Pat Austin

[1] He was the first driver to win eliminator titles at the same event when he won the Top Fuel and Alcohol Funny Car classes at Topeka.

[1] A native of Tacoma, Washington, Austin attended Franklin Pierce High School, where he won two state championships in the shot put.

[2] He had numerous second-place finishes and lost the 1986 season championship at the final round at the Fallnationals to Brad Anderson.

[2] Austin clinched the 1991 championship in July (with four months left) after posting the first perfect 5 national and 5 divisional wins season.

[2] Following the death of Gary Ormsby from cancer; Austin bought his Castrol GTX Top Fuel operation before the U.S.

Austin had to watch Kenny Bernstein as he smoked his tires to win the Top Fuel finals in a single.

[2] 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.

[2] Austin won Top Fuel at the 1993 U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park over Doug Herbert in a tire-smoking peddlefest final round.

[2] In 1999, Austin noticed that IHRA drivers such as Von Smith having success in Hoosier Racing Tires.

[3] His father (Walt Austin), mother, brother Mike, and sister have helped on his team.

Walt's brother Bucky started on his pit crew until opening a rival muffler shop in 1970.

[5] Bucky Austin had over 200 drag racing wins at Northwestern regional NHRA, AHRA and open matches.