When Danica Patrick made her Indianapolis 500 debut in 2005, she quickly asserted herself as a contender and could have won the race if not for fuel woes that forced her to slow down in the final laps. Not many are expecting her to have as memorable a run in her first Brickyard 400 this weekend, but the Sprint Cup rookie is still looking forward to returning to Indy.
“I don’t care what I drive around Indy, I love being there,” said Patrick, who finished 35th in last year’s inaugural NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “I just like everything about it. I like the facility, obviously. And, to me, the special thing about Indy is, obviously, I’ve had great experiences, but it’s about the track.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of car I drive there, I’ve had great experiences, memories. So that’s what I like so much about it. And I love the tradition. The older I get, the more I realize how much history and tradition plays a role in what’s important and what matters and what means the most to you.”
Patrick is aiming to become the first female competitor in Brickyard 400 history this weekend. Up to this point, the only other female that’s attempted to compete in an Cup race at IMS has been Shauna Robinson, who failed to qualify for the 2001 running.
Making the show would be another accomplishment at IMS for Patrick, who was a steady racer in her Indy 500 career. From 2005 to 2011, she notched six Top-10s in seven appearances in the world’s greatest race, and her third-place effort in 2009 stands as the best result for a woman in ‘500’ history.
For now at least, that chapter of her career is over. But Patrick’s respect for Indy is still very much evident.
“I just feel like I’ve had a lot of different experiences here that can help me and, again, it’s just a special place where I feel like from the beginning I’ve always really believed that you have to show this track respect, and it will hopefully show you the respect back,” she said.
“I’ve always thought that and, especially in IndyCar, this place can bite you pretty big. I don’t think it’s too much different in a stock car, to be honest. It’s just a very familiar place.”
