Danica
Patrick
2008
 

 

2008 IRL Race Schedule & Results and Standings
Snippets - 2008
News Stories - 2008

Danica Patrick Video of SI Swimsuit Issue Shoot - Running Time 2:00
Danica Patrick Video of SI Swimsuit Issues Shoot # II - Running Time :58
SI Swimsuit Issue (44 photos, no rings)
SI Q&A with Dan Patrick was pretty funny, especially the part about how she goes commando under her racing suit.
Banned GoDaddy Super Bowl Commercial

Snippets - 2008
Last race of the season September 7 at Chicagoland Speedway

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Danica was gridded Kentucky Speedway and finished 11th. Next race Infineon Raceway

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Danica was unable to qualify at Kentucky Speedway and started at the back of the pack in her back-up car. She finished

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Danica started 14th at JAGflo Speedway and finished 18th but still kept her 6th place in the rankings. Next race Kentucky Speedway

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Danica gridded 2nd and finished 5th at Nashville which went red flag because of rain leaving her in the 5th overall standings. Next week, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

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Danica gridded 2nd and finished 5th at Nashville which went red flag because of rain leaving her in the 5th overall standings. Next week, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

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Danica posted a 4-lap average of 203.335 mph during qualifying and will start 2nd Saturday night at Nashville Superspeedway

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Danica Patrick and Scott Dixon have been nominated for ESPY awards to be presented July 20 on ESPN. Danica is nominated in the Best Female Athlete category along with Lorena Ochoa (LPGA), Candace Parker (WNBA) and Lindsey Vonn (skiing). Patrick also is nominated in the Best Moment category for her IRL victory at Twin Ring Motegi in April, when she became the first female to win a major open-wheel race. Patrick also will be an award presenter at the show. Online voting is open through July 12 at ESPYS.tv.

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Danica was gridded 14th at Watkins Glen International Raceway , spun in the pits and finished in 14th dropping her to 7th in series points and 4th behind her other three teammates. The next race is Nashville Superspeedway

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Danica was gridded 14th at Richmond International Raceway and finished in 6th. She moves up two spots in the points to 5th. Interesting, AGR drivers hold 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th place in the standings so far this season. The next race is Watkins Glen International Raceway

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Danica was gridded 14th at Richmond International Raceway with a qualifying speed of 164.396 mph, almost 3 1/2 mph slower than team mate and pole sitter Tony Kanaan.

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Danica was gridded 6th at Iowa Speedway and finished in 6th. The next race is Richmond International Raceway.

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Danica is gridded 6th at Iowa Speedway. Positions were determined by points standings since qualifying was rained out.

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Danic gridded fifth and finished 10th at Texas Motor Speedway. Next race is Iowa Speedway.

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Danic is gridded fifth for the race at Texas Motor Speedway with a qualifying speed of 213.238.

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 Danica gridded 13th and finished 9th at the Milwaukee Mile, moving her to 5th place in series points.

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Danica qualifies at the Milwaukee-Mile to start in the 13th spot out of 26 cars and next to team-mate Hideki Mutoh.

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All three women were knocked out of the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500. Ryan Briscoe knocks out Danica Patrick, Buddy Lazier took out Milka Duno, and Tony Kanaan took out Sarah Fisher. Danica started 5th and finished 22nd and stands 6th in overall points.

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Danica guaranteed a spot in the middle of the second row (5th) at the 92nd running of the Indiapolis 500. It was Pole Day and she got it with a speed of 225.197 mph. In three races at Indy, she hasn't started or finished out of the top 10.

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Danica clips crew chief entering her pit box. and see videos.

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Danica was 6th fastest during Practice 4 for the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 9th at 231.450.

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Danica started 6th at Twin Ring Motegi, Japan and became the first woman to win a major open-wheel race by passing Helio Castinates, current championship points leader, for the lead with only a few laps left. She moved from 7th to 3rd in championship points.

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Danica started 19th of 25 cars at St Pete and finished 10th. She is current ranked 7th during the season. Next race is April 19 - at Twin Ring Motegi, Japan

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Danica will be gridded in the 19th position of 26 cars in the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg April 6th. She was eliminated in Roud 1 Group 1, only 1 second behind teammate Tony Kanaan who will start on the pole.

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Danica was voted the favorite female athlete in the 21st Annual Nickelodean Kids' Choice Awards beating out Venus, Serena and Cheryl Ford. She joined Johnny Depp, Jessica Alba, Miley Cyrus, Tony Hawk, Cameron Diaz and many more by scoring big at the slime fest. The winners clinched coveted orange Blimps during the live telecast hosted by Jack Black and spotlighting the hottest stars of TV, movies, music and sports.

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Danica started in fourth and finished 6th of 25 cars in the
first race of the season at Homestead.
Next race is the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg April 6th.

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An Indy Racing League rule change has Danica Patrick feeling as if she'll be penalized for being petite - which the popular driver said wouldn't happen in other sports.

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Danica is scheduled to race a full-seaon in 2008 with Andretti Green Racing. They are preparing now for the first race at Homestead on March 29.

Patrick Finishes 14th at Watkins Glen International


Motorola driver Danica Patrick drove to a 14th place finish in Sunday's running of the Camping World Indy Grand Prix. Ryan Hunter-Reay captured his first IndyCar Series win. Darren Manning, Tony Kanaan, Buddy Rice and Marco Andretti rounded out the top five.

