The scene was electric when Danica Patrick climbed into her #10 GoDaddy.com Chevy on Feb. 24 at the start of the 2013 Daytona 500. FOX carried the entire race live and Patrick is certain to deliver huge ratings for the network. In the end, Jimmie Johnson won the Daytona 500 in 2013 and Danica Patrick finished in 8th place.
To prove that the 2013 Daytona 500 was the Danica Patrick show, grand marshal James Franco started the race by announcing, “Drivers and Danica, start your engines!” Around 2 p.m., Danica became the first woman to lead a lap under green around the halfway point of the 200-lap event.
Danica Patrick has already made history at this year’s Daytona 500. She was the first woman ever to win the pole position for a Sprint Cup Series race and millions of fans were pulling for a big victory on Sunday. Even though she didn’t win, Danica was pure gold this weekend for FOX.
The famous driver is no stranger to television. She hosted several TV shows on Spike TV and has made numerous TV appearances throughout the years. Danica made her acting debut on “CSI: NY” in 2010 and was featured on a 2005 cover of “Sports Illustrated” and in a 2008 “Sports Illustrated” swimsuit edition. She has also appeared in numerous TV commercials, including a Super Bowl ad for GoDaddy.com. Patrick is currently dating 2-time NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion and fellow Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year candidate Ricky Steinhouse, Jr.
Fans lit up social media sites on Sunday to show support for Danica Patrick. Below are a few Twitter and Facebook posts from Feb. 24.
- “Above ground pool party erupts as Danica Patrick becomes the first woman ever to leap a lap at the Daytona 500.”
- “Whether Danica Patrick wins or not, she’s hung in, played by the rules, & bided her time w/o bringing up the female card.”
- “What a day for Danica Patrick & for women in sports everywhere!”
- “Good luck to Danica Patrick.” Let’s see if she can make history today!”
- “Way to race today! Keep it up!”
- “You show them how awesome you are! God bless you and keep you safe.”
- “Women all over the world are cheering for you! Show them your stuff and make us proud!”
- “Take it all the way, girl!”
Despite yesterday’s accident at the Daytona 500, the race went on as scheduled. At least 30 people were injured when parts of Kyle Larson’s car flew into the grandstands. According to Speedway president Joie Chitwood, 14 fans were transported to local hospitals and 14 were treated at the infield medical center at the track. The Associated Press put the injury toll at 33.
After racing in the 2013 Daytona 500, Danica Patrick said on FOX, “At the end of the day, it was a solid day for GoDayddy and the GoDaddy crew.”
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