In her young career Patrick was already becoming a household name in multiple countries. But this was only the beginning for Patrick's fandom. Patrick, upon her Indycar arrival, was only the 4th woman to ever qualify for the Indy , the most prestigious car race. She led the race at multiple points, but ultimately ended up finishing fourth. Other accomplishments in Patrick's career have been highlighted by her racing success and her record breaking feats both individually and being the first trailblazing woman in many of these races.
For example, in the Daytona , she was the first woman to ever start in pole position at 13th. She switched racing teams and even won the Firestone , highlighted by her winning by a margin of only 5. Other highlights in her career include becoming the first woman to win a major-league open-wheel race in a North American series Indy Japan , tying the record for most poles in a rookie season, and more top finishes in well-known and renowned races.
Among her success and popularity in NASCAR, Danica has gained some serious sponsorships and has become a spokesperson for a variety of her brands, all attributed to her fame and great success in the sport. In her first Indy appearance, she joined the likes of driver Sarah Fisher, but re-wrote the record books by starting and finishing fourth.
Notes such as her one lone win came on a day in Japan with only 17 drivers starting, a high attrition rate, Helio Castroneves running out of fuel on the final lap and all of the stars and moons were lined up in perfect accord…read…lucky. When Patrick started racing as a little girl, she did win quite a few go-kart races and some WKA titles. Before stepping into the Indy Car ride in , she competed in about 50 races between seven different series, never recording a win or any series titles, but there was that model look for a race car driver.
The ultra-successful Internet site played this deal up to the hilt with TV, radio, newspaper and Internet advertising their super girl driver Danica. Well, of course, GoDaddy will splash huge amounts of money around a bright green paint scheme and what better team to hook up with than the ultimate fan favorite, Dale Earnhardt Jr. They have the resources, experience and wherewithal to put Danica out there and boy did the media and fans love it.
Posing with very tiny swimwear for the Sports Illustrated magazine a few times raised the interest bar for every warm-blooded male on the planet. They threw her in an ARCA race first before any Nationwide racing, which was certainly a good idea, but one race does not a racer make, not even Danica. There she was with some of the best equipment in a mostly inexperienced field of young racers. Look what she did in her first race. The following dozen races saw a media and fan frenzy everywhere she went in and around the pits.
She led 19 laps of the race, becoming the first woman ever to lead the Indy Patrick's year began tragically when teammate Paul Dana was killed in a crash the morning of the Toyota Indy Patrick had solid Top 10 finishes throughout her IRL campaign that year, coming in ninth place in the standings.
In , Patrick made history when she became the first woman to win a IndyCar race. She made an impressive showing at the Indianapolis the following year, coming in third in that event.
Another signature accomplishment came in August , when she set a record with her 29th consecutive race running at the finish. I've been lucky enough to make history and be the first woman to do many things. We have a lot more history to make and we are excited to do it.
She went on to place eighth in the "Great American Race," and after competing in every event on the schedule, she finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting. While looking for her first big Sprint Cup win, Patrick continued to deliver notable results. She notched a career-best sixth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in August , and the following year she recorded her sixth Top 10 finish, the most of any woman in the history of Sprint Cup competition.
Facing the loss of sponsorship in early , Patrick announced in November that she was stepping away from racing full time, and would retire after competing in the Daytona and the Indianapolis in There was no storybook ending to Patrick's career, as she bowed out after crashing in both events. Her unique status as a female race car driver, combined with her youth and good looks, netted Patrick numerous media opportunities. She served as a host on Spike TV, was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and appeared in commercials and music videos.
In , she published her autobiography, Danica: Crossing the Line.
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