Nate Ryan

USA TODAY Sports

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Missing last week's Sprint Cup race was rough on Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

It might have been harder on his girlfriend.

Danica Patrick revealed Friday that she marched into the NASCAR hauler to read president Mike Helton and other officials the riot act when Stenhouse's streak of 68 consecutive starts ended in a bizarre qualifying session.

"I was really pissed off," she said after practice at Martinsville Speedway. "I said, 'What the … is this? Is that what we were trying to accomplish?' Part of it was because it was Ricky. Part of it was because that could have just as easily been me. I know how important those races are to me and my team. But then also to my sponsors and the people who invest into those events.

"So I was fighting for someone that wasn't deserving (of) being in the situation. But then, I went back to the bus after that and I just felt really, really bad for him."

Though he said Patrick's team probably would have allowed him on its pit box, Stenhouse watched Sunday's race on TV from a lawn chair outside of the motor home that he shares with Patrick on the road. He was munching on pizza as Patrick led seven laps before fading to 19th.

Stenhouse was planning to be in victory lane if Patrick had won, but he didn't get too excited knowing the unpredictable outcomes at Talladega.

"When she was leading, there was a lot of racing left," he said. "I've been 20th with a few laps to go and finished 10th. I knew there was a lot of racing left. So I was kicked back in the chair just outside watching the race, just wishing I was in it.

"I felt like we had a good car. It was good on one hand watching (winner) Brad (Keselowski) be able to get out front and stay out front. I was trying to learn everything I could in case I was in that situation. They were all pretty aggressive Sunday trying to stay up front. I learned a lot watching that."

Stenhouse, who was one of two full-time drivers who failed to qualify (Justin Allgaier also missed the show), said his sponsors Cargill and Sam's Club were supportive despite the failure to qualify. So was Patrick, who worried Stenhouse would skip the race.

"I told him I don't think any girl can relate as well as I can to you," she said. "Partly because of what I do but also because it could have been me.

"He wanted to go home. As much as a girlfriend I wanted him to stay and be there, I was like, 'I get it if you want to go home (and) ride the tractor all day and not even watch the race.' I wouldn't want to watch, either, if I was in that scenario. He ended up doing the right thing and stayed. He had some sponsor obligations the next day. I just hoped that no one undeserving is ever in that scenario in the future. Hopefully NASCAR does something to make sure it doesn't happen."

The switch to group qualifying this season hasn't meshed well with restrictor-plate qualifying at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega, where teams try to avoid going first and posting slower times. But playing the waiting game risks posting a slow lap, which is what happened to Stenhouse (whose fastest lap didn't count because it was recorded after the session ended).

"(NASCAR) didn't give me a solution, but I don't blame them," Patrick said. "You really don't want to argue with Mr. Helton. So I was glad they were all in there. I thought it was important that they knew that, even if was just me that was upset and scared, I'm throwing my hand up saying, 'I'm afraid it's going to be me next.' I think they very much understood. They as a series don't want to see their cars that come week in and week out with sponsors not make the race.

"The last thing we want to do is lower the car count for qualifying in Sprint Cup because we don't have the cars to fill. I'm sure they understand and will do everything they can to make appropriate changes."

Stenhouse, who hadn't failed to qualify for a NASCAR race since his rookie season in the Nationwide Series, took all of it in stride. After a rash of wrecks in 2010, Roush Fenway Racing benched Stenhouse for a few races, and he rebounded with Nationwide championships the next two seasons.

"I learn real quick of things to do and not to do," Stenhouse said. "Sitting there watching races, especially long Cup races, makes you sit there and think about everything you need to do, whether it be get more focused and help the guys at the shop on our team more to figure out what we need to do to make our Fords fast again like they need to be. We're already looking to 2015 and making sure we're not this far back in the (standings)."

Ranked 28th in points, Stenhouse said Talladega wasn't indicative of the direction of his No. 17 Ford, which has been "plenty fast" on superspeedways.

"We've led laps and run up front," he said. "Our speedway finishes have been real good since I got into Cup, so I think our speedway program is where it needs to be.

"We all learned from it. In my career, I've been better after things like that. Hopefully, we'll be better after that."

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