Jim Utter writes from Daytona
Danica Patrick was fifth-fastest in Thursday's lone Nationwide series practice session and was pleased with the improvement in the car since Wednesday.
"I was a little loose. I'm still a little loose. But we've done some things to chase that down," she said.
"You know, the big difference for me from last weekend to this weekend is I think the ARCA car rolled through the corner and there was a lot of grip there. The closing rates were not as dramatic as they are in the Nationwide car."
Patrick was 26th fastest in Wednesday'’s session. Qualifying for Saturday's Nationwide race is set for 3:10 p.m. Friday at Daytona International Speedway.
It was May of 2008 when I first wrote about Danica Patrick. My thinking hasn't changed, Dancia is made for NASCAR.
I don't think she'll win races, since open wheel cars are lighter and quicker than stock cars, and I don't think she'll be a match for the heavier cars. I don't care how much time she spends at the gym you can only do so much when you weigh 100 pounds.
Don't get me wrong I think she'll do fine and that's ok. There are a lot of guys out there that get top ten finishes all year long but never see the checkered flag and that's ok for Danica as well.
Reading back over the 2008 post, I'm kind of embarrassed, since I let the story get personal. Check out 100 Pounds of Trouble here.
4 comments:
GO DANICA!!!
Have you met any NASCAR drivers?
Mark Martin
John Andretti
Jeff Burton
Jeff Gordon
Kasey Kahne
These are SMALL guys....
It this case, it's NOT size that matters, it's intelligence and stamina.
She WILL win races, patience, grasshopper, she WILL win lots of races!
I have Martin has been one of my favs for years I'm always yelling for the older drivers.
And being a yacht captain I've meet Jeff Gordon and his captain "24 Karat"
Kasey I've never met. Burton yes and if I haven't met John Andretti I've met every other member of the Andretti family.
What I hear from Tom Sorenson is that Danica has one mean grip and I expect she could whip Jeff Gordon in a one on one in the octogon.
Well, then, you know how small they are and how that size doesn't matter as much as strength and stamina and determination, right?
(John Andretti is about the same size as Danica, maybe smaller.)
She will get there.....
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