Patrick W. Emerling Bio
Patrick W. Emerling (born September 19, 1992) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet for USNEPower Motorsports. He has also made part-time appearances in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series over the course of his career.
Born in Orchard Park, New York, Emerling has built a reputation as a versatile short-track racer who can move between modified touring cars and NASCAR national series equipment. He balances driving duties with ownership responsibilities, running his own Modified program while logging selected starts in higher-tier NASCAR events.
Early Life and Background
Patrick W. Emerling was born on September 19, 1992, in Orchard Park, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. His family has been involved with car dealerships in the Buffalo area for a long time, giving him early access to cars and the automotive industry.
Growing up in Western New York placed him near some of the strongest short-track and modified racing scenes in the country. He began developing his skills on local bullrings and regional speedways before stepping into NASCAR-sanctioned touring competition as a teenager.
Path to NASCAR
Emerling launched his NASCAR career in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2011, driving the No. 07 Chevrolet and Ford entries for his own team. He completed his rookie season in the Modified Tour and finished thirteenth in the points standings, learning the ropes of full-season touring competition.
Over the next several seasons he balanced Modified Tour starts with selective appearances in other stock car series. By the late 2010s he had added a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut and later expanded into the NASCAR Xfinity Series, establishing himself as a multi-series driver with strong short-track roots.
Patrick W. Emerling Career
Early Career (2011–2015)
Emerling began racing in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2011, driving the No. 07 Chevrolet and Ford for his own team. He finished thirteenth in the points standings in his debut season, gaining valuable experience touring the Northeast short tracks.
He continued running the full Modified Tour schedule through 2015, when a fifth-place finish in the overall standings marked his strongest season in the early phase of his career. After 2015 he scaled back to a limited Modified schedule while exploring opportunities in other NASCAR series.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Debut (2017)
In 2017, Emerling made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, driving the No. 83 Chevrolet Silverado for Copp Motorsports. He started twentieth and finished twenty-third after encountering engine problems.
He returned to the Truck Series later that season at Texas Motor Speedway, starting twenty-third and finishing twenty-sixth following a crash. Those two starts laid the groundwork for occasional Truck Series appearances in later years.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Breakthrough (2017–2018)
In 2017, Emerling scored his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he also started from the pole. The Bristol win was a defining moment, as he added two top-five finishes and three top-ten finishes across the season.
In 2018, he came close to another Modified win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon but was barely beaten by Chase Dowling and finished second. He recorded three top-fives and five top-tens that season, cementing his status as a Modified Tour contender.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Debut and Emerling-Gase Motorsports (2020–2022)
On May 20, 2020, it was announced that Emerling would make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut, driving the No. 02 for Our Motorsports at the spring Bristol race. The following December, Our Motorsports confirmed he would return for a part-time Xfinity Series schedule in 2021, this time in the No. 03 car after Brett Moffitt took over the No. 02 full-time.
In 2021, after the No. 03 initially struggled to qualify, Our Motorsports acquired the No. 23 car jointly fielded by RSS Racing and Reaume Brothers Racing, and Emerling ran his races in that entry starting at Las Vegas. He also finished second in the Modified Tour championship with three wins that year. In 2022, Emerling teamed up with Joey Gase to form Emerling-Gase Motorsports, fielding the No. 35 car part-time for both drivers and additional pilots.
SS-Green Light Racing Era (2024–2025)
In 2024, after parting ways with Joey Gase, Emerling returned to the NASCAR Xfinity Series as the primary driver of the No. 07 for SS-Green Light Racing, running nineteen races that season. He also returned to full-time competition on the Whelen Modified Tour, partnering with Rich Gatreau to form a new team.
In 2025, Emerling is running a second part-time Xfinity Series season with SS-Green Light Racing in the No. 07 Chevrolet SS. He has also made NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series appearances with Henderson Motorsports in the No. 75 at North Wilkesboro and with Spire Motorsports in the No. 07 at Pocono. He continues to pilot the No. 1 Chevrolet full-time on the Whelen Modified Tour while also racing part-time on the ROC Modified Tour and in selected open modified events.
Driving Style and Strengths
Emerling is known for his short-track craft and his comfort running the high-banked bullrings common to Modified Tour racing. His experience jumping between Modified cars, Truck Series trucks, and Xfinity Series stock cars highlights a versatile driving style built on adaptability. Working closely with his own team and with crews such as SS-Green Light Racing has allowed him to refine race strategy and feedback communication.
Notable Races and Milestones
His first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour win at Bristol, combined with a pole position, stands out as a signature early-career result. The narrow Modified Tour loss to Chase Dowling at New Hampshire in 2018 and a runner-up Modified Tour championship in 2021 further define his resume. His Xfinity Series debut with Our Motorsports at Bristol and his multi-year Xfinity program with SS-Green Light Racing round out his major milestones.
Patrick W. Emerling Career Wins
Patrick W. Emerling has built his win ledger primarily on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, where short-track consistency has produced his most memorable trips to Victory Lane. He has supplemented those Modified wins with part-time national series starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Highlights
Emerling captured his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2017, a race he also started from the pole. He added three more Modified Tour wins during a strong 2021 season in which he finished second in the series championship.
He has continued to chase Modified Tour victories while running the No. 1 Chevrolet full-time for USNEPower Motorsports, making him a regular contender in NASCAR’s oldest touring division.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the Modified Tour, Emerling has logged selected NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, including a debut Truck Series run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Copp Motorsports and part-time Xfinity Series efforts with Our Motorsports, Emerling-Gase Motorsports, and SS-Green Light Racing. These national series appearances have helped him sharpen his skills against top-tier NASCAR competition.
Patrick W. Emerling Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Emerling’s family has been involved with car dealerships in the Buffalo area for a long time. That long-running automotive connection helped create a natural path toward a racing career rooted in Western New York.
Personal Life
Patrick W. Emerling continues to be active on social media, where fans can follow his racing updates and behind-the-scenes content from his programs on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and beyond.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season is a busy year for Patrick W. Emerling, with full-time duties on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in the No. 1 Chevrolet for USNEPower Motorsports. He is also running a part-time NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with SS-Green Light Racing in the No. 07 Chevrolet SS, building on nineteen races with the team in 2024.
On the national series side, Emerling has added NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts with Henderson Motorsports in the No. 75 at North Wilkesboro and with Spire Motorsports in the No. 07 at Pocono. He is also racing part-time on the ROC Modified Tour and in selected open modified events, expanding his short-track calendar.
With wins already on his Modified Tour resume and a stable Xfinity Series seat at SS-Green Light Racing, Emerling enters the heart of the 2025 season focused on contending for another Modified Tour championship while gaining more seat time in NASCAR national series equipment. His mix of team ownership and multi-series driving makes him one of the more versatile independents in the NASCAR ecosystem.