How Danica Patrick became the first woman to win the IndyCar Race in 2008
Born in Beloit, Wisconsin, the former American most successful racer began her career in Kart racing at age ten before moving to the United Kingdom in 1998 for more training opportunities. Her earliest wins were recorded in the World Karting Association Grand National Championship, where she won three times in a row in the mid-1990s. She also competed in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford before returning to the United States in 2001.
In 2002, Patrick began driving for the Rahal Letterman Racing Team and competed in the fire Barber Dodge Pro Series races. She also raced in the Toyota Atlantic Series for two years, and in the 2004 season; she became the first woman to ever win a pole position in the series. Patrick started competing in IndyCar events under Rahal Letterman Racing Team in 2005, where she made her first Indy 500 debut on May 29, 2005. She was also the fourth female driver to ever compete in the 500-mile race.
During her Indy 500 debut, Patrick led the race for 19 laps (she was the first woman to lead a race in the competition), took three pole positions, and finished fourth place in the race. Her success in the Series earned her the Rookie of the Year award for the 2005 IndyCar series and 2005 Indianapolis 500. She finished ninth place in the overall IndyCar standing in the 2006 season and moved to the Andretti Green Racing Team in 2007.
On April 20, 2008, Patrick won the Indy Japan 300 making her the first woman to win the open-wheel race. She finished 5.8594seconds ahead of two-time Indy 500 winner, Helio Castroneves. In 2010, she began racing stock cars in the NASCAR National Series, and her best performance earned her the fourth-place finish at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011. In the 2012 season, she became the second woman to clinch a pole position in the nationwide series. Patrick joined the NASCAR Cup Series in 2012 and became the first woman to win a Cup Series Pole Position in the 2013 Daytona 500.
Aside from being a successful racer with major wins, Patrick also had a career as a model and an advertising spokeswoman. She retired from IndyCar in 2011 and fully retired from racing in 2018.
"But, right now, she is more of a travel bug and also owns a podcast - Danica Patrick Pretty Intense Podcast - where she inspires, educates as well as tells fans more about her personal life."
Avi Zaslavskiy
212World
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