Danica Patrick Her Reveals Worst Crash During ‘Running Wild With Bear Grylls’

Monday night’s episode of Running Wild With Bear Grylls featured former motorsports star Danica Patrick. There were several moments that sparked comments, including when she ate a scorpion, but one conversation provided more details about her racing career. Patrick revealed her worst wreck.

Bear Grylls prompted the discussion as they relaxed by the fire. He asked if she had been involved in any wrecks, prompting an interesting story. “I was down low on the bottom of a track, and a car was falling down the track and clipped my right rear [tire] as I went by. Shot me up into the wall.” Patrick continued and explained that she woke up in the medical center and thought that she “was in heaven for a second.”

Patrick did not provide further details about the crash, other than saying that the first thing she saw was the IndyCar pastor leaning over her and asking a question. Her mother was also present and said that she had been in “a little” accident. However, this incident was one of many in her racing career.

A veteran driver, Patrick competed in 252 NASCAR races during her time behind the wheel. She was in the top-level Cup Series for 191 races and the Xfinity Series for 71 races. Her best finish in Cup was sixth place at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2014. Her best Xfinity finish was fourth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011. Patrick walked away from NASCAR with seven top-10 finishes in both the Cup and Xfinity Series.

Patrick also competed in 116 IndyCar races over eight years, including eight Indy 500s. She finished on the podium seven times in her career and won the Twin Ring Motegi in 2008. Patrick also finished third in the 2009 Indy 500.

The fan-favorite driver ultimately walked away from motorsports in 2018. She announced that her final races would be the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500. She did not finish either race due to wrecks but reflected on a memorable career during a post-race press conference.

“Definitely not a great ending, but I said before I came here that I feel like if it’s a complete disaster, as in not in the ballpark at all, that people may remember that, and if I win people will remember that” Patrick said. “Anything in between will be part of a big story. I feel like that’s what it is.”

Following the 2018 Indy 500, Patrick retired from professional racing at the age of 36. She has since spent her time launching a successful podcast, traveling the world, and embracing new experiences. Navigating the Moab wilderness with Grylls is only the latest example.