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wrightme43
Danica Patrick wins Indy Japan 300 | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star
First female winner in a Indy car.
First female winner in a Indy car.
hunterfz6
Senior Member
Danica who?
I met her once a couple years ago, seemed like a good kid. It is great to see a female win in the "Boys club" of racing...
She is so hot.
keira
Mrs. Reiobard
That's so great that she's making waves for her talent, and not just her body. She still has so much time left in her career too!
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HavBlue
Not taking anything away from the fact that she finally won a race, the media hype behind this young womans career has been unreal. Up till this race she has been anything but a front runner. It has been three years since Danicamania graced the tabloids when she finished 4th at Indy but how does she post up against the mainstream IRL driver that had to work their proverbial butt off to get a ride? The average male driver will win their first IRL race somewhere inside the first 35 races where it took her 50 to do the same. One thing very few of those young male drivers have is the ability to gather money from higher level sponsors and this is what fuels the fire with Patrick. She's female, good looking and a fair driver but a Rick Mears, Mario Andretti or Sam Hornish Jr. she isn't. I will however say there isn't another driver on the circuit that could pose for FHM or the Sports Illustrated swim suit issue and she has done both........
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wrightme43
So what. I do not give a crap about media hype. I posted it because I thought it was cool she finally won. She is third in the points standings. Maybe they all just moved out of her way and let her win?
She is a good race driver. If she wasnt she would not be able to even compete in IRL. The fact that she is very pretty is being used to make money. If anyone else were in her shoes, they would do the same thing. She wasnt just handed a ride because she showed up. She was given a ride because she has talent, is intelligent, and attractive to fans and sponsors. Nobody gets into racing at the higher levels with out talent.
She is a good race driver. If she wasnt she would not be able to even compete in IRL. The fact that she is very pretty is being used to make money. If anyone else were in her shoes, they would do the same thing. She wasnt just handed a ride because she showed up. She was given a ride because she has talent, is intelligent, and attractive to fans and sponsors. Nobody gets into racing at the higher levels with out talent.
anot
Junior Member
HavBlue:
* irony mode on *
Yeah, women racers have an easier time than male ones for sure!
* irony mode off*
* irony mode on *
Yeah, women racers have an easier time than male ones for sure!
* irony mode off*
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HavBlue
I won't articulate on the matter of things being easier or on the clear possibilities of a mechanical advantage which women do posses. I will also not articulate on the skills of Patrick relative to others that may have been given equal equipment. She came from Karting, never raced USAC and is a mid pack runner. She will never attain the level of a Shirley Muldowney or an Angele. She does however have something to talk about.
keira
Mrs. Reiobard
Any way you slice it, she is breaking new ground and paving the way to make women more interested in the sport, and maybe make the sport a more even match-up. The more publicity a woman gets, for whatever reason,t eh more young girls want to be her. Like I said before, at least now she's making news because of being a good racer. If she was a mid-pack driver, she wouldn't have won by almost 6 seconds.
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wrightme43
No No wait you said not to take anything away from her, then went on to say that the only reason she is there is she is attractive.
Now someone says HEY thats a bunch of BS. And you wont "articulate on the matter"?
I cant put you on ignore anymore, you responded to a thread, with your normal put downs. You get called on it, and you wont answer it. By the reasoning you present, most of the field in every racing series should just go home. Its a race. Someone is going to first, and someone will be last.
The only thing I posted about was that she had won her first race. You cant even let her have that with out cutting it down. Jealous much?
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HavBlue
Listen, I have nothing against Patrick or any other female driver making their mark and she isn't the first by a long shot. She is however the first female driver to win an Indy car event in the sports 97 year history and this is no doubt saying something. Remember, she also has the privilege of being the only driver male or female to throw a childish temper tantrum by getting out of her car and stomping her feet while swinging her arms in the air walking down the track. She finished 18th in a 19 car field during that race. Don't get me wrong I have seen the guys do some pretty dumb things but that one was by far the most interesting. Up to this point her best finish was 2nd back in September of 2007.
To be honest Patrick reminds me a lot of a guy by the name of Harry Gant whose career spanned two decades but he never won a championship. He did however manage to win 18 cup races and he was a thrill to watch simply because he was always there which is much like Patrick. She is a consistent driver but this doesn't win races. Races are won by sweat from the shop, good strategies and running out front which she has failed to do thus far and at one point in her career hadn't led a lap in a period of 19 months. I guess what bothers me the most is simply the hype behind her and the lack of performance to support it.
