Danica Patrick talks about Tony Stewart’s recovery from the ATV accident that sent him to the hospital with a broken back. Danica Patrick talks about getting back into yoga and what she likes about it. Danica Patrick talks about her new light blue car and primary sponsor, Reno, Nevada-based Nature’s Bakery.
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Danica Patrick all but ruled out a Memorial Day weekend double. She had said previously she didn’t plan to pursue both the NASCAR Coca Cola 600 and the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, but the significance of this year’s 500 and her past successes in Indy — she finished in the top 6 three times — had some wondering if she would reconsider.
Apparently not.
“When it’s mentioned that it’s the 100th 500, it’s a little thought-provoking,” Patrick said during NASCAR media day at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday. “But I have a lot going on in NASCAR. I have a new crew chief [Billy Scott]. I have things I want to accomplish over here. I had a great time in IndyCar, and I was given great opportunities, but I’m OK with not doing it.”
Patrick said she still likes hearing about how people in the IndyCar Series are doing (her sister Brooke is married to a team manager in the series), and reliving her memories at America’s most storied track. But she doesn’t see the 100th running of the 500 as being that much more important than any of the other editions. “Every one of them is a big deal,” she said.
So with NASCAR as her focus, and still without a top-5 finish in the Cup series — but coming off a career-best 24th-place finish in points — Patrick attracted one of the largest media day scrums.
She fielded mostly racing-related questions, including one on whether she liked spending Valentine’s Day with her boyfriend and fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at a nearby dirt track, and how she feels about Denny Hamlin a year after he spun her out — twice — in the Daytona 500 prelims.
Patrick nearly missed qualifying for the 500 last year after Hamlin sent her spinning during their 150-mile Duals qualifying race, and the two had an animated conversation in front of the TV cameras after the race.
“I’m pretty sure we were laughing [later] that night,” Patrick said Tuesday. “Our buses are parked next to each other. Maybe it was even the next day, but yeah, I like Denny. We went on vacation together [on a charter boat to the Bahamas] this winter. And we go golfing with Denny all the time. That’s why I was so mad. Because I was like, ‘You’re my friend; why are you doing this?’ I’m on my third backup [car].”
Hamlin said Tuesday that, indeed, all has been forgotten.
“We’re one big, happy family, really,” he said. “Daytona last year, just kind of looking back on it, it was funny how it all worked out. But I think that’s probably where her frustration came from the most, that her buddy on and off the track wrecked her a couple of times. It’s just anytime you’re superspeedway racing, you’re messing around with inches here and there and when you feel like it’s your friend that wrecked you, you probably get a little more upset.”
Patrick laughed about spending Valentine’s Day on Sunday with Stenhouse at Volusia Speedway Park watching the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. Stenhouse, who grew up racing on dirt tracks, wound up helping racing buddy Bryan Clausen change out an engine. Patrick stood by and watched.
“Valentine’s Day at the dirt track, I mean I couldn’t have thought about anything better,” Patrick joked. “But part of being in a relationship is that you see someone you love and care about doing something they love so much and that they’re happy. So when Bryan blew an engine in practice, we went over there to watch him. … [Stenhouse] went over there and led the way and was grabbing wrenches, and I knew at that moment he was having the best time.”
