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View Full Version : Is Danika Patrick the Anna Kournikova of Indy car racing?



Okla-homey
5/28/2006, 07:37 PM
IOW, hawt...but unable to win?

OzarkSooner
5/28/2006, 07:39 PM
She's kinda' semi-hot, but, I get the impression that she might be the kind that would pass gass and belch a lot to fit in with da' boyz...She's still young to put in that category as far as racing is considered.

MiccoMacey
5/28/2006, 07:40 PM
She's won, but just not at Indy.

I'd be hard pressed to find any tournament victories AK ever won. Anna was just fun to look at.








Heh. I said hard-pressed. :D

Scott D
5/28/2006, 07:42 PM
well Anna won some doubles tournaments...granted for most of that time her partner was Martina Hingis...but still.

I'd compare Patrick to Michelle Wie in terms of winning...gets close at times and has a lot of hype.

Okla-homey
5/28/2006, 07:52 PM
Do you guys share my impression that if she were decidedly "un-hawt" no one would be making a fuss over her, notwithstanding breaking down the racing "gender-barrier" and all that fem stuff.

Oh, I almost forgot. She called down lightening from the Car Racing Olympus in the lead-up to the race. Richard Petty was quoted this week as saying words to the effect, "She's cute and all but racing is no place for girls." To which Patrick retorted thru reporters "Who is Richard Petty?" I reckon that was good for major bad mojo from NASCAR types all over the country.

Scott D
5/28/2006, 08:00 PM
Do you guys share my impression that if she were decidedly "un-hawt" no one would be making a fuss over her, notwithstanding breaking down the racing "gender-barrier" and all that fem stuff.

Oh, I almost forgot. She called down lightening from the Car Racing Olympus in the lead-up to the race. Richard Petty was quoted this week as saying words to the effect, "She's cute and all but racing is no place for girls." To which Patrick retorted thru reporters "Who is Richard Petty?" I reckon that was good for major bad mojo from NASCAR types all over the country.

yeah what she said is out of context in your post :)

Gandalf_The_Grey
5/28/2006, 08:12 PM
Well comparing a Top 10 driver with Anna seems a little rough

Newbomb Turk
5/28/2006, 08:49 PM
Well comparing a Top 10 driver with Anna seems a little rough

Anna broke the top 10 in singles at one time, and was part of the #1 doubles team.

SoonerInKCMO
5/28/2006, 08:50 PM
Including other top-level racing circuits, Patrick is nowhere near top 10. Kournikova was in fact ranked in the top 10 for parts of her career.

Newbomb Turk
5/28/2006, 08:51 PM
Including other top-level racing circuits, Patrick is nowhere near top 10. Kournikova was in fact ranked in the top 10 for parts of her career.

I agree. ;)

SoonerInKCMO
5/28/2006, 08:55 PM
Heh. I was too slow with my typing.

VeeJay
5/28/2006, 09:04 PM
I think what Richard was probably referring to was the ability to crawl under a car with a wrench and adjust something. You don't see drivers doing that any more - especially in Indy.

He's also probably referring to the ability to defend oneself when a bumping incident occurs and an Allison is coming after you with an Alabama ***-kickin' posse.

Of course, an "incident" in Indy at speeds of 220 mph means disintegrating fiberglass, methanol fires and instant death, so maybe he gets a pass on the way it used to be.

yermom
5/28/2006, 09:20 PM
AK was losing to girls though, DP is competing against guys

StoopTroup
5/28/2006, 09:26 PM
Patrick is in a class of her own. She'll get right up in your grill. :D

http://www.media-online.ru/graphics/upload/15063__danika_patrick.jpg

bri
5/28/2006, 09:35 PM
Enjoy your vacation.

Gandalf_The_Grey
5/28/2006, 09:39 PM
I am just saying that for most of her career, Anna has been considered a joke. Danica races with one of the best teams, and she is competitive with the Castroneves, Hornish's, and other Top 10 drivers and to think she is still very inexperienced bodes well that better times are before her. The last 2 Indy 500's I have thought the whole race that Danica could have possibly pulled it out, I can't ever remember thinking, Anna has this tournament by the balls. The Suns dancers are effin hott btw ;)

Ike
5/28/2006, 11:32 PM
The thing that seperates Danica from AK, IMHO, is that she seems to be much more focused on her sport and considers the money she makes from endorsments to be gravy. Once AK got high enough in tennis to garner international attention, she seemed to not care so much about tennis....

colleyvillesooner
5/28/2006, 11:49 PM
AK was losing to girls though, DP is competing against guys


We probably shouldn't use acronyms on this one.

