Jackson Michigan Indy 500 Race Owner Dead At 91

He was probably the most unknown and underrated pillar of the Jackson Michigan community. Indy race car owner Pat Patrick died in Arizona. A member of the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame. the Motorsports Hall Of Fame and  Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, Patrick was a giant in the Indy world but almost unknown in Jackson and even up to his death, still owned a house on Browns Lake.

Patrick got his start in Jackson as owner of Patrick Petroleum.  As a business owner he sponsored Indy racing and eventually invested in the sport as owner of Patrick Racing.

Throughout the life of Pat Patrick a friendly rivalry existed between him and another racing giant, Roger Penske. Both whom even tried to outbid each other for ownership of Michigan International Speedway when it went up for auction in 1973.  Penske ended up winning the bidding war.

“Pat Patrick was a shrewd businessman who had a great passion for racing and the people that work within the sport,” Penske said in a statement Wednesday, Jan. 6. “He knew how to put the right people in the right position to create a winning environment and he was a fierce competitor, in racing as well as in business.” - MLIVE

Many Indy 500 drivers expressed their condolences through social media

Funeral arrangements are still pending as of this writing.