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NASCAR Driver Says Female Phenom Has Unfair Edge(Danica Patrick)
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com ^ | 5 28 05

Posted on 05/28/2005 8:03:38 PM PDT by freepatriot32

Robby Gordon accused Danica Patrick of having an unfair advantage in the Indianapolis 500 and said Saturday he will not compete in the race again unless the field is equalized.

Gordon, a former open-wheel driver now in NASCAR, contends that Patrick is at an advantage over the rest of the competitors because she only weighs 100 pounds. Because all the cars weigh the same, Patrick's is lighter on the race track.

"The lighter the car, the faster it goes," Gordon said. "Do the math. Put her in the car at her weight, then put me or Tony Stewart in the car at 200 pounds and our car is at least 100 pounds heavier.

"I won't race against her until the IRL does something to take that advantage away."

The Indy Racing League does not consider the weight of the driver in its race specifications. The car has to weigh at least 1,525 pounds before the fuel and driver are added, and teams in Indy have estimated that Patrick will gain close to 1 mph in speed because of her small stature.

Although her rivals in Sunday's race have said she doesn't have a huge advantage, pole-sitter Tony Kanaan told reporters he would like the Indy Racing League to look into the issue.

"Right off the bat, a guy my size is spotting her 105 pounds," Gordon said. "That's the reason she's so much faster."

Patrick has been among the quickest drivers since rookie orientation began on the famed 2 1/2-mile oval on May 5. Only a bobble on the first lap of her qualifying effort kept her from winning the pole, and she will take the green flag from fourth on Sunday, the best starting position for a woman at Indy.

Patrick was fastest with a lap of 225.997 mph to lead the one-hour "Carb Day" practice on Friday, the only time the cars got on the track during the week between the end of time trials and the start of the race.

She follows Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James and Sarah Fisher to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, needing only to finish eighth or better to improve on the best previous finish by a female - ninth by Guthrie in 1978.

Patrick, however, is not focused on simply finishing in the top 10 or just staying out of trouble.

"I think I have a great chance of winning this race," the confident Patrick said.

Driving the 650-horsepower IndyCars for the first time this year, Patrick has improved in each of the first four IRL races, culminating in an impressive fourth place last month in Japan.

At Indy, she has been nothing less than a phenomenon.

Patrick would not be the first rookie to win here, although certainly among the least experienced.

Juan Montoya was the defending champion of the rival CART series when he won here in 2000, and Helio Castroneves was a two-year regular in CART and winner of three races before he took the checkered flag as an Indy rookie in 2001.

Still, Castroneves, who also won the next year, said he has no doubt Patrick could win on Sunday, particularly since she is driving a Honda-powered Panoz for the powerful Rahal Letterman Racing team that won here last year with Buddy Rice.

"She is driving for a great team and she has been fast every day since she got here," Castroneves said. "If she can keep her nose clean, she'll be OK. The only thing that might be a problem is you have to have patience and, sometimes, rookies don't have much patience."

Castroneves, starting fifth, and Marlboro Team Penske teammate Sam Hornish Jr., a two-time IRL champion and starting in the middle of the first row, also will be among the favorites Sunday as they try to give Roger Penske a record 14th Indy win.

Others to watch include all four members of Andretti Green Racing, including Kanaan, current IRL points leader Dan Wheldon, Dario Franchitti and Bryan Herta.

If one of them can manage to get to Victory Lane, it would be a very big day indeed for team co-owner Michael Andretti, who led more laps than any other nonwinner at Indy. His father, Mario, won the race in 1969, then spent 25 frustrating years trying and failing to win it again.

The two had so many things go wrong here that the term "Andretti Luck" became part of the Indy lexicon. "We've done everything in our power to put ourselves in a good position," Michael said. "Of course, this feeling doesn't mean anything. I've been here before in this position. We'll see what fate has in store."

