It wasn’t really a surprise that Danica Patrick decided to enter this Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Daytona. The smile on her face as she climbed from her car after her sixth place finish in the ARCA series race last weekend, pretty much said the deal had been sealed.
There were smiles on fans everywhere too, as Patrick showed the NASCAR world what she really brings to the sport.
Prior to Saturday, Patrick was a talented open wheel driver who was known more in the NASCAR world as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. Many criticized the petite package for being more of a female who happened to be a racecar driver and less of a racecar driver who happened to be female - me included.
That was before last weekend.
Last Saturday Patrick, one of a record six women who were in the ARCA lineup, ran in the lead pack for the first half of her first ever stock car race until getting loose in the middle of turns 1 and 2 on lap 50, losing the draft and dropping from sixth to 13th. She was later involved in an incident on the frontstretch but was able to keep her car off the wall.
Three laps later Nelson Piquet, Jr., the former Formula One driver who also used Saturday's ARCA race to make his stock car debut, made contact with Patrick's car coming off of turn 4, forcing her through the infield grass. Patrick slid sideways on the track and went through the grass but was able to avoid making contact. She made two pit stops following the spin, remaining on the lead lap
With 10 laps to go, Patrick started methodically picking her way back through the lead pack and while banging fenders down from frontstretch stole a sixth-place finish from Supercross legend Ricky Carmichael at the line.
As Patrick climbed from her car after it was over, a smile led the way, and the critics shut their mouths.
Certainly she has a long was to go; one sixth place finish in a debut stock car race can’t define an entire career, but with the courage, tenacity and gritty determination Patrick showed last Saturday she certainly has more fans then detractors has she prepares to make her NASCAR debut this weekend.
Comments
So, Patrick was "... criticized ... for being more of a female who happened to be a racecar driver and less of a racecar driver who happened to be female - me included." until she finished SIXTH in an ARCA race??
I guess her open-wheeled record of 3 poles, 1 win, 4 podiums, 41 top ten finishes, and ending her last four seasons in the top ten isn't considered "serious" by NASCAR people? You have GOT to be joking.
But now you know why some of us car racing fans can't take NASCAR seriously.
She fits into the NASCAR oeuvre only as the token sidekick, mandatory flair added to an otherwise moribund "sport" that should have its very existence questioned, as it perpetuates an outdated mindset that people so very much so want to hang on to, but know it won't stay like this.
For her to win consistently means they have to take her seriously, and, recognize that things change.
Don't see it happening any time soon. She is the "lil sister" of the "big boys" and when your primary audience is filled with rednecks, that's as far as she'll get.
Ain't that right, little lady?
My gawd JQ, you appear to have been stuffed into a pipe bomb and only half of you went off. What a mindless, reckless, biased judgemental, sterotypical, nincomepoop of a diatribe you dribble. Your primary audience is yourself, A Legend In Your Own Mind I suspect. I won't EVEN worry about getting the last word on this one. That would be akin to worrying about what's on Palin's Palm. Or are those of us that demand a brain for our leaders redneck women haters too? You are too bitter to have a keyboard in your hands. So take care JQ, you GQ you.
CI I was staying quiet but since you broached it. It's just an interesting phenomenon taking place in society these days. All the skeptics out there, including me. If you had a database of headlines when she announced and the resulting blog traffic, and do a scan now. Goodness! you think Danica walked to the moon. She had a 200-mile infant walk in a superior fendered race car--nearly 20% run at caution, for an average of 109mph. She did OK but the onslaught of "you go girl"ers out there is amazing. Kyle Petty won his first ARCA race (first race ever) in a vastly superior car. He went on to a 30-year marginal career--good kid I think; spoiled to some extent; only 8 wins. He did win but should have won more during his career. But so, OK. Now Danica gets in one race with a Cup crew and you would have thunk she won the Indy 500 & Coke 600 in the same day! All her stats you cite, she is Kyle Petty in drag, she should have better stats in IndyCar. A long way to go b4 we call her a racer.
After one race it appears that Danica's comfort level in "stock-cars" proclaims great potential and promise for her NASCAR future! Already, her performance level seems to exceed that of other open wheel drivers that have attempted the NASCAR transition. Many "world-class" drivers have struggled to adapt, becoming nothing more than "humbled hacks" in the 200 mph "taxi-cabs," SO... everyone that was skeptical of Danica's chances in the "lead-sleds" had reason on their side! Possibly Danica, with her "rough and tumble in your face" fiery personality, will achieve more success in NASCAR than she's had in the IRL! This is one Gal that's going to fit right in with "the Good Ole Boys!"
Yep, Mr. Eastman, one race makes a racer. You must work for IMG or Go-Daddy. I swear the people that proclaim the war has been won just don't get it. I don't need PR hacks proclaiming she is jesus. In fact let me do an analogy Mr. Eastman. Before I proclaim that she is the second coming of jesus christ I would have a DNA check first. Then if she passes that maybe I would have a pyschological/personality test to pass as well. In other words before proclaiming she is a stock car racer I would wait until she has raced against people that do this week in and week out. That we wait until she has tackled Darlington/Charlotte and Martinsville and that she has done long summer races; races in a pack of 20-40 cars; intense races; watched her on pit stops and during controversial moves and moves against her and restarts and battle adversity and goofed up and on and on and on. In other words let us wait until she has proven herself like we do male drivers before we claim she is Heyzuz.
Just replace Danica's name with Dale Jr.'s in any article or broadcast and you have the same Over-Rated, Over-Hyped BS for a driver with God-given average at best talent.
Oh, Mr. Eastman (aka PR hack), we already see today Danica screaming "lose" in her Nationwide car and her owner having to come over and convince her it's only gonna get worse. So here's the deal, I am, like many, willing to give her a chance in this sport to grow and possibly win. Finishing 6th against mostly amatuers in a 200 mile race in cars that may drive better than Nationwide or Cup ain't gonna make her brilliant in yo face fiery us aginst the good ole boys bust balls attitude any better than just plain ole sperience. The "Gal" as you call her is being set up by dupes like you. She has a LONG way to go before we call her in the zone. I hope she does it man. But, to give you a history lesson, I am old enough to have lived when people had to EARN their stripes. Drivers got their hype when they WON. She has won one IndyCar race. Nowadays the hype arrives before the talent. And it's not just her "phenom" was used for Joey LoGano and now Kelly Bires. It's just plain wrong.
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