Danica Patrick passed her first test toward becoming a successful driver in NASCAR with her highly professional effort finishing sixth in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona. Her primary goal was just to finish the race, but certainly her sixth place finish and what she accomplished to get there showed tremendous racing talent.
Her big test came in lap 53 when a tap, a loss of aerodynamics, her car went speeding into the grass where she could have easily spun out, rocketed back into traffic, or smacked a wall. Television analyst, Darrell Waltrip, noticed from in-car shots, what incredible “hand control” she had keeping the front wheels positioned properly to save the car. When the race was over, her car only sustained a minor amount of sheet metal damage.
For any driver to have a top ten finish in her first outing is a remarkable feat. To have been in the middle of the pack for much of the race, especially in the ARCA series noted for its fender smashing action, and to survive so effectively shows one alert driver not only handling the equipment but being able to communicate with her spotters and crew chief.
Surely Tony Eury Jr. deserves some credit too. Perhaps he is the perfect man to handle the highly visible rookie sensation as so much attention was focused on the famous “son of” whose career was under the spotlights from day one as the son of Dale Earnhardt. Especially after his father’s death, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the sports media all over him as he attempted to master the sport.
Her next test will be in an actual Nationwide race where things aren’t quite as rough and tumble as ARCA but she’ll be competing with some of the sport’s finest, including some Sprint Cup regulars who also run in the Nationwide series. She has a great path to follow to Sprint Cup success following how Tony Stewart made his move from IRL to cup racing by way of Busch. Juan Pablo Montoya finally became a legitimate top tier contender last year after struggling going directly from IRL to Sprint Cup. Sam Hornish Jr. and Scott Speed still have much to prove. Hornish was just beginning to master Sprint Cup in some of last year’s final quarter events.
For Danica Patrick, the road to the top will never be easy. No driver commands the kind of publicity she does. While women have raced in NASCAR since its pioneer days, none have ever become major competitors. Shawna Robinson and Patty Moise showed tremendous potential at times but never had the support team or equipment to prove what they could accomplish.
Danica Patrick is racing for an owner in Dale Earnhardt Jr. who can identify with her high visibility probably better than no other driver in the sport. With his team support comes the whole Hendricks organization and its resources to put her in the best ride possible.
It’s way too soon to see how Danica Patrick, the IRL driver will succeed in NASCAR, but she has certainly passed her first test extremely well.
Her big test came in lap 53 when a tap, a loss of aerodynamics, her car went speeding into the grass where she could have easily spun out, rocketed back into traffic, or smacked a wall. Television analyst, Darrell Waltrip, noticed from in-car shots, what incredible “hand control” she had keeping the front wheels positioned properly to save the car. When the race was over, her car only sustained a minor amount of sheet metal damage.
For any driver to have a top ten finish in her first outing is a remarkable feat. To have been in the middle of the pack for much of the race, especially in the ARCA series noted for its fender smashing action, and to survive so effectively shows one alert driver not only handling the equipment but being able to communicate with her spotters and crew chief.
Surely Tony Eury Jr. deserves some credit too. Perhaps he is the perfect man to handle the highly visible rookie sensation as so much attention was focused on the famous “son of” whose career was under the spotlights from day one as the son of Dale Earnhardt. Especially after his father’s death, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the sports media all over him as he attempted to master the sport.
Her next test will be in an actual Nationwide race where things aren’t quite as rough and tumble as ARCA but she’ll be competing with some of the sport’s finest, including some Sprint Cup regulars who also run in the Nationwide series. She has a great path to follow to Sprint Cup success following how Tony Stewart made his move from IRL to cup racing by way of Busch. Juan Pablo Montoya finally became a legitimate top tier contender last year after struggling going directly from IRL to Sprint Cup. Sam Hornish Jr. and Scott Speed still have much to prove. Hornish was just beginning to master Sprint Cup in some of last year’s final quarter events.
For Danica Patrick, the road to the top will never be easy. No driver commands the kind of publicity she does. While women have raced in NASCAR since its pioneer days, none have ever become major competitors. Shawna Robinson and Patty Moise showed tremendous potential at times but never had the support team or equipment to prove what they could accomplish.
Danica Patrick is racing for an owner in Dale Earnhardt Jr. who can identify with her high visibility probably better than no other driver in the sport. With his team support comes the whole Hendricks organization and its resources to put her in the best ride possible.
It’s way too soon to see how Danica Patrick, the IRL driver will succeed in NASCAR, but she has certainly passed her first test extremely well.
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