🏁S.M.A.S.H Driver Spotlight: Patrick Hernandez, Cool, Calm, and Collected

By S.M.A.S.H — May 3, 2026

Some drivers are built around raw speed. Others are built around patience, discipline, and waiting for the race to come to them.

Patrick Hernandez sounds like the second kind.

The driver of the #91 does not describe himself as reckless, loud, or desperate to make something happen too early. When asked about his driving style, he kept it simple:

“Cool, calm and collected, prioritizing tire saving for the long runs.”

That tells you a lot about the kind of driver Patrick is trying to be inside S.M.A.S.H.

He wants to be there when the race starts to matter most. He wants the car underneath him late. He wants the long run. And if the opportunity is there, he wants to be ready when it is time to go.

Background

Name: Patrick HernandezNumber: #91Experience: Sim racing since 2009

Patrick has been around sim racing for a long time. His iRacing story started in 2016 after a friend showed him a screenshot.

“In 2016 a friend showed me a screenshot of him playing iRacing, I liked what I saw and decided to join.”

That was enough to get him in, but his sim racing roots go back even farther. He has been sim racing since 2009, which gives him the kind of experience that shows up in how he talks about racing.

What brought Patrick to S.M.A.S.H was the message behind the league.

“I saw an ad on Facebook and just by reading ‘A league for hard working people during the week,’ as a blue collar worker that works hard during the week and wants to chill and have a nice time, I knew this league was serious, with serious people as admins.”

That answer fits exactly what S.M.A.S.H is trying to be.

A serious league for people who work hard, show up, and want organized racing without the nonsense.

The Approach

Patrick’s style is built around long-run strength.

He is not trying to win the whole race in the opening laps. He wants to save tires, keep the car clean, and be strong when the run starts separating the field.

When asked for his biggest strength, his answer was direct:

“Long runs.”

That is a dangerous strength to have.

Long-run drivers do not always look like the biggest threat early. They may not force the issue right away. But as the tires fall off, the car gets harder to handle, and the field starts making mistakes, those drivers begin to show up.

Patrick also knows the area he is still working on:

“Qualifying.”

No long explanation. No excuse. Just the honest answer.

If he can keep building short-run speed while already being confident on the long run, that is where the next step comes from.

Tracks That Fit the Style

Patrick’s favorite track is Martinsville, and the reason goes back to being a fan before he was ever racing in the sim.

“Martinsville because being a die hard Jeff Gordon fan since I was a kid, I loved every time he won there and when I started sim racing I wanted to be just like him. Because of that Martinsville is one of my best tracks.”

That answer says a lot.

For Patrick, Martinsville is not just another short track. It is tied to what made him love racing in the first place. It is a track connected to childhood memories, favorite drivers, and the kind of racing that shaped how he wanted to compete.

His toughest track?

“North Wilkesboro.”

Every driver has one. The track that never quite fits right. The place that demands more work than the others. For Patrick, that track is North Wilkesboro.

Career Highlights

Asked for his most memorable race moment, Patrick pointed back to one of the biggest accomplishments of his sim racing career.

“Year 2012 when I won my first F1 Drivers Title.”

That is not just a random good finish.

That is a championship memory. It shows that Patrick has been around competitive sim racing long enough to know what it feels like to chase something, finish the job, and remember it years later.

Life Outside the Car

Outside of sim racing, Patrick is a family man, a worker, and a car guy.

He works as a Trailer Mechanic for JB Hunt Transport. Away from work and racing, he spends time with his wife and kids, plays video games, works on his car, and enjoys going to the shooting range.

“Play video games, spend time with my wife and kids and work on my car.”

That fits the S.M.A.S.H identity well.

A lot of drivers here are not spending their week pretending to be professional race car drivers. They are working real jobs, taking care of real life, and then showing up on race night because they love competition.

Patrick is one of those drivers.

When asked what real race car he would want to drive, he did not overthink it:

“If it is not a NASCAR race car, I don’t want to drive anything else.”

That answer gets right to the point.

Mindset

Patrick’s mindset is a mix of clean racing and controlled aggression.

When asked if there are any drivers he models his style after, he gave an answer that shows both sides of how he sees himself:

“I think I race clean like Martin Truex Jr., but aggressive and fearless like Davey Allison when it is time to go.”

That is the balance every good driver is trying to find.

Clean enough to be trusted. Smart enough to save equipment. Aggressive enough to take the moment when the race is on the line.

When asked if he is aggressive or calculated, Patrick said:

“I can be both. Calculated if I don’t have the speed to save the best position possible and aggressive if I have the speed to fight for the win.”

That is racecraft.

Not every race calls for the same approach. Sometimes the right move is to protect a finish. Sometimes the right move is to go take the win.

Patrick understands the difference.

S.M.A.S.H Perspective

Patrick sees S.M.A.S.H as a league with structure, organization, and standards.

When asked what makes S.M.A.S.H different from other leagues, he pointed directly at how things are run.

“The way admins run and organize things on Discord and the web page, also the zero tolerance to BS as I have noticed.”

That matters.

Drivers notice when a league is organized. They notice when the website is updated. They notice when Discord is structured. They notice when race control takes standards seriously.

Patrick also understands that the competition level here is not soft.

“Competition is tough, this league has great talent that can win on any given day.”

That is what every league should want.

A field where no one can just show up and expect to walk away with it. A field where every week has drivers capable of winning.

Rivalries & Edge

When asked who the toughest driver is to race against, Patrick did not single out one name.

“Everyone XD.”

That might sound like a joke, but it is also true.

In a competitive league, every driver can become the toughest one depending on the track, the run, and the moment.

Asked who he would trust drafting with late in a race, Patrick did give one name:

“Johnny Bobby Brown.”

That kind of answer usually comes from trust. Late in a race, drafting is not just about speed. It is about knowing the other driver will hold a line, make smart decisions, and not put both cars in a bad spot.

On the emotional side, Patrick was honest too. Asked if he has ever rage quit a race:

“Couple of times jaja.”

As for payback or apologies owed, he kept both answers clean.

“Nobody.”

No drama. No hit list. Just racing.

Goals for the Season

Patrick’s goals for the season are simple:

“Have fun and win some races.”

That is exactly the kind of goal that fits S.M.A.S.H.

Have fun, but compete. Enjoy the league, but show up to win. Keep the racing serious without forgetting why everyone is here in the first place.

Final Word

Patrick Hernandez brings experience, patience, and a long-run mindset to S.M.A.S.H.

He is calm behind the wheel, honest about what he needs to improve, and confident in the kind of driver he wants to be. He knows when to be calculated, knows when it is time to get aggressive, and respects the structure of the league around him.

That makes the #91 a driver worth watching.

In a league where tire saving, patience, and clean aggression can decide races, Patrick Hernandez has the tools to make noise as the season keeps moving forward.