Photo Credit: CHEVROLET NEWS PHOTO
Spotlight is all about celebrating and embracing women who are either athletes or work in the industry. This week’s choice is the first to be featured for her particular sport; this week’s spotlight will be on race car driver Danica Patrick.
Patrick grew up in Wisconsin, where her love affair with racing started. She started off slow with go-karts before moving onto racing actual cars. Her focus on becoming a driver even put her schooling on hold as she dropped out of high school and obtained her GED. She would move to England at age 16 where she raced for the Formula Ford before returning to the US to race IndyCars.
In 2005, Patrick’s career in the US was kickstarted. She raced in her first Indianapolis 500, making her only the fourth woman to do so. She would finish 12th overall in the IndyCar championship, but would be recognized nevertheless. She was named the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, IndyCar Series season Rookie of the Year and IndyCar Series Most Popular Driver, a title that she held for seven years.
In 2012, She gave up her career with IndyCar and become an official NASCAR driver. Patrick has raced in 118 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races since then, getting as high as 24th place in 2015. She has received one pole in her career which is when a driver has one of the best qualifying times prior to the race. The pole is the line at the start of the track where each car is placed, showing a clear advantage to those on the inside.
Patrick is mostly known by her endorsement deal with GoDaddy. Even though her endorsement is over for now, she is well-known for appearing in their commercials and wearing their logo on her jumpsuit and car. Patrick has become a celebrity in her own right, making appearances in music videos, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and has published an autobiography.
One of the biggest examples of Patrick’s impact came from a fellow driver Jeff Gordon’s daughter, Ella. With a dad like Jeff Gordon, you would think that she would only cheer for him but think again. Ella took a liking to Patrick and had an epiphany, realizing that girls could race cars too. Patrick shared her excitement over the moment later, “I’m flattered to take pictures with kids…especially Jeff Gordon’s daughter, it’s even more so an honor.” which had to be an exciting moment for both Patrick and Gordon.
Patrick is a pioneer for all athletes, male or female. Unlike sports such as basketball or hockey, Patrick is able to compete with the opposite sex. There are no alternatives for females to race in NASCAR and her presence within the organization shows what equality in sports is like. While Patrick might not be the best racer in NASCAR, she is setting the stage for future female NASCAR drivers.