And don't forget perhaps the most heartwarming story of the month: Kenny Brack. The 1999 Indy winner, nearly killed in a devastating crash at Texas Motor Speedway in October 2003, was called upon just last week to replace Rice, injured in a crash here on May 10.

Brack responded by posting the fastest qualifying speed of the month, 227.598 mph. Since it came on the second week of time trials, though, he will start 23rd. Nobody has won from that far back since Johnny Rutherford started 25th in 1974 and charged to the second of his three victories.

Still, Brack is confident he can be competitive in basically the same Honda-powered Panoz in which Rice won last year.

"Maybe I'll be a little rusty in traffic, but it's a long race," said Brack, who hasn't raced an IndyCar since his crash. "I think we'll be just fine after the first pit stop."

The third Rahal Letterman entry, Vitor Meira, making his fourth Indy start - from seventh - could be the dark horse in the race.

"Vitor also has great equipment and he's been flying all month," Kanaan said. "I think maybe he's a little under the radar."

Hornish has been perhaps the IRL's biggest star since winning his first series title in 2001, but he has struggled mightily at Indy. In five starts here, he has yet to finish better than 14th or even complete all 200 laps.

"The big thing is to make it to the end, which I have not done yet," Hornish said. "But we have a great team and two great cars and we've got as good a shot as anybody.

"If I do win here, it would be my 14th (career) win and it would be Roger's 14th at Indy," he added. "I think that would be very nice."

The big question going into Sunday, though, remains: What will Danica do?

Castroneves was asked if it bothers him that most of the questions he and other veterans have fielded this month have been about Patrick.

"It's good for the series, it's good for the sport," he replied. "When I came here they gave me the nickname 'Spider Man.' Maybe they should call her 'Wonder Woman."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: Indiana
KEYWORDS: 20somethinglist; danica; driver; edge; female; has; indy500; nascar; patrick; phenom; says; unfair
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To: Arkie2

Richard Petty always will be "The King" of NASCAR, and without him blazing the trail the sport would not be what it is today ... but IMHO, the late Mr. Earnhardt was the greatest stock car racer who's yet lived.


101 posted on 05/28/2005 9:10:20 PM PDT by GB
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To: freepatriot32

This isn't combat and she's matched physical qualifications to race. Let her run with it and more power to her. :)


102 posted on 05/28/2005 9:10:34 PM PDT by Centurion2000 ("THE REDNECK PROBLEM" ..... we prefer the term, "Agro-Americans")
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To: freepatriot32

Aww, the poor widdle baby-WUSS!!!


103 posted on 05/28/2005 9:11:52 PM PDT by WestVirginiaRebel (Carnac: A siren, a baby and a liberal. Answer: Name three things that whine.)
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To: NYTexan
Get a grip Robby.

There are 33 positions, where are you starting?

104 posted on 05/28/2005 9:13:02 PM PDT by SouthTexas
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To: commish

Its certainly true that there's a big difference in the weight of the cars in the two series. It was merely an example. However, the point remains the same. Most of the drivers in the Indy 500 are small and weigh 150lbs or less.

Interestingly, it seems that the weight advantage that the average male Indy 500 driver has on Robby Gordon is as large as the advantage that Danica Patrick has on the average male Indy 500 driver. Yet he's the only one complaining. Maybe Robby needs to go on a diet?


105 posted on 05/28/2005 9:14:14 PM PDT by VOR78
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To: GB

So, the heaviest guy you listed is winning more poles than anyone. He's not winning any races this year though. Maybe those smaller guys do have an advantage over the long haul.

Since this thread concerns weight in relation to results on the track I have a question. A few years ago Newman was winning a lot of races on "fuel conservation". My question is, if weight makes a difference in fuel consumption and Ryan was winning those races, where in the car was he hiding the extra fuel and why couldn't NASCAR find it? ;^)


106 posted on 05/28/2005 9:15:36 PM PDT by Arkie2 (No, I never voted for Bill Clinton. I don't plan on voting Republican again!)
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To: Arkie2
Because the guys who do this for a living are real good at hiding such things. :)

A book came out last year all about cheating in NASCAR, can't remember the name right off the top of my head but it was quite enlightening and I highly recommend it.

