Does Dr. Patrick Staropoli have a side hustle as a NASCAR driver, or does the driver of the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series have a side hustle as an eye surgeon?
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It's hard to tell since the retina specialist puts his title on the name rail, yet his medical credentials don't seem to affect his performance behind the wheel. At the Kansas Lottery 300 on Saturday, April 18, he started in 24th and finished 14th.
Staropoli recently shared more about how he manages both careers in an interview with KMBC 9 News.
This Eye Surgeon Has Loved Racing All His Life
For those who don't believe that NASCAR is a real sport, Staropoli begs to differ. No matter how strong the athletes in baseball, football, hockey, and racing are, there is one very important skill that unites them all.
"There's so much of this that's hand to eye coordination," Staropoli said.
Of course, the eye surgeon has firsthand knowledge about how that works on the track. He's been a driver since he was young. However, he also wanted to be a doctor.
He kept driving while he was in medical school. Then the 36-year-old then joined Big Machine Racing.
"The autograph session, I had a lot of people ask me what kind of doctor I am and if I think they could swing by for an eye exam," he said.
Staropoli Has Brought Together His Love of NASCAR and the Medical Field
Last year, Staropoli returned to NASCAR after putting his driving career on pause to focus on his medical career.
When patients visit Staropoli for examinations, conversations often shift (oops, we did it again) to racing, showing how his two careers frequently intersect. He doesn't seem to mind.
"You go into the clinic, and you're talking to a patient, and half the visit you're talking about their eye and what you're going to do to help them out and the other half they want to know how the race went," Staropoli said.
This ongoing connection inspires him to look for innovative ways to unite NASCAR and medicine.
He said, "We try to use the racing platform to raise awareness for things that are important to us in the medical field."
