"The timing on this just worked out and Danica and I both believe that things happen for a reason. In that event she crashed during lap 68. Carpenter, the son of IMS chairman Tony George, is a two-time Indy 500 pole winner. Winning the Indianapolis 500 might quiet some of the naysayers who feel she is not a serious contender in the open-wheel series. Patrick’s victory, and her sixth-place finish in the season-long drivers’ championship, silenced many critics who, in light of her lucrative merchandising and endorsement pursuits, had wondered at times whether she was just a marketing phenomenon. With the rough time she had leading up to securing her place in the field, perhaps she will be rewarded with a win at Indy. Danica Patrick has been entered in six Indianapolis 500 events. She was blessed with the looks and persona to have great commercial value, but she is a racer at heart. Freelance Writer on automobiles and racing. I'm excited and I'm nervous and I'm ready to move forward. Danica ready for Indy, vows to 'win the thing' 3y. She'll jump behind the wheel of an Indy car again for a shakedown during a Chevrolet test at Indy on March 29. The challenges for Patrick are many with really tough competition, but that is why we call it racing. After becoming the first woman in NASCAR history to win a Sprint Cup pole position, Danica Patrick is perfectly positioned as the pole sitter of Sunday’s 55th Daytona 500 … It is the one thing she wants to accomplish before leaving the open-wheel series. That wasn't lost on Carpenter when he heard Patrick's plan to close her career at Indy. Britannica Quiz Indianapolis 500 Patrick won the pole position for the 2013 Daytona 500, becoming the first woman to start a Sprint Cup race from the pole. Janet Guthrie was the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500. She raced at Indy three times during 1977, 1978 and 1979, with a best finish of ninth. She checks all the boxes.". In NASCAR, Guthrie had five top-ten finishes during the 33 races she ran over a period of four years. Drivers may win other races, but a win at Indy or Daytona places an asterisk by that driver's statistics, and they will always be recognized as the winner of that race. TB12 balling and other Week 4 storylines. Patrick, driving a Dallara-Honda for AGR, skillfully avoided taking a late pit stop in the race and finished 5.86 seconds ahead of former IRL titlist Hélio Castroneves of Brazil to become the first woman to win an IndyCar championship event. Danica Patrick, in full Danica Sue Patrick, (born March 25, 1982, Beloit, Wisconsin, U.S.), American race car driver and the first woman to win an IndyCar championship event. He said he believes her final Indy 500 will have "historical relevance.". Great status comes with winning certain races in the various series of motorsports. Once he figured out his 2018 IndyCar lineup, Carpenter realized he had the flexibility to offer a third seat to Patrick. "Danica has always been comfortable and quick at Indy," Carpenter said. The 89th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 29, 2005. They need attention, they need nurturing. Race conditions can certainly yield different results than qualifying through strategy and performance, as she found out with her gas mileage win at the Montegi IndyCar race. Ana Beatriz, Simona de Silvestro and others look to have a good future in the series. On April 20, 2008, in her 50th start in the IRL, Patrick secured the first big win of her career—the Firestone IndyCar 300 race at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Motegi, Japan. Certainly winning the Indianapolis 500 would ease the pain of leaving the open-wheel series if her career is headed in the direction of stock car racing. It was the premier event of the 2005 IndyCar Series season and the tenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. The Indianapolis 500 has been a pretty good race for her with the top-10 finishes. L.A. has proved it is more than the two stars credited with bringing the team here , Our writer breaks down why Davis struggled and how he can fix it in Game 4 ⬇️, Green Bay moves up a spot after rolling Atlanta on MNF. I call it all my other projects. In 2013, as Danica transitioned to the NASCAR Cup Series, she made headlines around the world with her record-setting performance in the 55th Daytona 500 race. She also became the first woman to lead a lap in that race, and she finished in eighth place. The Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 certainly rank at the top. Author of. ... Danica Patrick was always sure a woman could win a race. See where your team stands after Week 4 , Coaching complaints When I had a chance to offer her a seat, I was happy she hadn't moved on and found another deal. In 2008, Danica made history again becoming the first woman to win a major-league open-wheel race in a North American series with her victory in the IndyCar Series Indy Japan 300 race. A win by Patrick at Indy would inspire all the young women currently driving in the various series from karting, midgets, sprint cars and late models. Until the checkered flag drops, the dream of winning the Indianapolis 500 is alive and well, and just maybe her dream can be realized. Patrick is ready, and admittedly comfortable, to be the centerpiece of the Indy 500. 13 Chevrolet. Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. In 2017 she announced that she would be retiring after the following year’s Indy 500. OBJ all the way back? A win by Patrick at Indy would raise the level of credibility for the women currently in the Izod IndyCar Series and make their path to success a bit easier. GoDaddy, Patrick's former sponsor in both IndyCar and NASCAR, teamed with Patrick for her double and is helping her prepare for life outside of the race car. Patrick has a dream, like so many other drivers, of claiming a win at the all important Indianapolis 500. Patrick still faces the climb to recognition as a contender for wins in NASCAR, but until she devotes more time to the series, it is hard to prove herself.