Word is that Danica is "almost certainly" going to try a limited schedule of ARCA (Daytona only most likely), trucks, and Nationwide next year, while still running in the IRL.

http://jayski.com/cupnews.htm#news-danica

Should be interesting.

Just like JP Montoya, Scott Speed, Ricky Carmichael before her. ARCA should be interesting, it really is a good indicator of whether you will be able to survive in a stock car setting or not.

Worst Bday news I have ever got, that's for sure. Well, not really, but you know what I mean.

Sad to see JR and Stewart sucked in.

she will fail miserably imo.

eer.. who cares?

Quote from Intrepid :

eer.. who cares?

We on the other side of the pond do. Dont be so cynical

There is hypocrisy in my statement which I do recognise. It does bother me that a driver that has achieved very little, and who is moving to Nascar or whatever, somehow is worthy of coverage.

Very little? The first female driver in a major open wheel series is an achievement, surely?

Quote from TiJay :

Very little? The first female driver in a major open wheel series is an achievement, surely?

no she isn't

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L ... emale_Formula_One_drivers

Quote from TiJay :

Very little? The first female driver in a major open wheel series is an achievement, surely?

Uhh...no she isn't?

Drivers in premier open wheel series before Danica:
F1: Lella Lombardi, Desire Wilson (who won a non points F1 race), Giovanna Amati, Maria Teresa de Filippis
ChampCar: Katherine Legge
IRL: Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher

I think I got them all, although I might be missing a few

have you heard this woman speak in public? my god, she's dumb.

Quote from Intrepid :

eer.. who cares?

Sadly too many people.

Wasnt she the first female IRL driver to win a race?

Either way things will be interesting, her first race if she performs badly she will be scrubbed by the media put down ect, she does well shes great again either way its a win win for the media. Not the series.

Quote from AstroBoy :

Wasnt she the first female IRL driver to win a race?

Sarah Fisher was the first woman to win IRL pole, Patrick was the first woman to win an IRL race

Quote from AstroBoy :

Either way things will be interesting, her first race if she performs badly she will be scrubbed by the media put down ect, she does well shes great again either way its a win win for the media. Not the series.

well...ARCA is already known as "Always Ready to Cause Accidents"

Quote from lizardfolk :

Uhh...no she isn't?

Drivers in premier open wheel series before Danica:
F1: Lella Lombardi, Desire Wilson (who won a non points F1 race), Giovanna Amati, Maria Teresa de Filippis
ChampCar: Katherine Legge
IRL: Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher

I think I got them all, although I might be missing a few

How could you forget Group B Michelle Mouton! :chair:

She even almost won a championship, not just one race...

Quote from lizardfolk :

Drivers in premier open wheel series before Danica

Quote from TiJay :

Very little? The first female driver in a major open wheel series is an achievement, surely?

there were a team of women raced an MG round brookland in the 1930s

Quote from Intrepid :

It does bother me that a driver that has achieved very little, and who is moving to Nascar or whatever, somehow is worthy of coverage.

To put it simply, it's because she is an ok driver who happens to be very attractive. Thus making her a superstar.

Besides, every series/driver change is worthy of coverage. Just as in all sports. When I watch FSC, i get told about transfers and loans for players I've never ever heard of, Playing for teams I don't care about.

Quote from Intrepid :

It does bother me that a driver that has achieved very little, and who is moving to Nascar or whatever, somehow is worthy of coverage.

Whether you like it or not she's a big icon in American racing.

She might take to stock cars better than IndyCar. Who knows. It could be that IndyCars just aren't for her. She does seem to do better on the ovals at least.

Quote from MadCat360 :

Whether you like it or not she's a big icon in American racing.

She might take to stock cars better than IndyCar. Who knows. It could be that IndyCars just aren't for her. She does seem to do better on the ovals at least.

considering all her racing has been on the open wheeler scene it looks very unlikely.

Quote :

Uhh...no she isn't?

Fair point, I didn't look before I replied. Guessed someone would call me on it if I was wrong!

Quote from MadCat360 :

Whether you like it or not she's a big icon in American racing.

She is no Icon in American Motorsports.... most "Icon's" have something to put on their resume's. (other than a fuel-mileage victory)

Pushing Peak anti-Freeze and posing damn near nude for a magazine doesn't make you a Motorsports Icon.

Quote from th84 :

She is no Icon in American Motorsports.... most "Icon's" have something to put on their resume's. (other than a fuel-mileage victory)

Pushing Peak anti-Freeze and posing damn near nude for a magazine doesn't make you a Motorsports Icon.

The fact that it has in her case says more about the media and fans in her country than it does about her.

Media, yes. Sex sells, as sad as that may be, its a fact, but that doesnt make her an Icon.

Fans, not so much. I have never heard her refered to as an Icon until today (the post I quoted). There is a difference between a sex symbol and a motorsports icon.

Quote from th84 :

Fans, not so much. I have never heard her refered to as an Icon until today (the post I quoted). There is a difference between a sex symbol and a motorsports icon.

If you went to the cities of the US and asked the first 1000 people you saw to name a racing driver (not even a current IRL driver) who do you think they would say? The older ones might say Mario Andretti or Jim Clark, some might say Dale Earnheardt but I'd bet a lot of young people or people who aren't interested in motor racing would say Danica Patrick because of all the media attention she gets. An icon is just someone or something that represents something else, it doesn't have to mean the icon is good or deserving of that status.