Dan Patrick Biography

Dan Patrick started his motorsports amateur career at the age of 17, competing with multiple engine tractor pulls at the local and state levels. In 1983, Dan began devoting all of his time to the pulling competitions in the modified tractor class, traveling the United States and Canada. In February of 1984, Dan participated in the first motorsports event in Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, driving KING CRAZY, the Pulling Funny Car. In 1985 Patrick’s modified two wheel drive Pulling Funny Car named “WARLORD”, became so well known that PLAYSKOOL TOY COMPANY built a replica of the car and featured it in a cartoon series called, SST MUSCLE MACHINES. Dan’s success was noticed by drag racing legend, Tom “The Mongoo$e” McEwen, who approached him about forming a partnership along with the COORS Brewery of Golden, Colorado. 1986 and 1987 found Patrick campaigning two puller funny cars for COORS with great success, and in 1987 he built and introduced the first dragster style puller.

Dan extended his operation in 1988 by purchasing the very popular SAMSON® monster truck and joined United Sports of America’s MOTOR SPECTACULAR events as a monster truck competitor. From 1989-1992, Dan was contracted by Team Bigfoot to start and maintain a racing operation. Dan designed a new style chassis that provided a lightweight-racing vehicle along with superb durability. These new trucks became the wave of the future with over 70% of today’s monster trucks racing a similar design. Throughout this period, Dan traveled with his own monster truck and funny car puller with a continuing sponsorship from COORS Brewery, under the name of COORS EXTRA GOLD SAMSON®.  Today, Dan continues his association with the Bigfoot organization by building chassis’s for the team and remains involved in other Bigfoot ventures.

Dan was approached to build a monster truck around the hit television series, AMERICAN GLADIATORS. The all-new 3-D design SAMSON® muscle truck debuted in January of 1993 and has performed across the country gaining in popularity with every event.

The 1994 season brought new opportunities for Dan to participate in the nationally televised PENDA POINT SERIES Monster Truck Competition. In his rookie season, Dan was the first monster truck ever to beat the magic 5-second mark with a run of 4.983 at the Bloomsburg, PA Summer 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals. SAMSON® was also the first Chevrolet in the winner circle since the summer of 1992.

February of 1996, Dan Patrick’s monster truck SAMSON® was selected to represent monster truck racing at the grand opening of the world’s first motorsports theme restaurant, RACE ROCK CAFE in Orlando, Florida. The truck was on permanent display inside the restaurant from February 1996 to June 2007.

Dan Patrick’s 1992 SAMSON® Chevrolet Monster Truck sold Saturday June 4, 2007 at the Race Rock “Final Lap” memorabilia liquidation auction in Orlando, Florida. The truck brought the 2nd highest bid of the 3 day event. The restaurant closed its doors to the public March 22, 2007.

In the 1997 and 1998 seasons, Dan and the SAMSON® Monster Truck participated in the first prime time live television coverage of a Monster Truck Motorsports event called “Motor Madness”, which aired on The Nashville Network

The spring of 1998, Dan learned what it was like to have a camera on his every move! He was selected by a program called CBS Eye Witness “Eye On People” and was featured in a documentary on Monster Trucks and the alternative lifestyle associated with the business. A crew traveled with Dan from California to Ohio and covered several racing events as well as seeing his operation at home and meeting his family.

In December of 1999, Dan and SAMSON® were featured on a TV special on The Learning Channel called “The Secret World of Monster Trucks”. This was filmed at the Special Events 14^th Annual 4 Wheel Drive & Off Road Jamboree in Lima, Ohio, May 1999.

2000, 2001 and 2002, Dan and SAMSON® participated in the new TRUXPO Truck Tour Monster Truck Racing Series, sanctioned by ProMT (Professional Monster Trucks) and promoted by ISC (International Speedway Corporation). This was the first series of its kind held exclusively at major motorsports facilities including Darlington Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, Nazareth Speedway, Phoenix International Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway. This series was a points race with a field of 12 Monster Trucks. The ProMT/ISC races were exceptional and it was a great experience for the participants and spectators alike.

February of 2003, Dan and SAMSON® were featured on The Travel Channel in a new program called “Monster Truck Race Day”. The show documented the ProMT (Professional Monster Trucks) / ISC (International Speedway Corporation) points racing series, filmed April 2002 from NASCAR’s Daytona Superspeedway, where the trucks raced on the infield.

April of 2003, Dan completed the construction of the Hot Wheels Display Monster Truck for Clear Channel Entertainment Motorsports for the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago, Illinois. The exhibit, Monster Trucks – The Science of Extreme Machines is a one of a kind display of monster trucks, the history, experience and science behind building and driving them. Dan also contributed some SAMSON® memorabilia and interviews for the exhibit. This exhibit travels to museums across the United States. It is a great display and well worth your time!!!

Dan Patrick & SAMSON® participated in the Monster Truck Challenge Points Championship Series, promoted by Rich Schaefer. The series features great competitive racing, awesome race courses and outstanding freestyle!  2004 & 2005 proved to be great racing seasons!

TOYS – TOYS – TOYS!! For the SAMSON® fans… (kids and adults!!) There are many Remote Control and Die Cast Collectible SAMSON® toys available. There are also many books featuring SAMSON® that have been published as well.

Patrick debuted the ‘New” SAMSON®/Hulk Monster Truck July 2005 in Radford, Virginia. The “Hulk” performed at several events in Virginia and Pennsylvania in July and August with much success!  There are also SAMSON®/Hulk Monster Truck Die Cast collectibles available.

In May of 2004, the local affiliates of ABC and Fox News from Columbus, Ohio came to Dan’s shop for a news feature of his unusual occupation! The story not only related to the Monster Truck events around the country where he travels and performs, but also the fact that Dan builds the majority of the monster trucks for this industry.

In February and July 2005, The Michael Hoff Production film crew from Emeryville, California came to Dan’s shop and home to interview and film for a new project about the Evolution of Monster Truck Racing for the National Geographic Channel. This informational program aired December 2005.

Dan Patrick & SAMSON® competed in the 2006 Monsters of Destruction Monster Truck Series. Monsters of Destruction was the only true monster truck racing series featuring electronic timing equipment and had the best competition in monster trucks today. Monsters of Destruction consisted of 26 annual rounds of competition and featured Straight Line Drag Racing, Obstacle Course Racing and Monster Truck Freestyle. All rounds of competitionwere nationally televised on The Outdoor Channel. Milestone Motorsports, based out of Temecula, California, promoted the series. Dan also competed in the Monsters of Destruction series in 2005 on a limited schedule.