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. Danica joined the mainstream ranks by succeeding in the male-dominated world of professional motorsports. She has appeared in a record-setting 14 Super Bowl commercials, 13 of which were for longtime partner, GoDaddy! After winning numerous regional and national go-kart titles, Danica left the Midwest at 16 years old to compete in the cutthroat world of European road racing.
James Foundation Driver Development Program, where her abilities were further refined. This led her to be hired by John Mecom Jr.
K racing. Additionally, he sponsored Patrick to a high-quality driving school. There she socialized with drivers such as Jenson Button. At that timeframe, she was financially backed up by the Ford Motor Company. Unfortunately, after one season, rumors surfaced about her having an extravagant lifestyle; hence, she lost the support of Mecom. Patrick spent three years in the U. During the British Formula Vauxhall Championship; she placed ninth.
This leads her to receive a Formula Three test with Carlin in Danica before the race track. Later, Bobby Rahal Jaguar Racing team principal organized a second test for her in the Paul Stewart Racing development program, which got canceled in mid The same year, Danica got awarded the Gorsline Scholarship Award as the most aspiring road course competitor. She was then recognized as the top female open-wheel race car driver with experience on the international scene.
Back then, in the U. Besides, every weekend, Patrick, along with her father, traveled to race tracks expecting to get hired by a team owner. Alongside, Danica spoke to Rahal for funding, and he signed her in a three-year contract at Milwaukee Mile. In , Patrick switched to the Toyota Atlantic Series, becoming the first woman to race in the championship since Patrick in Toyota Atlantic Series.
Afterward, the following year , she competed in the Toyota Atlantic Series for the second consecutive year, becoming the first woman to win a pole position in series history at the Portland International Raceway race. Not every time, but so many times. In the meantime, she was hospitalized for a mild concussion while debuting for the season-opening race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. At the Indianapolis , she set the fastest overall practice speed record.
Following it, on the 8 season race at Kansas Speedway, she became the second woman in Indy car history to achieve the feat after Sarah Fisher. She had returned to Rahal Letterman Racing for the season. In January, she made her endurance racing debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona. At the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, she stood second, and at the Indy Japan at Motegi; she came eighth.
Indy Practice. In November, the March of Dimes awarded her the title of Sportswoman of the Year to celebrate her dedication and success. The rest of her season went modestly, and at the end of the year, she had points. This season she commenced with two top-ten finishes in the first four races. She took the best finish placing third at the Bombardier Learjet By the end, she has had points and eleven top-ten finishes. She kickstarted the year with Andretti Green Racing, where she had the best Homestead finish of sixth.
Following it, she placed tenth in St. At the same time, she became the first woman to win a top-level sanctioned open-wheel car racing event. During the Indianapolis , she had to leave the game right after being placed fifth due to her collision with Ryan Briscoe in the pit lane.
Hence, she ended this season with all those events with three further top-ten finishes with a best of fifth at Infineon Raceway. Her total reached points sixth in final standing ; hence, she was the highest placed American over the course of the season.
Due to some mechanical issues, they placed eighth in the race. After returning to Andretti Green Racing, she was placed 19th at the very first race. Moving forward, she finished the other two races at Long Beach and Kansas, covering up the fourth and fifth places, respectively. Top 15? Top 25? You just have to play it by ear. We struck up a conversation, and one of the first things we were talking about was how much it helped him when he started racing the Cup car and how much it helped his Nationwide program.
It gets busier because you get more popular, and the more popular you are, it actually gets busier. Take those chances where you can achieve greatness. Give yourself permission to shoot for something that seems beyond your grasp. You may be surprised at your own capabilities. No matter how good you are, how brave you are or anything it comes down to that car so many times.
Not every time, but many times. Danica Patrick is the best female racer in the world. Wealthy Gorilla was founded in , to serve as an inspiration to people from all ways of life. At Wealthy Gorilla, we cover articles on self-development, entrepreneurship, inspiration, quotes, and motivation. Today, we are receiving over 2 million views every single month.
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