Just sayin'. :D

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 12:00 AM
I'll car about Danica Patrick when she steps in up and tries to run the week in/week out grind that is NASCAR, instead of the once month IRL races with small fields and no talent pipeline.

Gandalf_The_Grey
5/29/2006, 08:53 AM
comparing NASCAR ot IRL is like comparing apples and oranges. IRL is more dangerous, they travel faster. The IRL obviously have more knowledge of road type and drafting type courses. Look at the IRL alumns in NASCAR...Stewart, Gordon, Andretti, etc. They all tend to have better skills at road courses and they tend to draft well. NASCAR is a huge grind, but it probably isn't as hard as you think....i mean look at Schrader, Stewart, Gordon...it almost seems like they are racing somewhere every nite of the week. Also, I think that NASCAR would give their right and left testicle if they could get Danica with a good team like Roush or Hendricks....

Okla-homey
5/29/2006, 08:56 AM
yeah what she said is out of context in your post :)

This is America mister. I am free to jack my own post.;)

walkoffsooner
5/29/2006, 09:10 AM
Yea the better drivers irl no doubt about it.Like a fighter pilot in a cessna no fun or you would see nascar dominated by foreign drivers.

Okla-homey
5/29/2006, 09:15 AM
Yea the better drivers irl no doubt about it.Like a fighter pilot in a cessna no fun or you would see nascar dominated by foreign drivers.

Perhaps the absence of foreign drivers in NASCAR is more about the fact Bubba and Thelma wouldn't get too fired up about some guy named Ernesto Ravioli driving the #87 Kodak/Little Debbie/WD-40 Ford.

Gandalf_The_Grey
5/29/2006, 09:19 AM
Oh I think the IROC series shows that you give just about any race driver whether they are IRL, Cart, NASCAR, Truck Series an equal car, they will be very able to be very competitive. You have to realize that most of these drivers first 4 or 5 years of driving, probably drove very similar cars. Could the IRL guys handle the bumps and heat of a NASCAR..they would struggle a little...Could the NASCAR guy handles the 2 or 3 g's for 3 hours...they would struggle a little.

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 09:20 AM
Yea the better drivers F1 and Champ Car no doubt about it.Like a fighter pilot in a cessna no fun or you would see nascar dominated by foreign drivers.
Fixed it for you

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 09:23 AM
Oh I think the IROC series shows that you give just about any race driver whether they are IRL, Cart, NASCAR, Truck Series an equal car, they will be very able to be very competitive. You have to realize that most of these drivers first 4 or 5 years of driving, probably drove very similar cars. Could the IRL guys handle the bumps and heat of a NASCAR..they would struggle a little...Could the NASCAR guy handles the 2 or 3 g's for 3 hours...they would struggle a little.
Ask Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart, both have them have done the memorial day double without problem. Robby for the most part has run better as an IRL driver. Look at the IRL guys who haven't drawn much interest or success at the NASCAR level. Paul Tracy and Scott Pruett to name two. IRL is a glorified parade.

Okla-homey
5/29/2006, 09:24 AM
I still find this as remarkable in a state with no NASCAR venues.

http://www.oktax.state.ok.us/nscr.htm

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 09:25 AM
Perhaps the absence of foreign drivers in NASCAR is more about the fact Bubba and Thelma wouldn't get too fired up about some guy named Ernesto Ravioli driving the #87 Kodak/Little Debbie/WD-40 Ford.
There have been foreign drivers in NASCAR in the recent past and present. Jorege Goeters, Michael Jourdain Jr., Adrian Hernandez, and Christian Fittipaldi to name four. None of them has had alot of success outside of road races.

Gandalf_The_Grey
5/29/2006, 09:26 AM
I don't think NASCAR fans are as redneck as most people give them credit for. NASCAR is becoming incredibly diverse. You have Kasey Kahne for the young girls, Jeff Gordon for the old girls, Martin and Schrader for the old guys, DW and Michael Waltrip for laughs, Cope and Shelmerdine for another type of laugh. Junior for his connection to history. NASCAR has so many unique stars right now. Eventually you are going to see some foreign drivers get out there, I think Castroneves could compete with anyone on any level if you give him 2 months to get used to the car.

