Bye Danica, We'll Miss You

[Insomniac]

Say goodbye to Danica guys.


* Is Danica next? – Sarah Fisher might have company next year at Indy.

Danica Patrick, the 22-year-old Toyota Atlantics driver, could be the next female in the Indy 500. Bobby Rahal said Thursday that he plans to move his star pupil to IndyCars next season.

"I’ve always been confident that I can drive," said Patrick, who was hanging out in the Rahal Letterman Racing garages Thursday. "It’s not like I’m finally proving that. I‘ve got a great team to learn from between now and then."

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/indycar/11265/

[GOFAST1]

Cute chick. Will be missed. But as a racing fan, don't you want someone like, let's say...Wilson, or at least someone who won a race? As far as I'm concerned, I don't watch races for some pr bs. I spend my money to see the real deal. The real deal, the real racing, the real drivers... See you all in Milwaukee!

[Cam]

Dumb move Danica! Get away from Rahal.... FAST :shakehead

[racer2c]

Rahole has been prepping her for the 500 for some time now. She's made a few comments about liking road courses better, but the T&H money has a way of changing minds. We've seen plenty of that haven't we.

[Brickman]

Rahole has been prepping her for the 500 for some time now. She's made a few comments about liking road courses better, but the T&H money has a way of changing minds. We've seen plenty of that haven't we.

Yep... she moves up to the big (yen) league. Manufacturer money tied with manufacturer opportunity, or vice-versa.

[RacinM3]

Big deal. She's had more than a year to prove herself a winner in Atlantics at this point. The more races that go by without a victory, the more she's just like Fisher anyway.

Show me an Atlantic win, then I'll miss her.

[RusH]

This is more PR BS anything else, it`s about loosing a GIRL to the Centrifuge Series.
Now we all know that running next to last don`t mean much with SF, let`s see.

[sundaydriver2]

WGAF, she's a nobody.

[RaceGrrl]

I had hopes that she'd be the first female to drive a ChampCar. It's very disappointing, but I'm not surprised. I wish her a very unsuccessful but healthy IRL career.

[Robstar]

I had hopes that she'd be the first female to drive a ChampCar. It's very disappointing, but I'm not surprised. I wish her a very unsuccessful but healthy IRL career.

Same here 'Grrl...
I think Danica in a ChampCar would have been a strong selling point to a potential fanbase... oh well

[P1]

Too bad - from a PR aspect. But from a racer aspect I don't believe she can cut it in Champ Cars based on her Atlantics performance. Not gonna make or break OWRS and she sure isn't gonna make the EARL - nobody can do that.

[Rogue Leader]

I had hopes that she'd be the first female to drive a ChampCar. It's very disappointing, but I'm not surprised. I wish her a very unsuccessful but healthy IRL career.


Didnt Lynn St James have a few Champcar starts??? (besides running in the indy 500)

[RTKar]

Yup, may have run a season or two

[Insomniac]

I'm not saying she was a race winner or anything, but it couldn't hurt if she was in ChampCar at some point. I don't think she would've been a back marker at least. Plus you would have another American and a girl in the series. FWIW, she has outperformed her teammate in TA this year. I haven't watched any races, so I have no idea about the guy though.

[stymie]

Didnt Lynn St James have a few Champcar starts??? (besides running in the indy 500)

Didn't Desiree Wilson also make a few Champcar starts?

[RaceGrrl]

<------Blonde moment...

Of course you guys are right about the other female drivers. I tend to remember recent history (post-split) since that's when I really started getting into ChampCar. I should have remembered Lyn StJames though. :o

[DjDrOmusic]

Watch Rahole pull out all the stops to get Danica the win at Milwaukee, then if she does win he'll say something absolutely stupid(again)like "I knew she was ready to drive in the IRL, look she just won on Champcars toughest track"
then he'll go back to his transporter and open the envelope from TG and start counting. :shakehead :flame:

[Madmaxfan2]

I was only one year too early in my prediction. TG has a built in promotion for next year.

[Insomniac]

I figured it out. They want a new most popular driver who actually drives a race car!

[racer2c]

I figured it out. They want a new most popular driver who actually drives a race car!

Like RacinM3 said, that's debatable.

[pinniped]

This isn't a surprise at all. For years she has given very cagey responses about her future, saying she wanted to race open wheel...all these guys basically want a job driving a car, which is their dream...IRL may not be what they had envisioned but if they can get a job there, they will go there. Right now, the manufacturers, the Brickyard money, and Tony dollars are still giving it a go but that can't go on forever in front of empty stands. Give it a few years, as soon as TG thinks he can stop blowing his money on this charade without losing face, it will end...but not before that...

