Posted on 10/27/2014 7:17:04 PM PDT by rabidralph
Danica Patrick has revved up some controversy, questioning whether NASCAR needs its Drive for Diversity program, which aims to increase female and minority participation in the racing car series.
“I have never benefited from the Diversity program,” Patrick said on Friday after a reporter from the Danville (Va.) Register and Bee asked her about diversity in stock car racing. NASCAR honored Wendell Scott, the only African-American to win in its top-level series, at its event in Martinsville, Va., this past weekend. Scott, who was born in Danville, won a Grand National (predecessor to Sprint Cup) race in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1963. Darrell Wallace, Jr., took the checkered flag at the Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville in 2013, becoming only the second African American to win a race in one of NASCAR's national series, and repeated the feat on Saturday in a truck wearing Scott's number and paint scheme.
Patrick cut short a follow-up question about what needs to be done for more women to enter NASCAR, saying, “Well, clearly then I wouldn’t think that there needs to be a diversity program if I’m here and I didn’t get in.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Quite a few regular guys do.
Thanks rabidralph.
The NHL needs some diverse Guatemalans and Nigerians in the league!
NJ has the same affirmative-action government hiring; reparations to provide a false middle class living for non-whites and women. Unfortunately, the money ran out (due in part I’m sure to glaring inefficiency) and now the shrinking government can’t keep them all on the payroll. They can’t compete in the private sector, so they’re screwed.
Yeah since the NFL & NBA are just so much better & “entertaining” now that the diverse groups make up over 80% of their players.
Not only has the quality of play gone down, so have the morals and brains behind both games.
NASCAR higher ups have been taken down, IMO. The drivers not so much.
They have absorbed all the green energy crap as a hot air business manager could possibly absorb.
Euthanasia day at the Geriatric Ward!
She won an Indy Car race in Japan.
Yeah, well to a lot of long time race fans that's exactly the problem.
It's pretty clear that NASCAR would rather pick the champion by who has the highest Q score and the biggest advertising contract, no need to do all that tiresome driving around the ovals.
Personally, I am rooting for Ryan Newman or Matt Kenseth to win the cup this year with no victories because
(1) because they are not marketing machines like Jr, Carl, Danica or JJ
(2) it would trash the chase format so badly that Brian France's head might explode.
I think she has the potential to be in the Jamie MacMurray or Greg Biffle class eventually, lead a few races every year, win one or two with some luck. But that's about it.
There are lots of other women racers who have as much talent as DP but don't have the top class ride because they lack the T&A factor.
And yeah, she's a lot better driver than I am or ever will be, OK? But then again, I know better than to ask Tony to let me drive one of his cars.
My point being she WAS famous, good reason or not, before she did those hoochie-momma ads. She was even famous within NASCAR, not just Indy.
Yes he does, although not as much as politicos like Uhbama and our own Not-So-Brown.
Consider this, too: blacks tend to be huge. One of the reasons they are on basketball so much.
Little noted is that these drivers are shrimps, basically. Big people do not fit.
Everyone makes fun of jockeys for being short and thin, but it’s really the same thing. And thus, likewise have there hardly been any black jockeys for 100 years since the era of poor medical care. Lots of “South Americans” these days, though.
Think of it as Pop Warner for at-risk youth from substandard housing projects.
Oh, as if Rooney hasn’t been falling over his old self with White Guilt.
Between hosting and supporting Uhbama as The One, and the “Rooney Rule” to force everyone to look for black coaches, he has it all.
My point about Danica is supported by the 2008 race you refer to in that her “driver” skills was second to fuel mistakes by her opponents in the 300 mile race insofar as WHY that race ended the way it did.
I agree with the all time King of Racing Richard Petty. She’s not a “winning” race car driver and the facts prove that beyond argument with just 2 wins in 2002 and 2008 and none in the six years since Japan.
But, she is fantastic for the sport of racing and brings in tons more money that all drivers benefit from and given male egos races she is in are infinitely more fun to watch. Plus, Danica, at 5 foot two inches, 100 lbs is pretty darn cute.
Bottom line: Danica is GOOD for auto racing! I hope she enters and qualifies at Indy! Lol, it’ll be more fun to watch!
I think you've exaggerated a bit, but your post does contain some truth.
If no one is watching, if there are no sponsors, if there aren't any ticket and merchandise sales, there is NO NASCAR or any other top tier racing.
Do you have any idea how much a single car costs? How much it costs to send a team from track to track?
If people like or are curious about or just want to hate on a driver, that's valuable. It means people will watch and spend their money.
Check out Danica Patrick's record in racing so far and I think you'll see a dedicated racer working on her craft and raising her game year after year.
She has earned the right to be there and apparently has the skill set and popularity to stay for a while, because, bottom line, for those who hired and who sponsor her, she makes it worth their while.
Fwiw, she's one of the drivers I follow each race and I've seen continuous improvement from during her time in Nationwide and now in Cup.
Classic! I wish the rest of NASCAR would have told him that.
Whassup, Air Force?
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