In contrast, there is a female driver out there that scored a 2nd place finish in the 24 hours of Daytona 2007, had a top ten finish at that same race in 2006, finished 8th overall in the Rolex standings in 2005 with an overall victory at Le Circuit Mont Tremblant, Quebec and her record goes on but who is she???? She has participated in many international races and has driven a wide selection of race cars, including the Porsche Super Cup, Ferrari Challenge F-355, Formula 2000 Dodge, Reynard Dodge 98E, Panoz GT-RA, Dodge Viper GTS, Coloni Nissan CN1/C, Reynard-Judd 01-Q, Lola B2K/40/Judd, Dome S-101/Judd, Panoz Mugen LMP 900, Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototype and Honda Dallara Indy Car. BTW: She is also a qualified Naval engineer.....
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HavBlue
Because this is a place I must be nice you sir are now on ignore and you really need to do some research and quit flying of at the handle. Then again, when someone doesn't think the way you do you get all defensive so what will you do next? Pick up your toys and go home????
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wrightme43
You are funny.
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wrightme43
See I had you on ignore for the past 7 or 8 months. Now that you are a moderator I cant put you on ignore, and you cant put me on ignore.
I did not as you say "fly off the handle". You denigrate someone elses talent, then when called on it, refuse to answer it.
I have not posted in any threads you start. I try to avoid reading anything you post. I really enjoy this forum, and I doubt as you say "I will take my toys and go home." I am going to call you on your BS. That simple.
I did not as you say "fly off the handle". You denigrate someone elses talent, then when called on it, refuse to answer it.
I have not posted in any threads you start. I try to avoid reading anything you post. I really enjoy this forum, and I doubt as you say "I will take my toys and go home." I am going to call you on your BS. That simple.
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HavBlue
You haven't called me on anything Steve. Rather, you have simply stated that I said something I did not because this is what you wanted to read. Also, you will find that I do know a bit about how she has done to this point in time and had she been an up and coming male driver things wouldn't be as they are. An example of this is her 4th place finish at Indy. She got a cover story in Sports Illustrated while the winner of the race may well have been an also ran.... Go figure.
BTW: You are correct, you didn't say I fly off at the handle, it was I that said you did....LOL
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wrightme43
LOL this is great.
Charlie I dont believe we get along.
Just to correct on little thing in your BTW. Read what I wrote again. I think you may of read it wrong.
Charlie I dont believe we get along.
Just to correct on little thing in your BTW. Read what I wrote again. I think you may of read it wrong.
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HavBlue
Back to Patrick as a driver. Of the 8,340 laps she has completed in her career she has led 83. In the 2007 season she completed 2,709 laps and led 17. In 2008 she has completed 400+ laps and led 3. Her average start over her 4 year career to date has been 10th and her average finish has been 10th as well; there are 18 drivers. In the 2006 season she completed 2,209 laps for which she led 0 and had 2 DNF's. In her 51 starts, she has had 1 win, DNF'ed 10 times and finished in the top 10 twenty-nine times.
So, what has she done for the IRL? Roughly 12 years ago Tony George split from CART to bring out the IRL which at present has merged back with CART. During that time open wheel racing in the US took a huge dive in terms of its fan base. So much so that the NASCAR development series (Busch) as well as the Craftsman Truck Series far surpassed the open wheel racing market by huge numbers. Patrick brought a fan base with her. She is good looking and in a man's sport she is so marketable that her racing products outsell the mens items by more than 50%. She is the shot in the arm open wheel racing needed.
At present she has a ride with Andretti/Green racing which is premier in the sport so there can be no excuses considering she has a 50 pound or more weight advantage which does make a difference. There is a lot left in the 2008 season but the new merger will require her to run road courses and by her own admission she needs to work on that aspect of her racing........
So, what has she done for the IRL? Roughly 12 years ago Tony George split from CART to bring out the IRL which at present has merged back with CART. During that time open wheel racing in the US took a huge dive in terms of its fan base. So much so that the NASCAR development series (Busch) as well as the Craftsman Truck Series far surpassed the open wheel racing market by huge numbers. Patrick brought a fan base with her. She is good looking and in a man's sport she is so marketable that her racing products outsell the mens items by more than 50%. She is the shot in the arm open wheel racing needed.
At present she has a ride with Andretti/Green racing which is premier in the sport so there can be no excuses considering she has a 50 pound or more weight advantage which does make a difference. There is a lot left in the 2008 season but the new merger will require her to run road courses and by her own admission she needs to work on that aspect of her racing........
madmanmaigret
Mad like crazy not angry
I agree with the "young girls want to be her". she is good for the sport in many ways (ie; some go to the race just to see her) if she inspires one young woman to be a racer that is great. i am sure there are many women out there that could hold their own against the boys in many forms of racing but dont get the oppritunity because they are female. Unfortunatly most racing has become a big f*$#ing commercial and its about the sponsors not the drivers. OK end rant
all I can say is GO MARCO:thumbup:
Danica won because she is lighter :Flip:
madmanmaigret
Mad like crazy not angry
the winner got a story in US weekly because he dates ashley judd. who the F#&k is ashley judd?