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 09:28 AM
comparing NASCAR ot IRL is like comparing apples and oranges. IRL is more dangerous, they travel faster. The IRL obviously have more knowledge of road type and drafting type courses. Look at the IRL alumns in NASCAR...Stewart, Gordon, Andretti, etc. They all tend to have better skills at road courses and they tend to draft well. NASCAR is a huge grind, but it probably isn't as hard as you think....i mean look at Schrader, Stewart, Gordon...it almost seems like they are racing somewhere every nite of the week. Also, I think that NASCAR would give their right and left testicle if they could get Danica with a good team like Roush or Hendricks....
Roush or Hendricks has no need for Danica. They already have proven drivers. Remind me when the last time John Andretti did anything but hit the fence in Cup competion? Perhaps toyota will throw a bunch of cash at Patrick since they are into collection medicore and washed drivers.

Gandalf_The_Grey
5/29/2006, 09:28 AM
Well there is no patience in NASCAR anymore, these foreign drivers are going to have to learn how to use a bumper or they will get eaten alive in NASCAR....Jorege Goeters, Michael Jourdain Jr., Adrian Hernandez, and Christian Fittipaldi were from what I can tell just road course ringers except Christian Fittipaldi who was in substandard Petty equipment.

Okla-homey
5/29/2006, 09:29 AM
Anybody know if NASCAR make more money off the licensed "stuff" that is marketed to fans or from gate admissions and broadcast revenues?

walkoffsooner
5/29/2006, 09:30 AM
Don't get these guys confused with athletes.You can be adopted by Gordan and his new wife someday and with his money you can be a great nascar driver.

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 09:30 AM
Well there is no patience in NASCAR anymore, these foreign drivers are going to have to learn how to use a bumper or they will get eaten alive in NASCAR....Jorege Goeters, Michael Jourdain Jr., Adrian Hernandez, and Christian Fittipaldi were from what I can tell just road course ringers except Christian Fittipaldi who was in substandard Petty equipment.
Jourdain ran most of a Busch season for PPC who has some of the better Busch equipment. He didn't do much, and they dropped him because he fell out of the locked postions.

Gandalf_The_Grey
5/29/2006, 09:31 AM
Oh I don't think Roush would take her either, but you can bet NASCAR would love it if it happened. Hendricks wouldn't ever just throw her in the CUP and that is what everyone would want, he would probably put her in Busch at the very best. I have always said that John Andretti would be better in good equipment as well, when he was with DEI for a few races, he tended to not go all Ricky Craven on everyone ;)

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 09:33 AM
Anybody know if NASCAR make more money off the licensed "stuff" that is marketed to fans or from gate admissions and broadcast revenues?
NASCAR has to split licensing with the teams They get a big chunk of the licensing revenue as well as their sponsors. Budweiser gets alot of it's sponsorship cash back through royalties of 8 souveniers.

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 09:35 AM
Oh I don't think Roush would take her either, but you can bet NASCAR would love it if it happened. Hendricks wouldn't ever just throw her in the CUP and that is what everyone would want, he would probably put her in Busch at the very best. I have always said that John Andretti would be better in good equipment as well, when he was with DEI for a few races, he tended to not go all Ricky Craven on everyone ;)
Ricky Craven is a better driver than John Andretti. Craven won races at PPI which is hardly a top tier team. John Andretti pretty much gets by on his last name, and has for about the past six years.

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 09:37 AM
Oh I don't think Roush would take her either, but you can bet NASCAR would love it if it happened. Hendricks wouldn't ever just throw her in the CUP and that is what everyone would want, he would probably put her in Busch at the very best. I have always said that John Andretti would be better in good equipment as well, when he was with DEI for a few races, he tended to not go all Ricky Craven on everyone ;)
Patrick should probably win an IRL race, before NASCAR would get that excited about her. Plus NASCAR has to protect their investment in Erin Crocker.

picasso
5/29/2006, 09:45 AM
I don't think NASCAR fans are as redneck as most people give them credit for. NASCAR is becoming incredibly diverse. You have Kasey Kahne for the young girls, Jeff Gordon for the old girls, Martin and Schrader for the old guys, DW and Michael Waltrip for laughs, Cope and Shelmerdine for another type of laugh. Junior for his connection to history. NASCAR has so many unique stars right now. Eventually you are going to see some foreign drivers get out there, I think Castroneves could compete with anyone on any level if you give him 2 months to get used to the car.
I thought NASCAR fans hated Jeff Gordon because he speaks in complete sentences, without twang, is purdy and has all of his teeth.

