When Danica Patrick lost her Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ride at the end of the 2017 season, she said she’d compete twice more, in two of America’s biggest racing events, before retiring from the top levels of the sport in 2018—the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. Both of those attempts ended in a wreck.
Danica Patrick announced last year that she’d end her racing career with one more attempt at each of America’s biggest racing events, the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. A wreck just over 100 laps in at Daytona sent several cars spiraling, and eventually knocked Patrick out of her final NASCAR race.
When Danica Patrick announced her retirement last year, she said that she would also give the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 one last go before bowing out. She named the two races the “Danica Double” but it was unclear who her team would be, until now.
NASCAR’s final race of 2017 has been somewhat anticlimactic so far, with only one early caution for Joey Gase eating the wall. But now an incident involving Danica Patrick and Kasey Kahne brought out the second caution flag and ended Patrick’s last race as a full-time driver early on just lap 141 of 267.
NASCAR’s Danica Patrick will retire from racing next year after giving the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 one last shot, reports the Associated Press. Patrick recently lost her NASCAR Cup seat at Stewart-Haas Racing to Aric Almirola for the 2018 season.
Danica Patrick, the only female driver currently in the top-level Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, won’t compete for Stewart-Haas Racing in the series next year. The team announced Tuesday that a new driver and sponsor would be in the car in 2018, and Patrick didn’t say what her plans were after this season.
Sometimes, it’s nice to think that in one of the few professional sports without gender divisions, people can differentiate between two female athletes—you know, as if they’re unique individuals with their own unique goals in life. But that’s often a pipe dream, even in 2017.
A gear failed on Danica Patrick’s Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet during NASCAR Sprint Cup practice at Dover International Speedway today, sending driver Jamie McMurray and Patrick’s team owner Tony Stewart into an unprotected hard wall. That’s worrying for Stewart, who is still recovering from a back injury.
Did we watch a NASCAR Sprint Cup race or a demolition derby today at Talladega? With eight laps to go, Matt Kenseth went flying tail-up into a roll, triggering a restart with four laps to go. On the last lap, cars collided into a huge mass once again as Brad Keselowski drove away from the pack to win.
Two of NASCAR’s biggest stars—Danica Patrick and Kyle Busch—received penalties today from NASCAR’s weekend at Auto Club Speedway. Patrick’s penalty is a clear message that NASCAR wants no one to ever walk towards the track itself, and Busch’s may involve something else he said. (Big “may.”)
Danica Patrick’s had to retire from today’s Auto Club 400 after Kasey Kahne spun her into the wall. Needless to say, she mad.
In a surprising move this week, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series powerhouse Stewart-Haas Racing announced that they were moving from campaigning Chevrolets to Fords for 2017. Naturally, some NASCAR fans are coping with this news better than others.
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After getting tapped from behind by Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Kentucky Speedway last night and radioing over an expletive-laden rant, Danica Patrick tapped him back as they entered pit lane. Her crew tried to explain that Dale Jr. was having brake issues all night, but she wouldn’t have it. Nope! Not an excuse.
The announcement of Haas F1, an effort led by NASCAR mogul Gene Haas, has been met with equal amounts of excitement and skepticism. That’s because memories of the failure that was USF1 are still fresh in everyone’s mind. But, look at this: Haas F1 has actually built a car. Whoa. (Update: it might not be theirs)
NASCAR doesn't always do the best job of explaining their debris cautions. Today's race at Texas Motor Speedway has a convenient Tex-Mex excuse for any yellow flags that get thrown. Pit lane commentator Michael Waltrip spilled a taco all over Denny Hamlin's car on the grid.
Do you need a stuffed companion for race weekends, but are deeply disappointed that Puffalumps have been discontinued for years? Never you fear! Now you can buy Danica Patrick's dog. Seriously. That's her dog Dallas as a cuddly stuffed pet.
USA Today's For The Win blog snuck in a tasty little nugget in their celebrity Final Four tie-in interview with Bar Refaeli: she thinks NASCAR driver Danica Patrick would, in fact, make a great model.
Danica Patrick got wrecked not once, but twice by Denny Hamlin this week, including during the last Daytona Duel race. Hamlin tried to explain his side of the story, but she's clearly not having it. Nuh-huh. Oh, and Kurt Busch totally cupped Danica's face after she had words with Hamlin to calm her down. (Too…
