Danica Patrick Interview: Most Successful Woman in American Open-Wheel Car Racing History

Danica Patrick recalls how she initially began racing go karts when she was 10 as a way to spend time with her family and the lessons she learned from moving to England at 16 to race cars. Patrick describes the first time she raced in the Indianapolis 500, which she says “put her on the map”, explains her strategy for when she won the Indy Japan 300 race, what prompted her decision to move to Nascar and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of being a woman in a male-dominated sport.

Danica Patrick was born on March 25, 1982 in Beloit Wisconsin. She is the most successful woman in American open-wheel car racing history. At just 10 years old, Patrick’s racing career began after her parents bought her a go-kart. After winning numerous regional and national go-kart titles, she left the Midwest at 16 years old to compete in the cutthroat world of European road racing. In 2005, Patrick stunned the world by leading 19 laps and finishing fourth in her first Indianapolis 500. She became the first woman to lead laps and score a top-five finish in the historic race. In 2008, Patrick made history again becoming the first woman to win a major-league open-wheel race in a North American series with her victory in the IndyCar Series Indy Japan 300 race. In 2013, as Danica transitioned to the NASCAR Cup Series, she made headlines around the world with her record-setting performance in the 55th Daytona 500 race. She became the first woman to win a NASCAR Cup Series pole when she set the fastest time in qualifying 500 and then finished in eighth place, the highest finishing position ever for a woman in the “Great American Race.” She broke the record for most top-10 finishes of any female in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2015 and holds the new mark with a total of seven top-10s to her credit. Danica closed out her time in racing with the “Danica Double'' in 2018 and competed in two marquee events that were cornerstones of her career: the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. In that same year she became the first female host of the ESPY Awards – ESPN’s Sports Award show. After retiring from racing, Danica’s focus has shifted to her role as an entrepreneur and business owner. She has launched the clothing line – Warrior by Danica Patrick, authored a book Pretty Intense, and is the sole proprietor of Somnium, a vineyard in Napa Valley, California.

From the 2013 PBS Documentary “Makers: Women Who Make America”, examines how women have helped shape America over the past 150 years, striving for a full and fair share of political power and economic opportunity.

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Danica, Patrick, Former Professional Racing Driver

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