Gandalf_The_Grey
5/29/2006, 09:46 AM
I used to watch NASCAR with a few friends every week and if certain drivers got together, we started shouting, please slow down...these drivers were in no order...Kevin Harvick, Ricky Craven, Derrick Cope, Robby Gordon, and I am forgetting someone but yeah those were good times, We all had a favorite driver, so whoever we liked was a ***** to the other 3 guys haha. It was kind of funny calling Terry Labonte bad names...even though he was a bad ***.

Gandalf_The_Grey
5/29/2006, 09:49 AM
Well Gordon is alot like Kobe Bryant(without rape) in the NBA....not many people will like him but ask them to name the Top 5 drivers and Gordon will come out first or second. The crowds love Kasey Kahne and he is pretty much the same, Gordon was just the first driver like that, they were too used to Texas Terry and Dale being hardasses so he got lots of flack for being the first pretty boy, every pretty boy now will have it easier because of Gordon's sacrifice ;)

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 09:49 AM
I thought Earnhardt fans hated Jeff Gordon because he speaks in complete sentences, without twang, is purdy and has all of his teeth.
fixed it for you.

Gandalf_The_Grey
5/29/2006, 09:50 AM
I don't know about NASCAR not wanting Danica, did you see how much they wet themselves when Bill Lester qualified for that one race...They need minorities and women because they are trying to shed this redneck image.

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 09:52 AM
Well Gordon is alot like Kobe Bryant(without rape) in the NBA....not many people will like him but ask them to name the Top 5 drivers and Gordon will come out first or second. The crowds love Kasey Kahne and he is pretty much the same, Gordon was just the first driver like that, they were too used to Texas Terry and Dale being hardasses so he got lots of flack for being the first pretty boy, every pretty boy now will have it easier because of Gordon's sacrifice ;)
There are a ton of Gordon fans in the Midwest and West. I think Gordon's image is a somewhat regional effect. Once you get out of the south and the south touching states, the paradigm shifts a little bit. It would help if the Southern's didn't act like Hook 'em about every little NASCAR decision that doesn't slurp the South.

Okla-homey
5/29/2006, 09:53 AM
they are trying to shed this redneck image.

I wish them good luck with that, but seriously. heh.;)

AlbqSooner
5/29/2006, 09:54 AM
Do you guys share my impression that if she were decidedly "un-hawt" no one would be making a fuss over her, notwithstanding breaking down the racing "gender-barrier" and all that fem stuff.
Nope. Think Shirley Muldowney.

royalfan5
5/29/2006, 09:55 AM
I don't know about NASCAR not wanting Danica, did you see how much they wet themselves when Bill Lester qualified for that one race...They need minorities and women because they are trying to shed this redneck image.
NASCAR wants Erin Crocker to be their breathrough, because she will have worked her way up through the ranks, and she's not particularly hot. Who would attract more new female fans to NASCAR, the hot chick or the chick succeeding soley on merit.

handcrafted
5/29/2006, 09:55 AM
I think Danica Patrick is the Carrie Underwood of auto racing.

picasso
5/29/2006, 09:59 AM
Nope. Think Shirley Muldowney.
who got 5 minutes of attention.

I don't like NASCAR simply for those ugly hats. style obviously be damned.

Okla-homey
5/29/2006, 10:01 AM
NASCAR wants Erin Crocker to be their breathrough, because she will have worked her way up through the ranks, and she's not particularly hot. Who would attract more new female fans to NASCAR, the hot chick or the chick succeeding soley on merit.


http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/4885/erincrocker2gx.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Actually, I think she's cute in a wholesome, girl-next-door kinda way.

Patrick OTOH is being marketed as a steamy sultress of open wheel racing.

picasso
5/29/2006, 10:06 AM
Patrick OTOH is being marketed as a steamy sultress of open leg racing.
:eek:

Okla-homey
5/29/2006, 10:10 AM
:eek:

that too.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/131/mbdy27mx.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

TripleOption14
5/29/2006, 11:14 AM
Danica is a COMPLETE HYPE job!!! As someone said if she wasn't hot NO ONE would give two sh!ts about her!! Personally i'm annoyed that the media and others make such a big deal of girls "playing w/ the guys." So what, you can play with the guys great for you. Any amatuer worth anything could do the exact same. The real question is.. are you gonna win anything?!?! As Herm Edwards soooo correctly put it. "You don't just play the game to play it." "You play to WIN THE GAME!!!"

bri
5/29/2006, 12:27 PM
I still find this as remarkable in a state with no NASCAR venues.