107 posted on 05/28/2005 9:18:01 PM PDT by GB
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To: Arkie2

One thing, too, little doesn't mean weak. Mark Martin goes about 135 pounds, as some people have mentioned, but he's probably got about .0005 percent body fat and his muscles have muscles.


108 posted on 05/28/2005 9:19:23 PM PDT by GB
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To: hispanichoosier
You are on. I'll give FR $100 if she embarrasses the whole field.

The safest bet I've made in a while... Heehee...

109 posted on 05/28/2005 9:20:14 PM PDT by demlosers
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To: freepatriot32

At the end of the race there will be 32 losers. If you're afraid of losing, do something noncompetative for a living.


110 posted on 05/28/2005 9:20:16 PM PDT by ol' hoghead (If Islam is the ROP, why do Moslems cut our throuts and blaspheme saying "Allah akbar"?)
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To: freepatriot32

Michael Moore joined in the complaint and was considering EEOC action.


111 posted on 05/28/2005 9:21:16 PM PDT by AmishDude (Join the AD fan club: "ROFL!" -- Dan from Michigan; "Very well stated, AD." -- Diana in Wisconsin)
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To: freepatriot32

Robbie, how many Indy 500 wins do Janet Guthrie and Lynn St. James have?


112 posted on 05/28/2005 9:21:59 PM PDT by LdSentinal
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To: GB
In NASCAR cheatin is part of the race.

#3's fans loved him cause he was the dirtyest driver ever. But he won and that's all that matters to them.

113 posted on 05/28/2005 9:22:10 PM PDT by Dinsdale
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To: freepatriot32

The logical end of this process is that NASCAR becomes a sport dominated by slight women, children, and dwarfs. Anorexia will lead to at least one heart-breaking death that will be chronicled in home ec and health classes in middle schools across America. Men, seeking a new masculine spectator sport, will turn to ice dancing.


114 posted on 05/28/2005 9:22:58 PM PDT by Caesar Soze
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To: Arkie2

"PS: Richard Petty is NASCAR's greatest driver. ;^)"

Yep! (and he is a skinny little one, too)


115 posted on 05/28/2005 9:23:26 PM PDT by Vn_survivor_67-68
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To: WestVirginiaRebel
Yet another candidate for: Fans Against Gordon
116 posted on 05/28/2005 9:24:15 PM PDT by Illuminatas (When I go to Boulder, I like to smoke.)
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To: freepatriot32

While his point is correct, it is within the rules... She can race and win if she can. You don't hear anyone saying they should equalize football weights so women can play.


117 posted on 05/28/2005 9:24:52 PM PDT by rlmorel
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To: GB

LOL! I googled "cheating in NASCAR" and found the book in about 2 seconds.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/1893618226/0/101/1/none/purchase/ref%3Dpd%5Fsxp%5Fr0/104-4595349-5140762


118 posted on 05/28/2005 9:25:13 PM PDT by Arkie2 (No, I never voted for Bill Clinton. I don't plan on voting Republican again!)
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To: Dinsdale
I covered stock car racing for 'bout 20 years, I know whereof you speak.

I don't think Dale Sr. was the dirtiest driver, though. He was the most aggressive and the most driven and would run through a wall (or another car) to win, but I don't think he wrecked people simply for the pure hell of it like some of those guys seem to do. There was always a purpose to his aggressiveness. Again, unlike some of them who IMHO are menaces behind the wheel. Like one particular family, name starts with a B, ends with an E, and has an O, D, I and N between. (LOL!)

119 posted on 05/28/2005 9:26:15 PM PDT by GB
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To: freepatriot32; All
She looks strikingly familiar...



Oh yeah. I remember now...



Wow. Just...wow.
120 posted on 05/28/2005 9:26:32 PM PDT by justt bloomin
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