All are invited to the memorial service for John Partridge,
the father of Ryan Partridge, the 2010 NASCAR Super Trucks champion at
Irwindale Speedway, and the father of the late Bernie Partridge, NHRA
announcer, official, administrator and trailblazer.
John Partridge died of a heart attack on April 11, 2012. He
was an instrumental member of his son’s NASCAR teams and a driving force behind
Ryan Partridge’s debut in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West on April 14 at
Havasu 95 Speedway.
Ryan Partridge recorded a top-10 performance in his first
K&N Pro Series West race. He finished ninth at Havasu after qualifying 11th
in the inaugural West Series race at the quarter-mile oval.
“I’ve been racing since I was 5 years old with my dad,” Ryan
Partridge said. “Together we could put any car on the pole in a matter of a
couple of practices, regardless of what it was.”
Ryan Partridge and his dad were working on putting a
together a car for the West Series race at Havasu at the time of John
Partridge’s death. Drivers and teams from Irwindale Speedway pulled together to
complete the West Series package and enter a car for Ryan Partridge in the race
at Havasu.
Ryan Partridge’s car at the West Series race at Havasu carried
an inscription on the hood that read, “RIP John Partridge.”
“He wouldn’t care about the memorial or anything,” Ryan
Partridge said. “He wants me to get in the West Series. He wants me to do well.
He wants me to be humble about it. My dad was always my biggest fan. He would
brag to everybody who was around how good his kid was. I plan on doing exactly
what he’s been prepping me for since I was 5.”
John Partridge was 57. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn,
and four children, Nicole, John David Jr., Ryan and Andrew.
“It’s just about getting the racers together at the race
track. That’s what it’s all about,” Ryan Partridge said. “Just getting out at
the race track, getting all the racers together is what needs to happen.”
