“DANICA IS IN NASCAR BECAUSE OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.”
Oh bullsh*t...
Patrick is in Nascar because she took up racing in Go-Carts at age 10, and at age 16, her parents took a huge chance and moved to England so she could race in British NAtional Series events.
She has come up the same way as any other driver in the system, without a money-bags racing name for a father.
She has come up the same way as any other driver in the system, without a money-bags racing name for a father.
Danica Sue Patrick (born March 25, 1982) is an American auto racing driver, model and advertising spokeswoman. She is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing, being the only woman to win in the IndyCar Series as well as holding the highest finish by a woman at the Indianapolis 500 of 3rd place. She competed in the series from 2005 to 2011. She currently competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Starting in kart racing, she later raced Formula Ford in England before moving back to the US and moving up to IndyCars. Patrick was named the Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series season. With her win in the 2008 Indy Japan 300, Patrick became the first woman to win an Indy car race. She placed 3rd in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, which was both a personal best for her at the track, and the highest finish by a woman in the event's history. Patrick holds the IRL record for most consecutive races running at the finish. As of October 2, 2011, she has completed 50 consecutive races in the running (the next highest total in the record book is 32).[1]? During her time in IndyCar, Patrick drove for Rahal Letterman Racing from 2005–2006, and Andretti Autosport from 2007-2011.
In 2010, Patrick began racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, driving the #7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Impala for JR Motorsports part-time. She also has an equity stake in her #7 team.[2] She had her best career finish of 4th in series on March 5, 2011 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway—the best finish by a woman in a NASCAR top-circuit.
Sounds to me like she earned her ride and knows how to race : ),
What I don’t get is when a woman chooses to compete in a man’s world at the same playing level as the men, without any special treatment and earns it the hard way, whether that is in sports or business; some will excoriate her if she shows any weakness or fails to exhibit the same level of male competitiveness and aggressiveness. But on the other hand, if she does, she will be excoriated for doing so.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no fan of Martha Stewart but she was vilified for being a hardnosed business woman, put in federal prison for doing nothing more or less than a lot of others have done that got a mere slap on the wrist compared to what she got. Yet many hold someone like Donald Trump or Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, real SOB’s in business, as some sort of Gods of Business and held by many in great esteem. Donald Trump is a “tough businessman” and yet Martha Stewart is a “bitch”.
Dale Earnhardt was known as the Intimidator for a reason and it was not because of his gentle nature and unfailingly sportsman like conduct. And didn’t Tony Stewart get into more than a few scrapes on the track and punch someone out after a race? Didn’t he loose a sponsorship and get fined by NASCAR over that? Yet nobody is questioning his ability to drive.
So Danica has a bit of a hot head. Hornish ran her into the wall and she returned the favor. Earnhartdt would have probably done the same thing. Maybe Hornish will not mess with her next time. ; ),