Still Questioning Danica’s Commitment?
by markyoungw on Jan.24, 2012, under BLOGS
By Mark Young
Yesterday during the NASCAR Media tour’s stop at Stewart-Haas racing we all learned that Danica Patrick would NOT be racing in the Indianapolis 500 this year. She would instead be racing in the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. To many, including this race fan, this came as a surprise. I surely would have thought that since she wouldn’t be making her jump to Cup Racing full time until 2013 that she would try one more time to win at Indy. To instead enter to run the longest and arguably one of NASCAR’s most grueling events shows that this move from Indy Car to Stock Cars is not a PR and money deal.
I am enthused to hear about this. I hope Danica does well. Her success is a success for all of NASCAR. Sponsors will want to come back, fans will come back, and with the increase of both come more money…..I say go get ‘em Danica!!
What say you?
January 25th, 2012 on 5:38 am
Ah The Danica Experiment…
January 25th, 2012 on 7:04 am
But do I have a point #5? Her success, or mediocrity for that matter if you compare to Jr., will be a boon for the sport on many levels.
This “experiment” isn’t much different than, oh say Pastrana, Vellenueve, or insert other open-wheel or non traditional driver. I am curious as to why so many people are against it………….
January 25th, 2012 on 9:07 am
Mark you DO have a point. I have an opinion as to why people are so opposed to it, but I will keep that to myself at this point. F5 thinks I am a profiler- but I am really just a stereotyper. LOL
I do not see another cash cow in this sport being “bad” for this sport. DP is as good a driver as most of the other drivers. There is an elite group, then there’s the back of the pack. Do they NOT deserve to be in CUP? ( some of them don’t lol ) But, no seriously, let’s see her on track performance before we rush to judgement. If she SUCKS, then we can blast her. Until then…..let’s see what she’s got.
Her skipping the Indy is a HUGE testament to her commitment to learn these cars. HUGE.
January 25th, 2012 on 2:35 pm
I was debating this myself yesterday and then after I watched the Hub….Am I against OW’ers or pretty faces/Daddy bucks getting rides that someone that has paid their Nascar dues and can still wheel a car,but gets the boot or shuffled out of the sport? You damn skippy! I was very outspoken with Hornish and Speed especially. Papis,Franchetti,Villawhatever. Name,experiment? FAIL! Only JPM has done decent but he has had long enough to show me more and it ain’t happening either.AJ is in a make or break year and he is actually the only one to me that can race like he has a clue based on improvments from last year.
Meanwhile more deserving guys like Stremme,K Wallace,Wimmer loose out and flounder in trucks and NW. I could name a few older guys like Musgrave or Lepage or even Nemacheck that could get the job done in good equipment. So Danica has got more talent then any of these guys? Not on your life. And these guys have had some sucess in good stuff,but got shuffled out for what? Not so much performance but the almighty buck.The stuff that makes the world go round and what keeps Nascar alive even with the crappy economy.And what does she bring or potentially bring? You got it $$$$$$$.
I’d rather see good ‘ol boys racing hard and rubbing and trash talking. I’d like to see Nascar go back to the Rock,N Wilksboro,another Darlington or add another real racing track and drop half the cookie cutters and Cali,Michigan,Pocono….Don’t think that will happen either. It’s the new era of Nascar whether I like it or not. Some things I like and some I don’t. For Nascar’s sake I hope she does well.For my sake I’ll put her right there with the rest of the OW’ers and pretty faces.These new OW’ers are not close to the only OW’ers I think were worth a damn like Foyt. She will be in the best equipment so IMO she will be like Jr. Alot of hype but where are the wins?I’ll give her a year and cast total judgement on real deal or bust(pardon the pun) But she will bring in the fans and maybe more female fans which I will benefit when I see them at the track lol.
So for me I’ll pull for her to do well in some cases but I’d rather see a Kenny Wallace in that car than her. Gives it a better chance competitively and he has a hell of alot more personality even though when she tries it looks so fake. Granted she looks better than he would in high heels….oh yeah,that’s why she’s in Cup now?
BTW,I keep hearing about how she IS racing in the 500 and the Coke 600? Doesn’t she have to race her way in or qualify????Hmmmm?Do ya’ll realy think Nascar would allow her not to make the biggest race on TV? I’m pretty dang sure TS and Nascar got it taken care of with probly a RedBull buy out from say the 4? Just guessing. Or did I miss something?
Bottom-line the more drivers contending the beter off the product is and the beter off Nascar will be. I E the 51 in Cup maybe becoming a factor in the product .And like how many quality teams are racing now in NW along with drivers? Lost the 66 for entertainmet value and the 62. O well we shall see………..
January 26th, 2012 on 7:33 am
Well spoken DJ!
MWR tried to buy RedBull’s assets and got shot down…I’m gonna say Daddy Warbuck’s get’s him so Danica can make “The Show”
I will give Danica credit, she will fare better than her previous predicessors for one reason…she DOES have a pair of Balls!
January 26th, 2012 on 5:47 pm
I’m not a big Danica fan at all. I’m not into female exploitation even if she does it to herself. Her cheesecake shots and commercials take away from women who are serious racers – something that Danica is not. I’ll reserve my cheering for Ashley Force and women like her who aren’t exploiting the physical attributes of their gender.
January 27th, 2012 on 1:35 am
Could not have said it better, Barb!