Danica Patrick rejects notion she can't compete in NASCAR

LATimes ^ | July 17, 2009 | Jim Peltz

[smokingfrog]

Danica Patrick on Friday rejected skeptics who say she is incapable of switching from driving lighter, aerodynamic Indy cars to the much bulkier and heavier stock cars used on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Patrick, 27, is in the last year of her contract with the IndyCar team Andretti Green Racing and is evaluating options for next season. Patrick last year became the first woman to win a major U.S.-sanctioned open-wheel race when she won the IndyCar race at Motegi, Japan.

She already had become a major sports figure after nearly winning the Indianapolis 500 in 2005, her rookie year. Now the IndyCar Series' most popular driver, she finished third in this year's Indy 500.

During a visit to Los Angeles to attend the ESPY Awards, Patrick also talked about her recent visit to Tony Stewart's NASCAR shop, the prospects of her moving to the Formula One series and other topics in a question-and-answer session:

[buschbaby]

"Is your first name Kyle by any chance?"

LOL Nope. I suspect Kyle would like her there. She would take the heat off him for awhile.;)

[Isabel C.]

Danica Patrick might be taken a little more seriously by other drivers, and by race fans in general, if she would quit posing for “cheesecake” photos. Otherwise, she’s just going to be considered the Anna Kournikova of auto racing.

[BradyLS]

Has she ever won a race? Any at all?

Well... She's won the race to my heart! :-D