Pat works at Ducati Newport Beach, a DROC partner dealership. You can find him on Instagram at @shut_up_pat_

We filmed Patrick at Chuckwalla in March 2026, at our sixth private Ducati track day.

Video and production: Chandler Peck, AMPD Media. Final editing: Glenalyn Ann (@glenalynann.co). Thank you both. Chandler shot and produced this series in a working paddock between sessions, and Glenalyn cut it into something that holds your attention. If you enjoyed watching this, go look them up: AMPD Media for motorsport photography and cinematic video, Glenalyn Ann for editing, motion graphics and social content.

What follows is the full interview, so there is more of it here than made the final cut.

It started with a movie

I became in love and infatuated with Ducatis because of the Tron Legacy movie. I fell in love with the Sport Classic. I finally bought one in January. I’m in love with it. … Before that, you know, I don’t think I even knew anything about motorcycles. So that kind of got me into it.

A film got him onto a Ducati. Everything after that came from the riding.

The bike that earned it

The Sport Classic is the one the movie sold him, and he finally got one. The bike with the miles on it is the one he brought to Chuckwalla, his first Ducati, bought in 2022 from Dave Daniels at Ducati Newport Beach:

He told me this was the crescent wrench of motorcycles, and he hasn’t been wrong. I’ve done a lot of stuff on this bike. Tracked it. I’ve gone, you know, on long road trips. I’ve commuted to work on this bike. It’s got 26,000 miles, a hell of a lot of memories, and it’s my favorite bike.

One bike: tracked, commuted, toured, 26,000 miles.

What “private” actually buys you

This is the clearest answer anyone has given us for why we book the whole circuit instead of buying seats at an open day:

There’s less people because it’s, you know, DROC, basically just the club members out on the track. So there’s less traffic, you have more space, you get to have more fun. … I think we’ve done 30-minute sessions or something like that. So DROC track day is exclusive. It feels exclusive. It’s fun.

Fewer riders on track means you spend your session riding instead of queuing behind traffic, and it means the sessions can run longer.

Why it makes you better on the road

The track experience is something that you can’t get on the street. You can’t get anywhere else. You know, what you learn from here makes you a better rider, and it’s a lot of fun.

Asked what he’d tell someone standing in the paddock with a helmet in hand, still deciding: “I would say absolutely go out.”

What he’d tell someone thinking about joining

I would say absolutely join the DROC. It’s very family, close-knit. We have bike nights at the dealership. We have bike nights at pubs, restaurants. … If you have a Ducati or you’re thinking about buying a Ducati, the second step is, after buying it, it’s going to be join the DROC if you’re in Orange County. For the rides, for the camaraderie, for the track days, for everything.

Full transcript

My name is Patrick Pallan. I’m from Orange County, California. I work at Ducati Newport Beach.

What is my Ducati second? My Ducati second is Tron. I became in love and infatuated with Ducatis because of the Tron Legacy movie. I fell in love with the Sport Classic. I finally bought one in January. I’m in love with it. But that would be my Ducati second. Before that, you know, I don’t think I even knew anything about motorcycles. So that kind of got me into it.

And then I’ll give you two Ducati seconds, because why not? My second Ducati second was buying this bike right here. This is my first Ducati that I ever bought, in 2022, from Dave Daniels at Ducati Newport Beach. He told me this was the crescent wrench of motorcycles, and he hasn’t been wrong. I’ve done a lot of stuff on this bike. Tracked it. I’ve gone, you know, on long road trips. I’ve commuted to work on this bike. It’s got 26,000 miles, a hell of a lot of memories, and it’s my favorite bike.

DROC track day looks like, it’s a very fun experience. There’s, if you go to any other kind of track days, there’s less people because it’s, you know, DROC, basically just the club members out on the track. So there’s less traffic, you have more space, you get to have more fun. You get more, well, the past couple times we’ve done it you get a couple more rounds, because, you know, I think we’ve done 30-minute sessions or something like that. So DROC track day is exclusive. It feels exclusive. It’s fun.

What would I say to somebody in the paddock, helmet in hand, ready to go out, or thinking about going out? I would say absolutely go out. The track experience is something that you can’t get on the street. You can’t get anywhere else. You know, what you learn from here makes you a better rider, and it’s a lot of fun.

Who did I learn the most from? The track coach I had for my very first track day. He taught me the line for Chuckwalla. He taught me a lot. I learned a lot from him, and it was a good time.

What would I tell someone that’s thinking about joining the DROC? I would say absolutely join the DROC. It’s very family, close-knit. We have bike nights at the dealership. We have bike nights at pubs, restaurants. I think they do go-karting events sometimes, and some other fun stuff too. And the Christmas party. Can’t forget about the Christmas party, always fun time.

Yeah, I would say, you know, if you have a Ducati or you’re thinking about buying a Ducati, the second step is, after buying it, it’s going to be join the DROC if you’re in Orange County. For the rides, for the camaraderie, for the track days, for everything.

Photos: CaliPhoto, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, March 16 2026.

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