Danica = Dumb Bunny?

Anyone who is familiar with my ramblings knows I have been a proponent of Danica Patrick. I believed in her passion, her bravery, her ability to look good for the camera and therefore gain sponsorship…what was lacking was (and is) that Kyle Busch “edge”.

BUT, she made two big mistakes at Loudon 9/27. First, she should have either heard from her spotter that there were two cars under hers or “sensed” it.

Who hasn’t seen one guy get under another at NSS (or etc) and be off his line or just in there too hot and drift up. Nine times out of ten the guy that is now on the outside moves up with him. Same thing happens on the street on a three lane interstate or a multi-lane left turn. One just has to be aware of where the clueless are and move accordingly.

She did not, and routinely does not. As Reechard said “She cain’t race”.

But that was by far not the worst of it. Everyone has seen her pull her pretty little hands off the wheel heading for a wall. She apparently pulls her pretty little feet off the pedals as well. Presumably so they do not get injured.

Decent theory, but it turns the car into a 3500lb pinball. Yesterday, after she backed into the wall, David Ragan was her victim.

As mentioned, in the past, I have believed in her bravery. But come on, you are supposed to drive the car until it stops.

Sooner or later, she or someone else is going to get hurt by a car going faster than it should without a driver.

Tony should have a serious talk with the young lady, IMO. She should be in a dirt late model every week somewhere. And she should drive the thing until it comes to rest.

She has improved as a driver, I will say that BUT…
I knew after the wreck the proclamation would be made that it was some else’s doing! Even after an interview delay to compose herself and be coached she uttered “Jeff Gordon must have got into Newman”…
I just shake my head. The roll into traffic and the denial…
NASCAR entertainment!

Right on the money

Well OS, as you know I have not been her supporter, and this is just another example of why she doesn’t belong at the top level.

Am starting to get there.

Her time to improve is about up. And she ain’t getting any younger, an important factor given what she is marketing.

But if she isn’t in CUP, we won’t get to watch her stomp around and poke Denny Hamlin in the chest anymore…

I don’t like her or hate her, I’m pretty indifferent to her existence anymore. But once, just once I’d like to hear her take any level of responsibility for wadding up a race car. Her car or anyone else’s, I don’t think she’s ever once accepted even partial blame for anything. Or at the very least just admit that some crashes are the product of hard racing, which I think is all yesterday was. But she’s always got to blame when the media gets to her.
I think it’s unfair to say she doesn’t belong in Cup given the talent of the bottom third of the field. Most of those drivers wouldn’t be there if they weren’t bringing money to the game, just like her.

I’ll say it! She don’t belong in nascar, one time she’s lucks up in a indy car race because everyone else ran out of fuel doesn’t make her a driver!!! As stated above she needs to be driving a dirt car every day of the week so she could actually tell her crew chief what the car is doing and they could work on it. I’m sure all these guys are over her looks which only last until she speaks and then your like WTH is she sayin??? There’s alot of young talent that would love to be driving that car which in my opinion is probaly one of the best out there but you’ll never see it with her driving! Just listen to her talk she’s flat out ignorant and never takes blame for nothing! People make mistakes and improve on them it’s part of driving a racecar!

Danicant

Give her a break, she’s still learning, LoL. Guess the money is worth more than the talent.

I think if you look up what most of those guys in the bottom third have done, they have a way deeper resume than hers. No, they don’t have any fuel mileage Indy car wins, but most of them have accomplished a good bit. Furthermore, I wouldn’t have the same problem with her driving a bottom third of the field car. She doesn’t deserve to be in an elite ride.

Of course, everything said is true, but,
Here is the counterpoint:

That ride would not exist if it wasn’t for the sponsorship she brings to the table.

Am betting that, like Go Daddy, “Natures Bakery” is not looking for David Gilliland to hawk their product.

Therefore,

A) There would be no car for the more deserving racers to drive anyway, and
B) Like a lot of pay-to-play racers (Dentists, perhaps…?) she therefore deserves the ride.

BUT gosh darn it, she should be able to do better in a crash than ball up like a caterpillar.NASCAR does have a “driving test”, but clearly it is not comprehensive enough.

[QUOTE=OldSchool+;165001]Of course, everything said is true, but,
Here is the counterpoint:

That ride would not exist if it wasn’t for the sponsorship she brings to the table.

Am betting that, like Go Daddy, “Natures Bakery” is not looking for David Gilliland to hawk their product.

Therefore,

A) There would be no car for the more deserving racers to drive anyway, and
B) Like a lot of pay-to-play racers (Dentists, perhaps…?) she therefore deserves the ride.

BUT gosh darn it, she should be able to do better in a crash than ball up like a caterpillar.NASCAR does have a “driving test”, but clearly it is not comprehensive enough.[/QUOTE]

Those are very good points, and I am sure correct. However, I would rather see a low buck team make the field, which they can’t do now because she is taking the spot. I totally understand the funding deal, and the pay to play aspect. It has always been like that in sports car racing. I don’t have any issue with that. What I don’t like is them promoting her like she is some superstar driver. If she ever wins a race, it will be an accident.

I agree, she is no superstar.

And as many accidents as she causes, the excuses are getting old.

I will be surprised if 2016 is also not her last year, unless the results improve.

“If she ever wins a race, it will be an accident”--Jacko

That is almost a pun, sir!

I put Michael Waltrip in the same category as her. 462 or so starts to his first win, but he could attract sponsors.

Agreed.

But at least Michael applied the brake if he “lost it”.

I think they both squeal, though.

Well she didn’t hit the jet dryer on the track yet …
Give her a chance… She might find it on the track yet…

don62

the girl

look close ,Newman came up ,Danica went down. fault is her spotter

Dave, interesting way to put it…:dry:

At any rate, I would agree with you. IMO, though, a better racer would have moved up. They do it all the time, from New Smyrna to Charlotte.

danica

isnt,wasnt,or will never be.

[QUOTE=Don Nerone;165024]Well she didn’t hit the jet dryer on the track yet …
Give her a chance… She might find it on the track yet…

don62[/QUOTE]
Actually she came extremely close to hitting a safety truck under yellow during a Kentucky Indy Car race in her early days in that genre…I believe she caused the yellow, pitted and came storming out of the pits and floored it (we know her red mist issue) and had a tire issue.
Very close…

the girl

watching incar cam of the men driving ,really have have to work and fight steering wheel thru turns. she has to have a lot of upper body strength. not a lot of the men that make fun could last 3-4 hours at the job