A Danica Patrick-Tony Stewart partnership. How long before some kind of volcanic reaction? It’s enough to make the media
salivate. Sponsors are already chomping at the bit.
It’s true, Patrick was in the land of NASCAR early this week touring the swanky digs of Stewart/Haas Racing.
The possibilities for all concerned are quite intriguing—and no doubt potentially lucrative for Stewart and Patrick. The First Lady of the Indy Racing League would bring lots of attention and buckets of sponsorship money. On-track success, now that’s another question entirely.
Patrick would be wise to take up Chip Ganassi’s offer and stay in the IRL—for at least a few more seasons. And this is why. The absolute best thing Patrick could do for her career—and her legacy—is to become the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500. And we all know egos like Patrick think often about their legacy.
No matter what you think of Patrick, you have to admit this; She can run up front at the famed Brickyard. She already has. She can even lead what many still call The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. With Ganassi’s horse power, I think she can win it. After all, the Indianapolis 500 may be a great spectacle, but it’s not necessarily the greatest barometer of a driver’s skill.
If Patrick leaves the IRL now, she’ll find she will soon abdicate her throne as the best woman driver in open-wheel history. Whether its Indy Lights star Ana Beatriz or an older vet like Katherine Legge or a driver we haven’t heard of yet (I keep hearing of a young teenage Filipino girl who can drive the wheels off a car), someone sooner rather than later will give a capable woman the right car and chassis combination to win at Indianapolis—and that will be a first the history of motorsports will never forget.
And Patrick will learn this hard lesson: Star personalities like hers come and go. Riches can never really buy happiness and contentment—especially not for a high-level achievement-oriented athlete. Youthful looks fade. And her cover girl image will never, ever appear on the side of the Borg Warner Trophy alongside some of the greatest race car drivers the world has ever known.
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If she could really drive an open wheel car we would have seen her in sprint cars before now.
My apologies, but I just could not resist.
Based on the headline and Joyce's comment I wasn't sure what movement was being discussed-and I'm not sure which throne.
She's too smart to accept the call from Hef....
The truth is Danica's brand stinks and this is the best she can do. Beside, racing, big time professional that is, is fading fast and is no longer a viable career goal. The sport itself, will be a curiosity, fourth-tier, semi-professional thing in a decade. Even NASCAR.
Indy is easy? Ever driven an Indy car, at 220 mph, with 32 cars around you? Ever made that left turn into No. 1 without lifting the throttle?
What you do is easy, which is to hang around this blog and pontificate like you really know something.
Patrick is fifth in the point standings on a team that is struggling. She went off to England as a teenager and made herself into a racer. She set a goal and is in the process of achieving it. Whether she's ever an 500 winner, an Indy car champion, a success in NASCAR, remains to be seen. But she has achieved.
What have you done with your life that is comparable? Just curious.
But it seems your greatest achievement may be to hide behind a pseudonym and take shots at those who are hanging their butts out in racing.
Now THAT'S easy.
What would be interesting is to see Tony Stewart start an IRL team, or team up with an existing one. It is no secret that he still longs for a 500 victory. If he can continue the huge success of his NASCAR team, that would give him the ability to start an IRL team which would give him a great opportunity to run Indy again.
Fixed your erroneous wording there Anthony. :D
Probably road and street courses have somewhat more talented winners than ovals, but as far as ovals are concerned, Indy requires more talent. The same holds true for NASCAR, as there have been no Joe Nemechek or Elliott Sadler or Jeremy Mayfield-level winners there...all but two champions and Rudd perhaps should have had one...
For the record, I see her probably going to a third Ganassi car, but never winning Indy. She just doesn't lead enough, and I don't think the difference in Ganassi and AGR equipment is that much...the main difference is that AGR has much weaker drivers, and AGR's one elite driver (Kanaan) has been injured since Indy and therefore not having the same results.
while those guys were much stronger should be read as
while [the IRL-era Indy drivers] were much stronger [elsewhere].
By the way, if she did what Crownhilldigger suggested and “demonstrated her real open wheel driving talent by driving sprint cars”, she would just be another poor, bitter racer complaining that no one ever hires “real” talent in the IndyCar Series. Get real. Anyone with serious aspirations of getting to Indy stopped going the sprint car route decades ago.
Indy is easy. The spec has made it a race that any reasonable racer of modest ability can at least participate in and finish if they have a modicum of intelligence and basic skills. Pit stops are not any easier than years past. But the actual racing or what is called racing by the IRL is about SCCA Pro level today. The start has even been dumbed down to make it easy. Marco can't even handle that. No, Indy is easy. Trust me. You REALLY should trust me. Hint. I'll leave it at that.
You don't like my answer because it is contrarian to your Indy beliefs. I come here in anonymity to dispell BS and speak the truth, harsh as it is. Fact.
My suggestion that Danica jump into a sprint car as based on rounding her out as a racer-not that she should jump IRL to Silver Crown. If she has the talent that everyone suggests she has she could be competitive in another format. The fact that her fans are of a similar chromosonal make up should not be a surprise to any of us-the fact that she could run the wheels of a variety of different race cars shouldn't either. Great racers love to race and therefore are typically competitive on Mini-Bikes, Go-Cart or Golf Cart. With Danica we will never know.
As I said before-I wish her well.
I don't trust anyone who hides behind anonymity and pretends to know.
If you've got the bonafides, let us know. Othewise, you're nothing more than a poser on a blog.
And answer the question: Have you made that left turn into No. 1 at Indy at 220 miles an hour without lifting?
To answer your question, yes. Easier now than last decade. Much.
Thanks. And who cares what you believe?
Fact is fact.
I seem to remember you saying that immediately following Watkins Glen we would hear about Barnstormer losing his job. Am I wrong? Where's the announcement?
I actually enjoy reading some of your posts, but you're losing credibility......
Then you should have the gonads to identify yourself to Anthony and let him use you as a knowledgeable source about all things racing. I'm sure Anthony would appreciate the expertise.
Otherwise, you're just an anonymous poser with no more credibility than anyone else on this blog.
That's a fact. Trust me.
And who cares what I believe? Obviously, you do.
I am here for fun. I speak publicly about our sport all the time. Try and figure out who I am. You see, I do not need forums for my personal ID and esteem. I am out there every week. This is for yucks and wisecracks.
And no, I don't care what you think. Or anyone else for that matter. But you asked questions, so I answered. You are like another dime a dozen face in the stands to me.
Love the dime a dozen face comment. Contributions like that only further reduce the sport you seem passionate about....if only to make a living.
Anthony would be wise to look to a 'real' source....that is, if he needs one. ;)
Nice how the inimitable Count evaded your question. Seems like he/she was more interested in defending his/her self. Don't you agree?
The Count = Milk'n Doughnuts
Anyway, I won't post a link, but the Autobahn Country Club is hosting an event Friday thru Sunday next weekend, you can Bing it. The Mazda's, Atlantics, GT3s, etc.. Should be a good time. Not decided myself, but I may be a 'dime a dozen' face there next weekend.
Yeah, Berwick, scratching my head at the no reply as well. But it's probably better than hearing some half baked story about why he's wrong on that prediction. Something 'out of his control', but 'trust me'.
IRL: burn baby burn
You've flipped over the edge of insanity. The little lady's money is to be made in the USA. It's Ganassi in IRL or nastycar. Daddy Warbucks will see to that. Wouldn't be surprised to even see the sisty uglers of Hulman fame(sic) throw some bucks in. Nothing they would do should surprise anyone.