[TedN]

Something's fishy as Danica says Rahal comment caught her off guard. Is Patrick being used as a pawn?

Ted

------------------
http://www.canada.com/sports/auto/story.html?id=F48CEE0F-BA3A-4640-9186-2ACD766A155C

Friday, May 28, 2004
Danica Patrick gets surprise from car owner Bobby Rahal
by STEVE HERMAN
Canadian Press
Thursday, May 27, 2004


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Bobby Rahal's offhand remark caught even Danica Patrick by surprise.

At an Indianapolis 500 news conference Thursday with his IRL team, which includes pole-winner Buddy Rice, Rahal mentioned that he planned to put Patrick on the track here next year. The 22-year-old Patrick, who drives for Rahal in the developmental Toyota Atlantic series this season, was stunned.

"That is the first time I've heard him say, 'She's ready to be here,"' Patrick said. "I think I'm ready. If you can drive a race car, you can drive any race car. With a little bit of practice and knowledge of some of the characteristics of it, you can drive anything."

Patrick, third in the Monterrey Grand Prix last week, is second in points in the Toyota Atlantic series this season. She also spent three years in the Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford series in England before returning to the United States to run the Toyota Atlantic series for Rahal two years ago.

"Sponsorship is the key," Rahal said. "She's proved to me she can run up front. If she can run up front in the Atlantic races, she can run up front anywhere."

Patrick, of Roscoe, Ill., would be the fourth woman in the Indy 500, following former drivers Janet Guthrie and Lyn St. James, and current IRL driver Sarah Fisher. The 23-year-old Fisher will be in the 500 for the fifth time Sunday.

Fisher's rookie race in 2000 was the last one for St. James and marked the only time two women have driven in the same race at Indianapolis.

"I'm kind of bubbling from it. I really, honestly haven't heard Bob say, 'You're ready to come here.' So I'm excited," Patrick said. "That's a big confidence boost, too."

Rahal hired Rice to fill in for former Indy and IRL champion Kenny Brack, who is recuperating from serious injuries from a crash in the final race last season. After Rice won the pole, however, Rahal said he would stay even after Brack returns.

Vitor Meira and Roger Yasukawa also drive for Rahal.

[nrc]

Sounds like the mood in garage area is desperation. AF having a tantrum, Rahal ready to throw his potential star into the grinder ready or not...

[Ferdman]

I asked her at Long Beach if we'll see her in a Champ Car soon. Her reply was, "I hope so." I didn't finish the rest of my question which was, "or will you just make a lateral move to the IRL?" I guess I should have asked that just to see the look on her face.

This article only talks about the EARL497.5, not as a regular in the IRL. Just a one off. But the way Rahole's going about it, we probably won't see her in a Champ Car. I guess the only new driving technique she'll have to learn is to be able to hold her right foot down with her left foot. Don't mess up that pretty face in the cheesegrater Danica.

[racer2c]

BIO, Danica Patrick: 2006
Former Atlantics driver
Former Indy 500 driver
Currently doing special interest segments for the IRL TV broadcasts.
Top selling IRL calender model.

[Insomniac]

BIO, Danica Patrick: 2006
Former Atlantics driver
Former Indy 500 driver
Currently doing special interest segments for the IRL TV broadcasts.
Top selling IRL calender model.

:)

She'll go where Bobby sends her. He has her tied up for a few years in a long term deal. I guess that's the price you pay for a long term future in the sport.

[FTG]

She and Fabio would make a cute couple: the open wheel version of Amber and Rob.

[Jervis Tetch 1]

I agree with what an early post said. Show me a win or some legitimate and consistant wins or top 5 runs then I'll be sad.

But so far, she's just like any other female racer who's gone against the men. Nothing special but a footnote or sidebar and that's the bottome line.

Period.

[bdogg187]

Sam Hornish only had 1 Atlantics win (and that was an oval), and he's an EARL Champ. I think Danica would do far better in EARL than Sarah Fisher.

All they said though was that Danica would run the 500, that could mean she will either go to Champ Car, IRL :gomer: , or she might run sports cars. Its obvious she prefers road racing.

That said, I really dont care what she does. We have plenty of drivers who are more talented than she is.

[oddlycalm]

"Sponsorship is the key,"
The sponsor wants their driver in the show, Rahal's only question is going to be when. Driver readiness, or any other rational considerations, are not a factor.

oc