Danica Patrick

Danica Sue Patrick ( born March 25, 1982 in Beloit, Wisconsin, United States) is an American automobile racing driver. From 2005 to 2011 she was driving in the IndyCar Series. On 20 April 2008, she became the first woman ever a race of IndyCar Series at Motegi. From 2007 to 2011 she went to for Andretti Autosport. Since 2012 she has been active in NASCAR. 2013 Danica Patrick at Stewart Haas Racing tribe pilot in the Sprint Cup.

• 4.1 Career stations
• 4.2 Individual results in the IndyCar Series

Career

Beginnings in motorsport (1993-2004)

Like most racers began her career in karting Patrick, where she was active from 1993 to 1998. In 1998, she was in the winter series of the British Formula Vauxhall her debut in Formula racing. Then she drove in the British Formula Vauxhall and finished ninth in the overall standings. In the next two years she drove in the British Formula Ford 2000 and finished 19th in 2001 and 25th overall. Successful she was in the British Formula Ford Festival that she finished in 2000 behind team mate Anthony Davidson in second place. Thus they reached the best ranking that had ever made ​​an American in this race.

2002 Patrick returned to the United States and competed in some races in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, which she finished in 13th place overall. In 2003, she joined the team Rahal in the Formula Atlantic. She stood on the podium twice, finishing the season in sixth place in the championship. In 2004, she played for Rahal their second season in Formula Atlantic and improved with three podium finishes in third place overall. Patrick was stronger than their respective teammates in two seasons, but they won no races for themselves.

IndyCar Series (2005-2011)

2005 Patrick moved to the IndyCar Series and stayed with her ​​team that was called in this series Rahal Letterman Racing. The most successful was it for them at the Indy 500 She was only the fourth woman who could ever qualify for the prestigious race. In addition, they immediately reached new records: She scored the best starting position ( 4) and the best result ( 4 ), which was ever achieved by a woman. In addition, she was the first woman who had led the race. Although she had to finish the season her teammates Vitor Meira been beaten, but it was better than her second teammate Buddy Rice, who had won the year before the Indy 500, and finished in twelfth place overall. They also scored three times in the pole position and was the best rookie of the season. In 2006, she played her second IndyCar Series season for Rahal Letterman Racing. After her teammate Paul Dana was verünglückt fatal to the first race in training, she let out the season opener. At the end of the season they finished ninth overall and was again against Rice, who was once again her teammate. As in the previous fourth places were their best rankings.

In 2007, she moved to Andretti Green Racing. After they had become twice Third, she reached the second place in the penultimate race. In the overall standings, they finished seventh overall with a significant gap to their teammates Dario Franchitti, who won the championship, and Tony Kanaan. In 2008 she stayed with Andretti Green Racing. After she started with two place in the top ten drivers in the season, she won her first race at Motegi in Formula racing at all. They took the lead after a passing against Hélio Castroneves shortly before closing. With her victory, she became the first woman who won an IndyCar race in itself. In the rest of the season they drove more times in the top ten pilots and eventually finished sixth overall.

2009 Patrick drove again in the IndyCar Series Andretti Green Racing and stayed with. Beat your best score it achieved this year at the Indy 500, which she finished as third parties. At the end of the season she won as best female pilot of her team to fifth place overall. 2010 Patrick denied their sixth IndyCar season and stayed with her ​​team, which had been renamed Andretti Autosport. After a weak start to the season on the round courses they grew to the ovals, and, after she had the Indianapolis 500 ended in sixth place, Second in Fort Worth. At the season finale in Homestead, she fought in the final laps against her teammates Canaan to second place and decided the duel itself. At the end of the season they finished behind three of their teammates to tenth place in the overall standings. They also took part in 13 races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. She never came in the top -10 finish and ended the season 43rd in 2011 was Patrick at Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar Series. Once she came in the first four races on road courses only once in the top ten pilots, she reached in the next five oval races four times a top- 10 ranking. Their best finish was a fifth place in West Allis. The season she finished in tenth position. In addition, she took for JR Motorsports again participated in several races of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. With a fourth place as best result it was on the 26th place in the championship.

NASCAR (since 2012)

2012 Patrick left the IndyCar Series and went completely in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports at the start. Patrick scored a pole position and finished with an eighth place as the best single result total tithe. In addition, Patrick 2012 participated in ten races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the highest NASCAR Division, in part for Stewart Haas Racing. She was not entitled to points in this series. A 17th place was their best finish. 2013, Patrick decided for a rise in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, where she received a full-time cockpit at Stewart Haas Racing. At the season opener, the Daytona 500, succeeded Patrick was the first woman ever from extending the pole position in a Sprint Cup race. In addition, Patrick takes 2013 Scott Turner Motorsports in part to race the Nationwide Series. There, she is not entitled to points.

Personal

Danica Patrick weighs in at a body size of 1.60 m, 50 kg. The relatively low body weight has been repeatedly discussed under the aspect of an advantage. Patrick was married from 2005 to 2013 with Paul Hospenthal. Since early 2013, Patrick is in a relationship with her colleagues Ricky Stenhouse Jr. NASCAR.

Others

Patrick played 2010 in a guest role in the television series CSI: NY with.

In the video game Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing Transformed Danica Patrick can be selected as a pilot.

She won in 2012 and 2013 at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in the category favorite athlete.

Statistics

Career stations

• 2004: Formula Atlantic ( 3rd place)
• 2005: IndyCar Series (No. 12)
• 2006: IndyCar Series (No. 9)
• 2007: IndyCar Series (No. 7)
• 2008: IndyCar Series ( 6th place)
• 2009: IndyCar Series ( 5th place)

• 2010: IndyCar Series (No. 10)
• 2010: NASCAR Nationwide Series ( No. 43 )
• 2011: IndyCar Series (No. 10)
• 2011: NASCAR Nationwide Series (No. 26)
• 2012: NASCAR Nationwide Series (No. 10)
• 2013: NASCAR Sprint Cup

Individual results in the IndyCar Series

( Legend)

Works

• Danica Patrick, Laura Morton: Danica - Crossing the Line. Simon & Schuster, New York 2006, ISBN 978-0-7432-9814-8.