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7/11/2006 01:44:00 PM Danica Patrick
What do you think about Danica Patrick possibly moving to NASCAR? Would you watch more Cup races if she did? Do you think she can cut it? How do you feel about women competing against men? posted by sidotcom | View comments |76 Comments:
She can't be any worse than some of the male lumps who are driving now. I mean, Derrick Cope, Chad Chaffin, heck even Michael Waltrip. None of these guys have what can be described as world class talent. They would be better off in a Busch car instead of getting in the way of & wrecking quality cars who actually have a chance of finishing up front. And Mikey should go ahead & thank D.E.I. for the only "Cup" wins he will ever have.As most of these writers are saying that "in about 3 years she should contend for a win" It's a joke, We will not see a woman win a Nextel Cup race in my lifetime & I am only 37..Prove me wrong Danica.I think she will do O.K. for a while before she gets burned out from the long race season and spornser obligations. Then she will peter out and be a solid top 30 contender.
She is already complaning about how long the season is and she's not even on a NASCAR team yet.With 2-3 years of Busch Series racing, maybe combining it with a full year of Cup level racing the last year before going Cup full-time, I have no doubt Danica could be a success. She's smart, she's driven and she's talented.I think it would be great for NASCAR if she made the jump. Whether it would be great for Danica is another question. If she takes time to develop in the Busch series, she could have a great cup career. But if she makes the jump directly to the cup, it could be a disaster. Fans, in general, have little patience and will likely turn on her, or anyone for that matter, that they believe is underperforming. If she is successful it would mean great things for the sport.I think it would be great for the sport, but it's doubtful she could succeed simply because of her size. If you've ever watched her in-car cam in Indycars, she almost loses control every time she gets beside another car due to the buffeting. She simply doesn't have the strength to hold the car steady. Imagine that magnified in a 3500 lb cup car...Speaking of DEI, can you imagine the media storm that would erupt if she signed with them. Her combined with the popularity of Dale Jr. would be off the charts. I hope she makes a go at it. Good luck DP!NASCAR is interested in Danica to draw a larger female audience? Women won't watch more just because a woman is driving. Make George Clooney a Nascar driver, then see what happens.I think she will be great for the sport. She does not have the net game, but her serve is great...We are talking about Kournikova, right. Well, close enough.There about 20 drivers in Nascar who haven't proven anything ! All they have shown is they a bunch of money and can buy themselves into a Nascar Race . Danica has proven she can Drive and could earn her way into a Nascar race and Not Buy her way in !Why does everything have to be about Danica Patrick? How about talking about her when she does something of substance, such as come close to winning a race. Just because she's hot and she's a celebrity, it doesn't mean we need to talk about her in a sports sense.I'd hate to see Danica leave IRL for Nextel. She has class and why would she want to taxi-cab race with a bunch of guys who act like children when they don't win.She should have to run a full busch season before even getting a cup ride. Not fair to others investing a lifetime in nascar ranks to get a cup ride, & have to usually start in the busch series, look at danny hamlin, his folks were broke from racing the circuits when he got his shot. is it fair to quickly advance these superstars so quickly just because they might be the first real female race car driver? she hasn't even won a race yet! i dont think she has proved herself in a stockcar to warrant a nextel spot with a big dollar sponsor, we risk not seeing a small town kid with talent possibly, maybe even the next richard petty or dale earnhardt if we start handing out nextel rides because of celebrity status or what it means in dollars. tell her to run a full year in the busch crowd first before snatching up big sponsor in the cup, give the nextel rides to drivers who have proven talent only, it is a problem already today in nextel, why make it worse?Well, with all her wins on the Indy circuit I'm sure we can expect huge things for Danica Patrick in NASCAR...err, wait..Danica Patrick has proven she can not drive,most people who follow racing wish she would stop being shoved at us.Treat her as just another to fill the field and we would not have to hear about her again.im not a big proponent of opposite sex cross-over, so sue me! But if Danica Patrick drove in NASCAR I would watch. I dont like NASCAR, never have, probably never will. Its boring and way too long. I would sooner spend a Sunday afternoon watching "Ishtar" with my mother-in-law. But, Like I said, If Danica was in, I'd watch. She's got moxy, and she'll be a breath of fresh air compared to all the drips around now.she hasn't even won a race in the IRL. NASCAR? are you kidding me? she doesn't even deserve to drive in the IRL. If she wasn't a girl she'd have no publicity. she should try and win a race first before even thinking about going to another league. I guess she must think NASCAR is easier or something or get some more publicity, I guess showing some skin isn't enough.she failed at formula 500 racing...she will fail at nascar.
