Patrick Bedard

Patrick Bedard (born August 20, 1941) is an American former journalist and racing driver. Bedard worked for Car and Driver from 1967 to 2009.

Career Bedard joined Car and Driver in 1967. In the early 1970s, Car and Driver magazine challenged its readers to a series of Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)-sanctioned, 25-lap "showroom stock sedan" races. In the Car and Driver SS/Sedan Challenge II, Bedard finished first, driving Car & Driver's own Opel 1900 sedan. In the Car and Driver SS/Sedan Challenge III in 1974, Bedard drove a 1973 Chevy Vega GT No. 0, winning the tie-breaker race. This lone Vega beat 31 other well-driven showroom stocks.

The first racing victory by a Wankel-engined car in the United States was in 1973, when Bedard won an IMSA RS race at Lime Rock Park in a Mazda RX-2. Bedard also captured a pole position at the Pocono Raceway road course, but did not finish due to a blown clutch at the start of the race.

Bedard entered the 1981 and 1982 Indianapolis 500 but did not qualify. At the age of 41 Bedard qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 in 1983, finishing in 30th after crashing in turn 4 on lap 25. Jim Murray of the Los Angeles Times criticized Bedard's participation, claiming "just because you can drive 10 laps on an empty, manicured track early in May does not mean you are ready for the firefight of the last Sunday in May." Bedard retired from racing after this crash.

After nearly 42 consecutive years of employment with Car and Driver, Bedard announced he was leaving the magazine in his regular column after the August 2009 issue.

Racing record

USAC Mini-Indy Series results Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pos Points 1980 MIL POC MOH MIN1 MIN2 ONT 21st 70

Indianapolis 500 results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1982 BF Goodrich Paul Miller Manfred Schurti Porsche 924 Carrera GTR IMSAGTO 128 DNF DNF