Danica Patrick

[tinker-bell]

 Ok gentleman and Nascar fans. watch out Danica Patrick is officially headed to nascar (nationwide) Let the women show the guys how to drive a race car. GO DANICA can't wait to see Danica give kyle B a piece of her mind...(what a cat fight that will be) Kyle better let his nails grow..

[Propwash]

Thought I read where she signed a contract for 3 more years with Formula one

[Conneaut1]

She did. She also signed a deal with JR Motorsports to run a limited number of races w/ Go-Daddy as the sponsor. It would be cool to see her kick some butt, however I think she'll be a while. DRAMATIC difference in the cars.

[TxAnn]

She'll be driving in a limited number of Nationwide races in 2010. I beleive she'll be driving in a couple ARCA races also.
I wish her luck. Some Nascar drivers, owners, sponsors, etc, don't take kindly to female drivers, or anyone else not white & male. 

[Citygirl]

She'll be driving in a limited number of Nationwide races in 2010. I beleive she'll be driving in a couple ARCA races also.
I wish her luck. Some Nascar drivers, owners, sponsors, etc, don't take kindly to female drivers, or anyone else not white & male. 

Wow..this doesn't say a whole lot about Nascar, does it?

[TxAnn]

She'll be driving in a limited number of Nationwide races in 2010. I beleive she'll be driving in a couple ARCA races also.
I wish her luck. Some Nascar drivers, owners, sponsors, etc, don't take kindly to female drivers, or anyone else not white & male. 

Wow..this doesn't say a whole lot about Nascar, does it?

I hear ya. And they need to pay more attention to the females too, since so many are becoming FANS, that honor the sponsors, pay the tickets, etc too !!

[Propwash]

She'll be driving in a limited number of Nationwide races in 2010. I beleive she'll be driving in a couple ARCA races also.
I wish her luck. Some Nascar drivers, owners, sponsors, etc, don't take kindly to female drivers, or anyone else not white & male. 

If you've read ANYTHING about NASCAR, you would have read where they are pushing to open it up for minorities, women etc. It isn't the good-ole boy racing anymore. There just isn't a whole lot of drivers coming up that are minorities or women. It all starts in the lower ranks. Ouick--name some young minorities or women that are go-kart champs---

[TxAnn]

She'll be driving in a limited number of Nationwide races in 2010. I beleive she'll be driving in a couple ARCA races also.
I wish her luck. Some Nascar drivers, owners, sponsors, etc, don't take kindly to female drivers, or anyone else not white & male. 

If you've read ANYTHING about NASCAR, you would have read where they are pushing to open it up for minorities, women etc. It isn't the good-ole boy racing anymore. There just isn't a whole lot of drivers coming up that are minorities or women. It all starts in the lower ranks. Ouick--name some young minorities or women that are go-kart champs---

Of course the big boys are saying they encourage all genders, races, minorities to enter Nascar.
I remember a lawsuit last year concerning a female Nascar official being sexually harrassed on the job. It's still going on off-stage. 

[Conneaut1]

I believe that was settled in her favor....quietly of course.

[Propwash]

What does that have to do with driving?--read NASCAR.COM. Stock Car Racing magazine had a whole series on how NASCAR is opening up the rank's. BIG BOYS   saying this and NOT doing anything, I disagree. Did you watch the series on Speed Channel, where Penske had tryouts and a number of them were women? At the tryouts NASCAR drivers came and gave pointers to the kids. At the Mansfield Ohio truck race  ( NASCAR) a couple of years ago--Sarah Fisher drove in the truck series, today she's driving Formula 1. About 5 years ago there was a girl driving at the Michigan fall race--don't  remember her first name but her last name was Gordon ( no relation to Jeff). Don't know where she's at now. But NASCAR HAS to diversify and they know it, ticket sales last year were way down. Tickets for Bristol are $65 cheaper this year. They know they need to open their ranks to new fans.
    I agree with Running w/scissors that there just isn't a lot of minorities and women out there trying to get in. I hope Danica does well--the sport needs her. But you didn't have to cheapen the topic by throwing out a lawsuit that we don't know the details of--sexual harassment happens in every workplace, it shouldn't--but it does. It is not indicative of just NASCAR.

[jaredfox]

I don't believe many women or non-whites have tried the sport. I hope Danica does well.  That would be great! I remember Bill Lester.  I don't know if was that no team picked him up or if he just gave it up. I would hate to have it be the former. 

On the subject of Bill Lester, I watched him hoping he was going to do well in the cup series as he showed great promise in both the Nationwide and the Truck series, that guy could drive he really had talent.  He last ran in 2008 in the Rolex series but ultimately left NASCAR due to sponsorship problems.  I looked for the article but could not find it but here is the way it went.  Bill lester got his cup shot with Bill Davies racing in 2006 driving the #23 Waste Managment Dodge Charger he qualified 19th.  He did well for a first timer finished 38th with the car intact, better than most first time racers. He then ran in Michigan in June and finished 32nd again the bringing the car home in one piece.  It was at this point that his sponsor problems began.  It seemed the NASCAR fan Al Sharpton thought it was unfair that the white rednecks stuck the only black driver in the garbage truck car and said repeatedly and publicly as he will that Lester's sponsorship was degrading to the black race of people. Waste Management obliged him and pulled their sponsorship leaving Lester with no backing for his ride.  I was not impressed with Sharpton or WM but I can't blame WM for getting out of the line of fire. I can't find anything about him driving this past season but that man had alot of talent and I think with the right backing he would have been as good as they get.
I think the one problem Danica is going to have is upper body strength from what I understand the Nascar cars take considerably more upper body strength to maneuver than the F1 cars do, if she can leap that hurdle I see nothing other than patience that will stand in her way of being a top competitor.

[David Bucci]

Nitpicky me talking, but Danica does indeed drive open wheel cars in the IndyCar Series, not Formula 1.

[jaredfox]

oops!! I stand corrected and I knew that too Lol!!  Thank you Dave.

[Captain Kirk]

All this talk about who can drive and who is supposed.  Heck, she's just darn HOT!  I'd beam her up to my pad anytime!!

[RV Survivorman]

Being a fan I can tell you this:

NASCAR= Non-Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks !

Danica is smokin' hot and she will draw even more fans!