She reminds me of Ashley Simpson in more ways then one, and not because they are both mildly attractive.Danna Patrickova, er, Danica Patrick has lost her engine advantage from last year, which seems to have negated the weight advantage (making tires last longer, better mileage) she enjoys in IRL. I believe NASCAR has the cars meet minimum weight with the driver factored in, so she loses her weight advantage.
She was a marketing gimick, and now that her popularity has fizzled in IRL she needs to grab some headlines again. I don't blame her for cashing in as much as she can on the gullibility of the media and oversexed fans, but let's not look at this as anything more than a headline grab for a media personality.I think it could go either way, but we'll never know until she actually reachs the nascar tracks. I thinks maybe there should be some trials of runs to see how she does as far as some of the cars and track situations are different than the indy league ones. Either way, GO Danica!!!!!!I would continue to be a Danica fan. She has the talent, and doesn't give up much when her ride turns sour, but still would need a consistant good ride to be considered successful. I would ride with her (well duh)!She is by far the most over-hyped and over-rated driver in all of motorsports. She is a joke, now that her fame in IRL is wearing this her father wants to sell her out in NASCAR. She should stick to posing for pictures and leave driving to those with actual talent. Were it not for her gender and looks I doubt she would even have such a prominent IRL ride. One thing though, if she did come to NASCAR only to be the first driver ever to break down crying mid race it would finally kill all the hype and put the attention back on real drivers.Why would Danica succeed in the Nascar circuit? She doesn't win Indy races so what makes people believe that she will win any Nascar races? Honestly, this woman gets more press than anyone I've ever seen (other than Anna Kournikova) who has NEVER won a major event in her sport.She is not a very good driver. She can barely finish in the top 10 in a series that only starts 19 drivers. The only reason why she led Indy was because of her not pitting and playing the fuel mileage game. She is only experienced in open wheels. She has no experience in other car such as sprints which has helped a lot of Nascar driver that came from open wheels. Her father is arrogant and dumb for saying that she'd handle those cars because they have power steering. She's only driven 2 500 mile races in her career. Nascar has 2 in the first 4 races.
Good luck Danica with your already over-hyped career. Here's to you fadeing away.
By the way at least Erin Crocker has won a WoO race and runs good in the ARCA series.What has she done to earn the "talent" label? She hasn't won a race at ANY LEVEL in over 3 YEARS.
The reality is that people are afraid to be labeled as misogynistic, and give an honest or objective opinion of her limited skill.
Never let the truth get in the way of a good story....NASCAR Cup racing is about money, sponsors and advertising. It is not about racing and hasn't been in a very long time. Busch and Late Model are about racing. That's my view...
Given the fact that any sponsor and any team in Cup racing will be delighted to have Ms Patrick, she will be a financial success whether she wins or runs 43d. Her only obstacle will be qualifying.
If she can qualify, let her run. And the idea of spending time in Busch is just out the window. This is about marketing, not racing. She won't do any worse than the other cars in the lower third of qualifying.
Let her run!The question is which team will sign her. The only teams that have an open seat are RYR, which is struggling of late, and the Toyota teams. The Toyota teams will struggle even to make races next year.I wish her well, but let's put this into perspective .... this is a circuit that features cars racing around in a glorified circle. If she or any other driver can one day develop the talent to climb the rungs up to Formula 1, then there would be reason to talk.Why anyone would want to trade the high tech and incredibly fast Indy Car or F1 Car for the clunky, slow stock car? If you truly love to race, Nascar is not where you go. I know I will take heat for this, but watching 40 guys bump and crash their way around an oval isn't exactly entertaining.Only idiots think that women can't beat men in race cars in Nascar. At least, idiots who haven't been paying attention. Do you think the boys in IRL wanted to be "beaten by a woman" so they all laid down?
No, she just beat them, by driving the car better than they did. No power steering help at all.
And the sport of auto racing isn't about how much strength you can muster in a snatch-clean-and-jerk motion anyway. It's about having the brains to out-think your competitors and the stamina to follow through on the strategy you come up with to defeat them given the equipment you're driving on a given day.
As girls say here in California once in a while -- 'Duh'.
For the guys too cave-man to figure those two parameters out, and how women can excel at both, I recommend this:
Try and out-argue a woman some time to see if you're smarter than her. Didn't win every argument with yoiur wife or girlfriend or co-worker - -maybe they're as smart (or smarter) than you are some times.