http://www.oktax.state.ok.us/nscr.htm


You don't need a track to make money off NASCAR...just rednecks. :D

AllAboutThe'O'
5/29/2006, 05:53 PM
Danica is a COMPLETE HYPE job!!! As someone said if she wasn't hot NO ONE would give two sh!ts about her!! Personally i'm annoyed that the media and others make such a big deal of girls "playing w/ the guys." So what, you can play with the guys great for you. Any amatuer worth anything could do the exact same. The real question is.. are you gonna win anything?!?! As Herm Edwards soooo correctly put it. "You don't just play the game to play it." "You play to WIN THE GAME!!!"
Actually the post question should be will Danica Patrick turn out to be another Sarah Fisher? Well, if there's one thing Danica's got right now, it is staying power. Sarah Fisher was definitely a 15-minutes-of-famer for the IRL.

Okla-homey
5/29/2006, 06:01 PM
I don't care what you guys say, if she was ugly no one would be paying her any attention. She's merely a novelty. Like a girl placekicker or something.

AllAboutThe'O'
5/29/2006, 06:12 PM
I don't care what you guys say, if she was ugly no one would be paying her any attention. She's merely a novelty. Like a girl placekicker or something.
Wonder if one of Patrick's fellow IRL drivers will pull a Gary Barnett and say, without hesitation, that she was "terrible."

AllAboutThe'O'
5/29/2006, 06:17 PM
I don't care what you guys say, if she was ugly no one would be paying her any attention. She's merely a novelty. Like a girl placekicker or something.
I think the worst thing that happened to Patrick was her performance at Indy last year. I call it a case of the "too much too soon" disease. After what she did at Indy, the IRL fans and the sporting world anointed her the next great thing and there was more scrutiny and criticism on her after Indy, especially when she failed to win a single race the rest of the year. Granted, she's in her second year but she would have been better off in the long run if she didn't place that high in Indy.
Even if she does manage to win some races, she'll probably still have fewer wins than she does endorsement deals. And that's the sad truth right there.

bri
5/29/2006, 10:01 PM
Yeah, but there's no real shame in that in the racing world. I mean, even the back-of-the-pack driver who never even sniffs a top 10 finish has endorsement deals just on the basis of being in the league. :D

StoopTroup
5/29/2006, 10:15 PM
I think they should improve on the fire retardant racing bikini.

soonerjoker
6/1/2006, 09:33 AM
yeah, look @ Petty, races every race & never gets close.

not like daddy or granddad.

BlondeSoonerGirl
6/1/2006, 09:44 AM
Yeah, but there's no real shame in that in the racing world. I mean, even the back-of-the-pack driver who never even sniffs a top 10 finish has endorsement deals just on the basis of being in the league. :D

Derrick.

Cope.

GAH.

Hamhock
6/1/2006, 09:48 AM
Don't get these guys confused with athletes.You can be adopted by Gordan and his new wife someday and with his money you can be a great nascar driver.

Yea, like Kyle Petty. :rolleyes:

yermom
6/1/2006, 09:52 AM
it's not that NASCAR is easy, it's just that is what the slack jawed yokels like to watch here in the US

lots of crashes and cars that look like the crappy ones they drive ;)

the hottest thing about Danica is that she drives IRL, if she was a Tennis player she wouldn't be anything special

n8v_ndn
6/1/2006, 10:14 AM
...Yet if you look and listen, you will notice the same talk being talked, the same phrases being used.

"She still hasn't won a race."

"Better win one soon."

"Overdue for a victory."

I have seen and heard digs at her, some of them bordering on ridicule.

Patrick is 24. This was her second Indy 500. She has placed in the top 10 both times.

This was her 20th race on the Indy-car circuit.

Al Unser Sr., to cite just one example, drove in 56 professional auto races before he won one.

Keep looking and listening, though, and you can register the subtly sexist tones that accompany so many mentions of Patrick's performance on the track to date.

Many people have a tendency to bring up Anna Kournikova, not only behind Patrick's back but right to her face. They do so in part because Kournikova played in 122 pro singles tournaments and won none...

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/14694756.htm

yermom
6/1/2006, 10:16 AM
i thought it was funnier when they were whining that she had an unfair advantage because of her weight :P

soonerjoker
6/2/2006, 10:33 AM
n8v has it rite.

Sooner24
4/20/2008, 01:36 PM
Not anymore.

