Patterson Elite Performance has announced the addition of Valori “VeeJay” Booth as a new member to the leadership team at their performance racing engine shop in Kansas.

Since the 2016 retirement of Allan Patterson, the company’s founder, his son, Todd, has taken over the reins, running the daily operations of the world-class race shop.

“With my changing role here, I have been looking to add someone to our team that has both a background in racing and the drive to take our business to the next level,” remarked Todd. “I’ve known VeeJay since her days racing Junior Dragsters. She came to work for us in ’96 and was in charge of public relations for our Pro Stock Truck team. Her family campaigned a Super Pro altered with Patterson power, which VeeJay drove, so I knew her commitment to the sport and the quality of her work.”

A racer since age 8, starting out in the Soap Box Derby, VeeJay has had a passion for all things fast since the beginning. During college, she put her racing career on hold however, to pursue another high-speed dream, working in the space program. Ms. Booth has a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas, and master’s degree in Engineering Management from the University of Southern California. She spent her early career at NASA as a Space Flight Trainer for astronauts and flight controllers, teaching them to live and work on the International Space Station.

“It was a dream come true to spend my days working with astronauts and supporting America’s exploration of space, and it is as much a dream to be returning to my roots and working once again in motorsports,” said Booth. “It is an incredible honor to be a part of a legendary drag racing team.”

Todd Patterson states, “Recently when I learned VeeJay had become available, it felt like perfect timing for both of us, and a natural fit. Her varied background in engineering, public relations, business management and racing helps her look at challenges in a totally different way. She’s here to breathe new life into our operation, build on our solid foundation of excellence, and grow us into the cutting edge performance racing shop of tomorrow.”