What Has Danica Patrick Actually Ever Done?
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Every time I hear something about her she’s either taking off her clothes or losing an auto race in Formula One or NASCAR. She may be a “first” for her gender, but it doesn’t seem like she can compete in her chosen venue.
27 Responses to “What Has Danica Patrick Actually Ever Done?”
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© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
Patrick races in IRL, not Formula One. While the cars look similar, they are completely different leagues.
The answer to your question would be the same either way, though: nothing much. Patrick is moderately competitive in Indy racing, but she rarely runs anywhere near the front.
That’s not enough for you?
I just got the surprise of the night when I went to look at Patrick’s career stats. While my family is “involved” in auto racing, I’ve never taken a shine to it, and we were never fond of open-wheel racing, so I rarely paid attention to the Indy cars . . . but Patrick finished fifth in points last season (and 6th the year before). While never winning a race, she finished in the top 10 in 10 of the 17 races, and fifth place over a season is hardly terrible.
She’s hot. She has a more exciting job than yours or mine. It’s not NASCAR, which is the auto racing equivalent of race-walking. All good.
There are golfers and tennis players whose careers are like this as well. A good ranking without ever winning anything. Anna Kournikova comes to mind immediately, but at least Anna was a tough doubles player, especially when partnered with Martina Hingis in her prime.
I’ve got nothing against hot chicks, but I’m old fashioned about sports. First you have to win something, then we’ll talk about the rest of it. And of course, it’s completely sexist. Rick Fox was matinee idol good looking, but nobody pretended he was as important to the Lakers as Kobe or Shaq.
“What Has Danica Patrick Actually Ever Done?”
More than Kim Kardashian, let’s put it that way.
But has she, really? I don’t think Kardashian ever promised more than a big butt and a smile.
She plays in a tough league and runs consistently in the money. Whether or not she wins the big races may be important to people outside the cockpit, but not many get on the inside and finishing in the top five is something another twenty-five drivers who don’t seem to earn the same degree of derision failed to do.
It’s one thing to say someone can’t hit the fast ball. It’s another to hit one.
IRL rookie of the year for 2005 rookie of the year for 2005 indy 500.
first woman to win an IRL race (japan 300, 2008.)
first woman to ever lead at the indy 500 (2005)
placed 3rd in the indy 500 on 2009- best finish ever for a woman.
she’s finished in the top 10 at the indy 500 every year she’s competed except 2008.
and that’s just what she’s accomplished at the IRL level….she’s been racing something since she was 10.
so. there you go…
BTW…she is NOT the first of her gender to compete at this level.
see: lyn st james, sarah fisher, janet guthrie.
I think Patrick is over-rated, but this is true of lots of drivers in Indy and NASCAR racing. She gets picked on for being cute, but at least she’s competitive. (Unlike a lot of male drivers who just lose money for their owners year after year, but keep getting paid.)
Of course, there’s another way of looking at this: Danica Patrick may single-handedly be responsible for anyone in America even caring about IRL. The cost of Indy racing, infighting, and the split with CART practically killed open-wheeled racing in this country. It’s arguable that the novelty of Patrick keeps paying customers interested in what is fast becoming a forgettable pastime. The worst thing that could happen to IndyCars is if Patrick succeeds on the NASCAR Nationwide series.
I’m not sure why being the first woman to race professionally against men is NOT something worthy of praise OW; aren’t there a shitload of dudes on the circuit who haven’t won jack?
Is anyone suggesting they ought get the Hell out of there?
As I asked Oliver, Matt; how many guys on the circuit haven’t won shit, ever?
Should they get the boot as well?
True, but she’s by far the most successful, and I don’t mean the pinup appeal, I mean actual racing accomplishments, which you correctly pointed out.
As stated by Melissa, she’s not the first.
My apologies to the other groundbreakers.
I’m not asking for them to be given the boot. I just want to the press coverage of athletes linked first and foremost to performance. Maria Sharapova gets a lot of press because she’s pretty, but she has also won three Grand Slam titles. To my mind, that makes her more worthy of fame than Anna Kournikova, who never won one singles title on the major pro circuit.
We already have women (and men) whose attractiveness is their most important attribute. They are called models. Let athletes be athletes. Any of them have to be good to compete at the pro level, but we should reward the excellence of being a winner at the top levels most of all and not have some special award for being the cutest girl to lose in the round of 16.
I heard a racing expert say that if Janet Guthrie had the same support Patrick has she would have won multiple Indys.
Pssst “I’m a Hick,” Your so-called “racing expert” has absolutly no way to judge where Guthrie would have placed if given different equiptment.
Put simply, he’s guessing.
‘Any of them have to be good to compete at the pro level, but we should reward the excellence of being a winner at the top levels most of all and not have some special award for being the cutest girl to lose in the round of 16.’
I couldn’t agree more, not that it means this sort of thing will come to an end any time soon.
Probably true; you could easily say the same thing about Satchel Paige.
‘I heard a racing expert say that if Janet Guthrie had the same support Patrick has she would have won multiple Indys.’
This was the comment I was responding to, not Marc’s.
FYI: you know those are two things you should never trust.
He had his knowledge of her skills and his knowledge of her equipment and support. A guess, yes. But an educated one. Not gonna argue, though.
And it’s hard to compare across eras.
Well then in essence you agree with me. It is in fact hard if not impossible to compare different drivers from different eras of the sport. Making a guess how Guthrie would do, or Danica isn’t close to being an educated guess by your so-called “expert.”
If you think she drives for Formula One and not Indycar then you have no right to even comment!!!!!!!!