Danica Patrick, unlike Anna, has now won.


http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/indycar/columns/story?columnist=oreovicz_john&id=3355243

RacerX
4/20/2008, 03:41 PM
Officially a 5 star thread now.

stoopified
4/20/2008, 04:10 PM
EXACTLY.This thread is wortless w/o pics.

Gandalf_The_Grey
4/20/2008, 04:36 PM
http://www.fansedge.com/Images/Product/33-57/33-57726-F.jpg

YWIA!!

BudSooner
4/20/2008, 04:38 PM
Yeah, but she would never make it in Nascar. :D

Gandalf_The_Grey
4/20/2008, 04:41 PM
Go watch Talladega Nights and switch Gay French man to Smoking Hott Woman and that is what it would be like ;)

mikeelikee
4/20/2008, 09:53 PM
Guess not. Danica won a Formula race yesterday. That's one more victory than Anna got in her pro tennis career (singles, anyway).

BudSooner
4/20/2008, 10:15 PM
I doubt she has another victory for another 3-5 yrs.
The only reason she won was because those running in the top 5 had to stop for fuel, where she had stopped 10 laps earlier.
Her tires were still in good shape, and even with lower fuel level than the guys coming out of the pits she had a comfortable lead and just had to maintain a reasonable lead.
Sometimes it pays to stay out when the others have to stop, last night was her night.

RacerX
4/20/2008, 10:42 PM
That strategy never works for the guys?

bri
4/20/2008, 10:47 PM
Well yeah, it works all the time. But when guys do it, it's "smart racing". This was "pure dumb luck". :D

SeattleOUstudent
4/20/2008, 11:05 PM
Sorry, what were you sayin guys? (page 2 S.O. bonus!)

http://www.gaywired.com/images/danicant.jpg

Gandalf_The_Grey
4/21/2008, 03:56 AM
I didn't realize she won because of Ethanol. I am just thankful that the IRL gave her an extra large ethanol tank!!!

Okla-homey
4/21/2008, 05:37 AM
She still hasn't won in the Western hemisphere or any continent except Asia.

I got nothing.;)

SFW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6aXQsCFV5E&feature=related

Stoop Dawg
4/21/2008, 10:18 AM
Well yeah, it works all the time. But when guys do it, it's "smart racing". This was "pure dumb luck".

Some men are too insecure to admit when they get beat by a woman. Sad, but true.

Gandalf_The_Grey
4/21/2008, 12:12 PM
The other drivers are at least handling it better than some here ;)

yermom
4/21/2008, 12:18 PM
i'll worry about getting beat by a woman when it happens ;)

Gandalf_The_Grey
4/21/2008, 01:00 PM
No worries, very few girls play dungeons and dragons ;)

Stoop Dawg
4/21/2008, 02:14 PM
i'll worry about getting beat by a woman when it happens ;)

It's actually quite fun ... if she does it right.

Stoop Dawg
4/21/2008, 02:18 PM
The other drivers are at least handling it better than some here ;)

Or this guy: http://sports.yahoo.com/irl/news?slug=bm-patrick042008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns


And after tiring of fending off questions about when she would win, she distracted her detractors by posing in swimsuits and making suggestive ads for her sponsors.

Sounds like somebody is a little threatened by a good looking woman.

BudSooner
4/21/2008, 03:05 PM
That strategy never works for the guys?

The way I see it is this, she didn't abuse her car/tires and ran a clean race.
Her competitors however raced hard for every lap and had to come in for fuel AND tires, not sure how the setups are in F1/Indy/Champ Car in relation to Nascar......I mean they are different yet the same meaning do you want it to handle for the short term or long term?
Obviously Danica and her crew had the car ready for longer green flag runs, where others were not.

One can look no further than a couple years ago at Indy when she became the first woman to lead the race, that was a short term type setup(meaning that on her last stop the chassis was tuned to be more aggressive...harder on tires but easier to turn)but she paid the price because that type of adjustment also makes it harder on the driver...and fuel because she will run the car until something gives.

In this case, her fuel was the bargaining price...had to stop...made an error when she killed the engine and needed her crew to push start the car.
She fell back to 11th and was never a factor.

She has really made strides, and ran a good race.
But if the playing field were level, meaning everyone was on equal footing regarding how well the cars were in terms of fuel and tires...the story would have played out much differently.
Tony Kannan made a point last year that she is not ready to muscle a car that will not respond and that it must be PERFECT conditions for her to win a race. He was right, others screwed up, and she won.
Remember this is a watered down league, not like 18-25yrs ago when you had top talent in the series.