And then, after you've digested that bitter pill, I want you try to give birth to a child, or pass a bowling ball. Either one. If you succeed, then you, and ONLY you, can claim that women don't have 500 miles of driving stamina in them.
Trust me, not only will it happen in your life, it will happen in the next five years.
Get used to it buddy...
-Lance Robinson
Inglewood, Ca, 90301adversity does good things to the sport, but the fact of the matter is, Danica is not the one to break the barrier for women drivers, she gets attention because she is good looking, and thats about it, i mean she cant take an indy league season, how is she going to take NASCAR's 36 race season with the expectation to finish in the top 10, she has still yet to win a race in the indy car, so until she wins one of those races i dont want to hear her name mentioned as a Cup Driver, i think the woman driver you have to watch out for is Erin Crocker, i saw her at the Michigan ARCA Race back in '05 she has definately got the skill, she is the developmental driver that i can see as maybe a top 20 to top 23 driver, if she has the equipment to do so...this is not sexist however when i say this though, racing simply is more of a sport designed for men, we have the gene to be fierce for competitionIf she wants to be taken seriously she should stick with one type of racing. I think it would really be a shame if she rode in to NASCAR under the guise of a "makeover" (I shudder to use that word in the context of a woman driver) and not let the full story of Montoya unfold. At least Montoya has proven himself as a driver in other types of racing; he doesn't NEED nascar.I think she would fair well in Nascar if she signs with a fairly good team. She don't need to sign with someone who is trying to get her for the hype. If she signs with a Hendricks,DEI or Roush team then she could become a legitiment contender. I think she has the skills to learn and do well in Nascar. No matter what Petty says this is not the 60's anymore and things change. I wish her well.Letterman should kick her butt out now!
She has had the money and the car and she cannot win.
She is a fluke.Depends on the CAR she drives, put Jimmie Johnson or any top ten driver in points, in Micheal Waltrips car and see how they do. Its the CAR baby.Women don't have the stamina and endurance required for the grueling Nextel circuit. IRL is much easier for a woman, and she hasn't won in IRL. She should have to pay her dues in Busch first, then when she doesn't win in Busch she won't have cluttered up Nascar races.I can't wait for her to call Tony Stewart an "idiot" or poke him in the head. If the non-existent tap she got from Eddie Cheevers threw her for a open-wheeled loop, just wait until she gets banged around in the show. She's complaining about not getting big money in open-wheelers--does she not know that the winners get the dough and not the middle-of-the packers?I can't believe how many "expert" racing writers in the media are already predicting Danica will eventually win a cup race and be able to "run with the boys." Based on what? A fourth place finish at Indy! Danica is a marketing tool and anyone who thinks differently is kidding themself.She would be great for NASCAR and both would benefit. She would instsntly be one of the more popular drivers and given good equipment she would be competitive. I say welcome to NASCAR Danica.She is hot, can race, but is inferior against better competition, even in the IRL, which is saying a lot because the IRL really lacks in top talent. If she were a he, consideration would not be given beacause she has not done anything. But in a world where sex sells, she is queen. Oh ya, she has that round and round thing down too, since NASCAR and IRL are similar in racing style, which is to say, tune into the last few laps, like the last two minutes of basketball to see who wins.What a joke she has become! Here's an idea; let's have Danica drive, Michelle Wie in the passenger seat, and Anna Kournikova in the backseat of a pink convertible - all wearing bikinis. Maybe that's what NASCAR is looking for.her weight is actually a disadvantage. Look how many poll starts she had last year and how many leads she lost after the first lap or two...Brian Herta had the poll @ MIS...lost it regained the lead and won the race.
She has yet to develop the true racing skills to win. I wish her no ill will but I have to remain in the unproven, may never do well, over-hyped and not that hot category.She looks good! That's about it.NASCAR will do anything for a buck.I think it is a great idea? She has won at every level she has competed in? After her stellar IRL performance one would think that this is a greta move? Too bad for M. Legg, she really has proven herself with less fan fare. Oh and don't forget Ms. Fisher, she has great talent also! Danica, I say milk it for what it is worth! After all is said and done people will foget all about you. P.S. Its going to be a short ride so save your money!Danica has not won in IRL because of her car and the strategy that her management has used. She is a winner. Look at her stats before she got into IRL. She can "WIN", if she is given the car and the good management she deserves.
