Danica Patrick has not competed in a professional race in two years, but she left the sport as one of the most successful women in racing history. Along with making history in NASCAR, Patrick was also gabbing people’s attention IndyCar. In fact, she won the Indy Japan 300 in 2008 and at that time it was the only win by a woman in an IndyCar series. Patrick recently talked about her career on her podcast Pretty Intense and she revealed what she missed the most.
“I miss that, like, part that I grew up loving, which was this sort of instant gratification part of going out, lap time, improving, finishing positions.,” she said according to For The Win. So that’s all really tangible numbers, and so, so many other things that I do, like everything now … there’s not that quick, instant gratification from, you know, 27 seconds to the next 27 seconds. So I do kind of miss that instant reward stuff that you had with progress of making the car handle better and finishing better. Things seem to take a little longer to turn the ship with these things. But I miss that.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
Here’s a look at what to remember about Patrick’s IndyCar career.
First Win
Patrick made racing history when she won the Indy Japan 300 back in 2008. She became the first female driver to win an IndyCar Series race and afterward, Patrick said to the New York Daily News: “It’s a long time coming. Finally. “It was a fuel strategy race, but my team called it perfectly for me. I knew I was on the same strategy as Helio and when I passed him for the lead, I couldn’t believe it. This is fabulous.”
First Indianapolis 500
Patrick entered the IndyCar scene in 2005, and she made an immediate impact as she finished fourth in the Indianapolis 500. She actually led the Indy 500 at one point which was the first time a woman was in first during the race.
Rookie of the Year
Because of what Patrick did in the 2005 Indy 500, she earned the Bombardier Rookie of the Year Award. She finished 12th in the IndyCar Series standings and she recorded two top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
Top 5
In 2009, Patrick finished in fifth in the IndyCar Series standings for Andretti Green Racing. She notched five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. She also finished third in the Indianapolis 500.
Most Popular Driver
In 2010, Patrick has established herself as a fan favorite in the racing world. She was voted IndyCar Series most popular driver for the sixth time, and she finished 10th in the IndyCar Series standings.
Final Year
2011 was the final year Patrick took part in IndyCar racing full-time, and she finished strong. She recorded nine top-10 finishes, and she earned a fifth-place finish in Milwaukee. Patrick also finished 10 in the final standings.
Final Indy 500
Patrick returned to the IndyCar scene in 2018 for the Indianapolis 500. And it was not the finish she wanted, as she crashed on Lap 68. After the race, Patrick said: “Disappointing finish but something like that is not going to take away from my love for this track, for IndyCars, for racing. I’ll always have fond memories, so I’m not going to let that, tomorrow, influence my heart on it all. Although I was broken-hearted for sure.”
