made eight finals in 1987 and won six events. He followed that season with his second championship in 1988. That season was highlighted by
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with a 4.97 second pass. Austin avenged his final round Top Fuel loss to
Bernstein at the Winston Finals at Pomona and started the 1992 season by winning the second race of the year at the Motorcraft Ford Nationals in Phoenix Arizona over Doug Herbert. Between 1987 and 1991, he entered 57 national
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win. He had his most wins in 1989 with nine wins (including the U.S. Nationals). Brad
Anderson won the season championship after Anderson did better in divisional races. Austin won the 1990 championship with 12 finals and nine event wins. Austin clinched the 1991 championship in July (with four
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in 1994 winning with a 4.88 to
Prudhomme's 4.89. His last final round came in 1995 at Sonoma California losing to Mike Dunn. Austin became the first driver to achieve 250 miles per hour in the quarter mile in an Alcohol Funny Car in 1995.
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as he smoked his tires to win the Top Fuel finals in a single. Austin continued to run both cars at events, vowing to win in both cars. His double eliminator win came two events later at Topeka. He won the
Alcohol Funny Car finals over
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In 2002, the NHRA labeled him "the most successful drag racer born after the 1940s and the best driver of his generation". He had the first 250 mph (400 km/h) Alcohol Funny Car run and the first pass in the 5.5-second range.
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Top Fuel operation before the U.S. Nationals. He campaigned both cars at the event after testing his new Top Fuel dragster at one local event. After winning the
Alcohol Funny Car finals at one of the next events, his
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127:(NHRA). He won four NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car championships between 1987 and 1991. He was the first driver to win eliminator titles at the same event when he won the
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Austin achieved the second double eliminator win at the second event in 1992 at
Phoenix. He won the Top Fuel finals and beat his uncle, rival
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classes at Topeka. His 62 wins between his start in 1985 and 1996, which were the most for any driver between the late 1970s and 1996.
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Austin now runs the Pat Austin's Pro Max
Performance Centers, which is a national automotive parts dealer and it services cars in the
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In 2000, he recorded his 70th career victory, which put him fourth on the NHRA all-time win list. He had his 75th national victory at
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months left) after posting the first perfect 5 national and 5 divisional wins season. Following the death of
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in a tire-smoking peddlefest final round. His fifth and final Top Fuel win was at
Englishtown over
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Pat and his wife, Keila, have a son named Drew and a daughter named
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In 2001, the NHRA ranked him 13th in their Top 50 drivers of all-time.
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119:(born November 12, 1964) is a retired American
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276:drivers such as Von Smith having success in
477:"Pat Austin a Winner on and off the track"
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479:. Hoosier Racing Tire. February 15, 2002
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596:Racing drivers from Washington (state)
502:"Austin scores milestone 70th victory"
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606:Sportspeople from Tacoma, Washington
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539:"An Austin family feud... it's not"
223:at the finals. Austin had to watch
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237:event finals and won 43 of them.
210:from cancer; Austin bought his
500:Burgess, Phil (May 28, 2008).
201:six wins, including his first
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537:Miles, Todd (July 27, 2000).
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163:team during his senior year.
97:1st in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991
506:National Hot Rod Association
439:. NHRA. 2002. Archived from
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166:He began drag racing in the
125:National Hot Rod Association
153:Franklin Pierce High School
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168:Northwestern United States
254:Don "The Snake" Prudhomme
246:Indianapolis Raceway Park
219:malfunctioned during his
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16:American racing driver
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123:. He competed in the
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437:"No. 13: Pat Austin"
289:NHRA Winternationals
278:Hoosier Racing Tires
71:1985 – ?
512:on January 8, 2006
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51:Tacoma, Washington
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45:November 12, 1964
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545:. Archived from
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322:Further reading
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230:Chuck Cheeseman
225:Kenny Bernstein
176:Springnationals
172:Cajun Nationals
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551:. Retrieved
547:the original
514:. Retrieved
510:the original
481:. Retrieved
445:. Retrieved
441:the original
363:. Retrieved
359:"Pat Austin"
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250:Doug Herbert
242:Bucky Austin
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147:A native of
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131:and Alcohol
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68:Years active
591:1964 births
296:Puget Sound
212:Castrol GTX
208:Gary Ormsby
93:Best finish
27:Nationality
580:Categories
553:2008-11-27
516:2008-11-27
483:2008-11-27
447:2008-11-27
365:2008-11-27
334:References
121:drag racer
117:Pat Austin
79:self-owned
41:1964-11-12
22:Pat Austin
328:Interview
234:Joe Amato
195:Funny Car
133:Funny Car
62:Funny Car
285:Pomona's
268:dragster
266:Top Fuel
161:football
157:shot put
129:Top Fuel
60:Alcohol
30:American
221:burnout
314:Awards
217:blower
102:Awards
287:2002
264:1995
248:over
76:Teams
274:IHRA
107:2001
84:Wins
58:NHRA
35:Born
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