She did well at Indy in 2005 because R/L spent the extra money and concentrated on her. She did great that race. The rest of the 2005 season, management quit on her.
Also, at least she finishes races, unlike those on her team.She should take some lessons from both Michelle Wie and Anna K. Win where you are at before you aspire to greater things. So far she has shown me nothing in the circuit she is currently running, and I am dissapointed at how she keeps claiming she wants to be judged by her driving, not her sex appeal, while continuing to pose for 2000 glamour shots a week.Does this woman ever smile unless she is getting paid? I predict she will be burned-out of all racing in 5 years time.I think she would do well in Nascar, she has the drive and is competitive in the IRL. She might not have a win yet but she has come close. It wouldn't be a bad thing if women got into Nascar, they already play in other male dominated sports. I hope she makes the move it would be fun to watch her.I think she needs to come up thru the ranks just like everyone else. No Offense, but there are some really great young drivers out there trying for a chance to prove themselves. I would like to see here compete in Roush's Gong show. I don't think she would win. But then again someone will give her a ride and some of the drivers from the last gong show who made it to the top 12 still have not signed on with anybody. She should start in the trucks then move to Busch and then if she can handle the schedule and the cars run a few Cup races. But for someone to just put her in a Cup car, they must have more money then they know what to do with.Women do it all now anyway, let's get one into NASCAR. Like any other profession, you start at the bottom, prove yourself and move up the ladder. She'll do great. Like I said before, she's a woman.If you had the opportunity to be Crew Chief for a Nextel Cup car driven by Derrick Cope, John Andretti, or Danica Patrick....who would you choose?I hope she does well, but believe she will have a very tough time of it.
Even if she can get the sponsorship and a great ride, IRL and NASCAR are two very different styles of racing.
Not only will she have to learn how to drive the car, she'll have to learn about all the drivers and their habits on the track. Who is going to help you and hurt you. With the 'good ol' boys', it would be an incredibly tough rookie season for her.
IRL is smooth and fast. NASCAR is rough and gritty. I fear for her in the restrictor plate races. I don't think they teach bump-drafting in the IRL.
Yes, she is physically fit and in great condition, but have you ever seen a NASCAR driver after a long race on a hot afternoon. 110+ degrees in the car. Guys sometimes can barely get out of their cars after such a race. I think she is going to have to up her workout routing to have the stamina to last those long races.
Hopefully she comes in and is a success. I agree with many people here though when they say if she truly wants to make it in NASCAR, start in the Busch series and try and get some wins under her belt. If she jumps right into NASCAR, I believe she is only in it for the celebrity factor and the money.She needs to win a few races with Indy cars first. Then, maybe run a couple of seasons on the Busch circuit. Right now, she is a winless, pretty face.Like others said, she's WINLESS. Other than being female, she fits in perfectly with the other 13 drivers in her series who are also WINLESS and have no hope of being competitive in NASCAR.
Now I would like to see Helio go NASCAR. He really mixes it up with the good ol' boys in the IROC races. He would have a chance. Then there's Paul Tracy trying to enter NASCAR, and we know he can win in his league.
Bottom line, if she was male, no NASCAR team would even talk to her. Remember folks, she is winless. Just another Anna Kournikova.
To quote one of my favorite groups, DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE!!!!!She's WINLESS people! Get real.
If you want a woman to root for, look up Erin Crocker. She's slowly working her way up the ranks.
Danica is WINLESS among something like 19 drivers, half of which blow motors every race. So she can't even win with better than 1 in 10 odds.
I just don't understand why the press continues to feed into this frenzy.
She's WINLESS, as are you and I. But do you see us looking for a ride in NASCAR?Please.....I've heard enough about Danica and Juan Pablo.....let us enjoy the rest of the season without continuing with this nonsense.well one thing is for sure she wont have a wieght advanage Nascar includes driver for total wieght of 3400LBS.So bring on Robby GordanI've never seen so many bitter, clueless people. She's a loser? She's not a good racer? Give me a break! Anyone of you ever finished higher than, what, oh, that's right, none of you could even QUALIFY for Indy.
Look at all the no talents in NASCAR. When's the last time Kyle Petty won a race?my my whay a can of "worms" we have opened up! there is no need to post anything further,the people have spoken. My only thought is if Danica had buck teeth and weighed in @ 250 she probably would not be in racing.I for one would love to see Danica make the move. She would be great for the sport. Knowing her back 14 years ago when she started racing go-karts, and seeing where she has gotten to now, I feel she would have no problem doing well in the Cup. She has the brains, the right attitude, and the TALENT to do very well.
