Danica Patrick was born in Wisconsin in 1982. She only showed interest in racing at ten. Her father was a racer himself who entered different competitions. In 1992, he gave both his daughters go-karts for them to explore their interests.

She crashed in her first race, however, that did not stop her from wanting to improve. As Danica became better, she set various age track records. She achieved many regional titles before winning national championships.

Her driving abilities along with her father’s publicity efforts were giving her media exposure. That helped her get hired to race in the United Kingdom.

Sir Jackie Stewart, three-time Formula One World Champion, helped her adapt to the UK. She even met Jenson Button, who would become an F1 Champion in 2009. Subject to the motorsports culture, her nationality and gender were obstacles at this moment of her career.

After finishing 9th in the British Formula Vauxhall Championship, she moved to Formula Ford. She had a couple of tough seasons in that championship. However, in the Formula Ford Festival, she achieved 2nd place. Hence, equalling the best position in that race for an American driver.

Her driving style did not suit her Formula Ford, leaving her potential hidden. Patrick’s poor performances made her move back to the USA.

She took part in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, competing only in half of the races. Still, she performed decently and moved to the Atlantic Championship for 2003.

Danica finished 6th in her rookie season. She ended the following year in the third position. Throughout those seasons, she beat many women’s records. Her results earned her a place at the Rahal Letterman Racing Team in the IndyCar Series. She reached the pinnacle of open-wheel racing in the USA.

Just as in karting, Patrick began her season with a crash, and this time she suffered a mild concussion. Soon she showed improvements. In the 4th round, she qualified in 2nd place and led 32 laps. She ended in 4th place, which would be her best result that season.

In the following race, the Indy 500, Danica qualified in 4th position. Expectations were high for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. With 10 laps to go, she was leading the race and continued in contention for a while. In the end, she had to conserve fuel and could not win it. Anyway, she finished 4th — the best Indy 500 classification by a woman — and she became the only woman to lead in that event.

Patrick finished the 2005 season as the best rookie of the Indianapolis 500 and of the season. Although she made a wonderful impression and impact, critics still showed up. They would claim she was a marketing machine and not a proper driver or that her weight (100 lbs / 45 kg) was an unfair advantage. They were just in denial.

Danica continued to progress in the following season, fighting more consistently for top-10 finishes. She finished 2006 in the 9th position, three places above her first season classification.

Patrick moved to the Andretti Green Racing team for 2007. That year she improved her best result with two third places and a second place. Her steady progress culminated on her first win at Indy 300 in 2008. Keeping the momentum, she performed her best season in the following year, finishing fifth on the final standings.

For 2010, Danica started to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, although taking part only in some races. She continued simultaneously on IndyCar Series for two full seasons. However, she would not achieve results as good as before. She finished both seasons in 10th place and would not win a race again, despite finishing 2nd twice in 2010.

By 2012, Patrick traded IndyCar for NASCAR, becoming a full-time driver of the Nationwide Series. Her stock car career started reasonably well as she finished 10th that season. As she learned the new craft, she earned 4 top-10 finishes through the year. She also competed in 10 races of the NASCAR Cup Series — the top tier of stock car racing in the USA.

Danica focused solely on the Cup Series in 2013 with Stewart-Haas Racing. She began the season very well, earning the pole position for the Daytona 500. For most of the race, she kept on the top 10 positions and even led for a few laps. She finished in 8th place — the best result of a woman at The Great American Race. Patrick joined a restricted group of 14 people who led both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.

Even though she continued with stock car racing until 2017, her results would never take off as they did in open-wheel. She achieved a few top-10 finishes throughout the years. In the end, she could not be consistently fast.

In 2018, Danica Patrick would only enter two races: the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. None of them went particularly well. These were her thoughts after the Indy 500: “Today was really disappointing for what we were hoping for and what you want from your last race, but I’m grateful for all of it.”

Despite not ending on a top note, her motorsports career was trailblazing. Patrick broke many records throughout her racing years. She is considered one of the best female drivers of all time. She was also the most successful female driver both in IndyCar and NASCAR. Many women were inspired by her to race in the male-dominated motorsports world.

Nevertheless, she faced criticism regularly. Her results should be enough to silence them, but if not, her longevity in the sport proves them wrong. If she was just a “marketing phenomenon” who was not fast enough, her career would not be so long in elite competitions. Those types of drivers may work for brands on the short-term, but in the long-term, it is dreadful for everyone involved.

Her philosophy is very interesting: “I was brought up to be the fastest driver, not the fastest girl. That’s how I’ve always approached my racing career. I’ve been lucky enough to make history and be the first woman to do many things. We have a lot more history to make and we are excited to do it.”

Besides her motorsports career, Danica is also a published author and an entrepreneur. She has written two books. As to business ventures, she has a podcast, a wine brand and a clothing company.

Danica Patrick faced big challenges since the moment she chose motorsports. She moved to another country at a young age. Then, she was not taken seriously in England for being an American woman. She faced criticism for lack of talent or unfair advantage. All these challenges motivated her to go where no woman had gone before.

We should learn from Danica to face our challenges with our head up. To keep our standards high. And to race towards our dreams.

“Give yourself permission to shoot for something that seems totally behind your grasp. You may be surprised at your capabilities.” Danica Patrick

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