There was a time not too long ago when seeing a woman behind the wheel in NASCAR felt like spotting a unicorn. That’s why what Kelley Earnhardt Miller did with Danica Patrick back in the early 2010s was such a bold move. And honestly, it’s still talked about today.
Miller, the sister of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the heart of JR Motorsports, was never one to follow the crowd. She knew the sport needed change. NASCAR had been a guy’s playground for decades, and if anyone was going to stir things up, it was going to be Patrick.
Danica Patrick Wasn’t Just There for the Headlines
For those who don’t know, Miller is more than just Earnhardt’s sister. She’s a powerhouse in the NASCAR world, CEO and co-owner of JR Motorsports. Back in 2010, she made a move that would shake up the system: bringing Patrick into NASCAR.
Patrick wasn’t some random rookie, either. She was already killing it in IndyCar, winning a race and stealing hearts. She was the most popular driver there—hands down. But making the jump to NASCAR? That was a whole different arena, which had not a successful playground for women before her. However, Miller believed in her from day one.
From 2010 to 2012, Patrick raced part-time with JR Motorsports, with whom she had seven top-ten and one top-five finishes. People watched. Girls watched. Sponsors started leaning in. Even though the results weren’t always shiny, she made people care. And that’s a win in itself.
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“There are tons of young girls and women that are in the motorsports ranks competing at local levels and regional levels all over the United States,” Kelley once said.
She added, “For Danica to be involved in the Nationwide Series and the Sprint Cup series gives those females a lot more hope that it can be done because we haven’t had a lot of success with females in the sport throughout our years. This continues to give them hope that they can reach for their dreams and chase their dreams that it’s not just a wasted effort and they have someone to look up to that has managed her brand and done well for herself, so they have someone to kind of model themselves after.”
Kelley Earnhardt Miller’s Belief Went Beyond the Track
Patrick’s NASCAR career wasn’t filled with trophies. However, she made history in many other ways. She was the first woman ever to score pole position for the Daytona 500. Her 4th-place finish in Las Vegas is still the best a woman’s done in the Xfinity Series. That’s no small feat.
Even though Patrick eventually stepped away from full-time racing in 2017, her time on the track lit a fire for young girls watching from the stands, from their living rooms, and from karting tracks across the country.
Miller once said, “It’s not a wasted effort,” and she was right about it. Patrick might not have won a Cup race, but she opened the door for the next girl brave enough to walk through it.