NASCAR started the 2013 racing season off with a bang as the 2013 Dayton 500 already looks to have been one of the races of the season when it all comes to an end. Five-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson found his way to the winner's circle in the end, but according to ESPN on Feb. 26, 2013, it was truly Danica Patrick that took the crown for the day.
While Johnson may have won his second Daytona 500, Danica Patrick made history. Not only was the 30-year-old GoDaddy.com Chevrolet driver the first woman to win the pole position at Daytona, she also became the first woman to ever lead a lap in the, "Great American Race."
The belief that Patrick was the major driving force behind the massive ratings boost for this year's race has to be truly considered. Reports from ESPN claim that the ratings for the race were up 24 percent from 2012 and that the race experienced the highest viewing total since 2008.
NASCAR's top female not only was a headliner for the weekend, but she also proved that she was more than capable of holding her own as she remained in the top ten all race and was running in third until the final lap when she fell to eighth place before finishing the race.
Jimmie Johnson barely held off Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. whom finished second for the third time at Daytona as he continues to follow in his father's foot steps as a driver that had a long fight with the track until it finally gave him a victory.
Without a doubt, Johnson looks more than ready to take on the field for a sixth NASCAR title, but Danica Patrick proved that she is ready to step in the ring and box with a strong performance in her first race of the year.
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