B ShoresWhy not? The whole NASCAR soap opera is a freakin joke. She'd do well in some of the fosomax commercials. This from a former NASCAR owner ..early 1970's.I dont care for IRL so she can stay there or get a desk job.This is a mans race not a womans race. She sucks anyways. Has she even won a race? Thats all we need for Nascar fans to be hearing about Her and nothing but her.You would have to define "success" in NASCAR terms. Kyle Petty certainly is not what I would call a serious contender on any given race day, but he races for the sponsors and the notoriety of the Petty name. It fills the coffers of the Victory Junction Gang camp and that makes him successful.
On the other hand, you have about 25 guys who could seriously win on any given race day. In the league that Danica races in now (IRL), the same cannot be said. You have, maybe, a handful. Of those 25 serious contenders in NASCAR, you have 10-15 who have no qualms at all, about sending another driver careening into the fence for any kind of maneuver they consider to be "boneheaded" and some do it just to be mean. Right now, Danica Patrick would get eaten alive.
That's not to say she couldn't be successful, but history is against her. Other women have tried and failed to make their mark in the "good old boy" sport. Some are still trying to make it. I think the best Danica can hope for is a stint driving a Busch Series car, or a Craftsman truck for a year, or two, and that would tell the tale. If she does well, give her a shot, but as I said NASCAR is a far cry from Indy cars and history is not on her side.It would take her about 2 years to ajust... something I am not sure she has the patients for. But of course it would depend on the ride she got. A ride for Hendrick or Rousch would make the transition easier. I think Montoya will struggle to compete better than mid-level becuase he is in mid-level equipment. I don't care how good of a driver you are you can't make a 20th place care a top 5 car.It's naive to believe Danica can compete successfully in Cup racing immediately. She will need a couple of years in Busch venues to see if she can or wants to make the leap. Having said that, anyone who reads a newspaper understands that Danica is the real deal, not a marketing ploy. I hope she remains in open wheel where it appears she has an authentic opportunity to make a mark. NASCAR doesn't need more fans and most of the female fans I know, and I'm female, don't go to watch other women drive. We go to watch red-blooded American men, sorry Juan, drive red-blooded Detroit iron, sorry Toyota.I think the big boys in the Winston Cup Series would never allow her to win! They'd wreck her if she was in contention!she has,nt done anything in IRL, why do you think she,ll do better in NASCAR. She will be the same in NASCAR as in the IRL a lucrative Sideshowthis is not about whether she can win a race in Nascar or even drive effectively-this is about Marketing, advertising and ratings. she would bring the name sponsors, the crowds, the media and the interest of many new fans,,which equates to ticket sales and revenue. welcome her now as the wheels have been set in motionJust like any other male rookie, time will tell. She has the skills to drive the wheels off of a car, sex is not an issue. How she would adopt to NASCAR, remains to be seen. If the guys gave her grief, she would give it right back.Nascar and Danica have only one thing in common. Money, Money, Money. Is her heart really into racing or in the fans' wallet?Another Michelle Wei....Win something first and then we will get serious about this issue.Danica Patrick has become the Michelle Wie in the sport of car racing. She's come close to winning a major event (last year's Indy 500), but close doesn't count in the long run when your potential does not meet expectations. She has not won a race yet, and now she thinks she can take on the BIG BOYS of NASCAR?? NASCAR drivers will crush Danica. She's not fooling anyone with her sudden interest in racing the NASCAR circuit. The only reason she's talking about NASCAR, and doing so in a big way with the media, is to drive up her price on the IRL circuit. Danica knows that her close finish at last year's Indy was her 15 minutes of fame. She has been a non-factor this season and she knows it. She is trying to capitalize financially as quickly as she can before racing fans get sick of seeing her in every magazine ever published, and realize that her 6th place finishes are as good as she'll ever get.Actions speak louder than words. Put her butt in a car & see what she's got!
Previous posters are speculating ... Perhaps she can be NASCAR's first 'good' female driver.
Erin is coming up too.... she's just had some bad breaks.
If their hearts are in it & if there's talent there they will both succeed. They gotta have the talent as well as the desire to win!what the hey give her a chance. There is no crying in NASCAR.i love the idea of women competing against men, even if we don't win. just the fact that they're allowed makes me happy and shows that we've made some serious advances. i do think, however, that until some wins or really, really decent finishes, we just won't get (and don't deserve) the same respect that winners get.
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