In the summer of 2006, Danica Patrick found herself in the center of a growing media storm. Apart from just making headlines for her performance on the track, she was also in the news because of speculation floating around her leaving open wheel racing.
Back then, fresh off her Indianapolis 500 debut, the young IndyCar driver suddenly found herself at the center of a rumor storm about her making a jump to NASCAR. The speculation hit a fever pitch when her father and agent had earlier been spotted as a guest of Roush Racing at a Nextel Cup event in Illinois. As the racing world buzzed with rumours, the media hounded Patrick for answers she wasn’t ready to give back then.
When Danica Patrick Once Shut Down Speculations About Her Future
Patrick, who was then racing for Rahal Letterman Racing in the Firestone Indy 400, finally put the speculations to rest when she announced she’d signed with Andretti Green Racing for the following season. She chose to stay in the Indy Racing League rather than take a leap into NASCAR.
“I had to lie,” she clarified. “It wasn’t anything hurtful, I just couldn’t answer.”
However, despite her decision to stay in IndyCar back then, Patrick insisted the rumours about her potential move to NASCAR were not false. “I’m not lying when I say we had offers. And, I’m not lying when I said I was interested. I’m not going to write that off for my future. I think it would be fun, eventually, but my heart is in IndyCar right now. I’m not done here,” she added.
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Her decision to stay in IndyCar eventually saw her claim her first win at the 2008 Japan 300. However, her crossover to NASCAR did finally come in 2012, when she made the jump to become a full-time driver in the Cup Series. This gave her the opportunity to become the first woman to clinch pole position at the Daytona 500 a year later.
Patrick’s career in NASCAR’s Cup Series spanned five full-time seasons. Though she never secured a win or podium, she became a very recognizable name in the sport, capturing fans attention and massive sponsorships. Many of her peers also acknowledged that despite her lack of wins, Patrick helped put NASCAR on the map for a new generation of fans, particularly young women.
In 2018, Patrick announced her retirement from racing. She ended her career with final appearances at both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500.