Danica Patrick: Why She’s Good (or Bad) for the Future of Women in Motorsports

When Danica Patrick came onto the racing scene in 2005 in Indy Car competition, she had just come off a full season of Formula Atlantic racing where she claimed one pole and a handful of podium finishes. Yet, no wins had been recorded. The important situation for the diminutive five-foot tall, 100-pound driver was she stood tall on the beauty queen meter, something most past and present female drivers don’t possess. That made her marketable, despite not having the greatest driving record. Had she been the opposite sex, the doors of opportunity would not have swung open so wide. In her first Indy 500 appearance, she joined the likes of driver Sarah Fisher, but re-wrote the record books by starting and finishing fourth. Through the next...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - Motorsports
Article is property of BleacherReport.com