Patrick Staropoli — Driver Profile
Car: No. 48 | Team: Big Machine Racing | Manufacturer: Chevrolet Crew Chief: Patrick Donahue | Sponsor: Syfovre Status: Full-time | Hometown: Plantation, Florida | Age: 36
2026 Season
Patrick Staropoli is 19th in the 2026 O'Reilly Series standings through eight races — running a clean but modest campaign with Big Machine Racing. His 22.1 average finish is consistent with a mid-tier program working to establish itself, and notably he has zero DNFs through eight races, a reflection of disciplined, mistake-limited driving. His sponsor, Syfovre (a retinal disease treatment), is itself a story: Staropoli lost vision in one eye earlier in his career and has turned his medical journey into a platform aligned with ophthalmic health advocacy.
2026 Stats (through 8 races): 19th in points (119 pts) | 0 wins | 0 top 5s | 0 top 10s | 22.6 avg. start | 22.1 avg. finish | 0 laps led | 0 DNFs
Career
Staropoli is a 36-year-old physician-driver — one of the most unusual profiles in professional motorsport. He earned his medical degree while simultaneously pursuing a racing career, practicing medicine and competing at the national level. He is a late entry into consistent full-time national racing, having built his opportunity through determination and self-funding over many years.
The Story
Staropoli's story is unlike anyone else on the 2026 grid. A practicing doctor. A driver who lost vision in one eye and continued racing. A sponsor from the ophthalmology space that directly connects to his own medical history. These elements make the No. 48 one of the most compelling human-interest files in the series even when the results don't command immediate attention. For feature coverage, Staropoli is the most distinctive personality in the garage.