Danica Patrick, "The Motorola car was strong all day. We were able to get up front after on pit strategy. Unfortunately, during the final pit stop of the day I hit a tire leaving the pit and then locked the car up which then caused me to it the #9 pit. Fortunately I made no contact with anyone. I really needed the leaders to pit under green, but then another yellow came out - luck was not on my side. This is a track were it is very difficult to pass. It is disappointing because I had a fast car. Congrats to Tony and his team for getting a podium finish this weekend."

Patrick Finishes Sixth at Richmond


Motorola driver Danica Patrick drove to a sixth place finish in Sunday's running of the SunTrust Indy Challenge. Tony Kannan took the checkered flag, his first win this season. Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon, and Oriol Servia rounded out the top-five.

Danica Patrick, "It was a carnage fest out there tonight with all the wrecks and cautions. I am happy with my finish obliviously I wish we could have finished in the top five. The Motorola crew did a great job. I am also very happy that Tony (Kannan) got his win - he totally deserved it."

Patrick Finishes Sixth at Iowa


Motorola driver Danica Patrick drove to a sixth place finish in Sunday's running of the second annual Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway.

Patrick's team decided to go on an alternative fuel strategy which allowed her to make one less pit stop than the majority of the other drivers on the field. This strategy proved to be a success as Patrick recorded her sixth top-10 finish in 2008.

Dan Wheldon won his second race of the 2008 season. Patrick's Andretti Green teammates Hideki Mutoh and Marco Andretti finish second and third, respectively. Scott Dixon and A.J. Foyt IV rounded out the top five.

Danica Patrick, "The Motorola car ran well today. I wish that I was able to keep position on the last restart but what's done is done. I have to thank my crew for all their hard work. I just wish I had a better finish."

Patrick Finishes 10th in Texas


Motorola driver Danica Patrick started fifth and drove to a 10th place finish in Saturday night's running of the Bombardier Learjet 550k at Texas Motor Speedway. Patrick maintained her position with the lead pack through the first third of the 228-lap race, which saw a number of cautions in the opening stage. As the race settled in for a long green-flag run in the middle stage, Patrick lost the handle on her #7 Motorola car and eventually dropped out of the top 10.

As the race wore on, Patrick fought back into the top 10. A late pit stop dropped her to 11th and out of sequence with the leaders. Had the race stayed green to the finish, Patrick could have benefited greatly from the strategy. But, a lap 213 caution cleared the rest of the field to the finish and Patrick brought the Motorola car home 10th.

Scott Dixon won his third race of the 2008 season and extended his lead in the championship. He was followed by Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe, Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan.

Danica Patrick, "I am frustrated that we did not stay up front the entire race. My car was really loose most of the race, so that made it difficult to drive in traffic. The Motorola crew is working really hard and I appreciate their efforts."

Patrick Finishes Ninth in Milwaukee


Danica Patrick's Motorola car finished ninth at The Milwaukee Mile on Sunday. With a full field of 26 cars, there were only four cautions during the 225 laps. The first two cautions were caused by debris on the track. The three-wide racing was intense and exciting.

Starting from the 13th position, Patrick's car had understeer throughout the race which was challenging to drive. During the race, Patrick was unable to find the speed she really wanted, but the final yellow flag which occurred on lap 222 allowed her to capture ninth place.

The ABC Supply Co./AJ Foyt Indy 225 winner was Ryan Briscoe. He was followed by Scott Dixon.

Patrick's Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kanaan came in third.

Danica Patrick, "We started the race today with a balanced Motorola car, and as the race went on I really struggled to keep it. We were able to make improvements, but they were not able to hold the entire stint of the run. I had some understreer issues all day, and this is where we as a team need to find out what the problem is and find a solution. On a good note, we finished the race which we have not been able to do in the last two races."

Patrick's Day Ends Early after Incident in Pit Lane


Danica Patrick's Motorola car was damaged during an incident on the final pit stop of the day, ending her race and leaving her with a 22nd place finish in Sunday's running of the Indianapolis 500. Patrick was attempting to exit the pit lane under caution on lap 171 when the car of Ryan Briscoe made contact with her near pit-out. The damage to Patrick's machine was too extensive for her to continue.

Starting from the fifth position, Patrick stayed among the top 12 all day. Throughout the event, Patrick was unable to find the speed she really wanted, but pit stops and restarts allowed her to stay within striking distance of the leaders.

The 92nd Indianapolis 500 was won by pole sitter and Ganasis driver Scott Dixon. Vitor Meira, Marco Andretti, Helio Castroneves, and Ed Carpenter rounded out the top five.

Danica Patrick, "I definitely didn't have the car to win the race, but the Motorola car was a top-five car today. The team worked hard all month to give me a car that would compete with the front-runners, and it is unfortunate that we ended the month with an incident in pit lane, which was clearly not our mistake. But, I am happy for Scott (Dixon), he was strong all month long, so congrats to him and his crew."

Patrick's Day Cut Short Due to Right-Rear Wheel Mount


Danica Patrick's day was cut short due to a right-rear wheel mount that did not allow a new tire to be put on during a routine pit stop. Patrick finished 19th and is currently fifth in the IndyCar Series driver championship.

Starting from the third position, Patrick struggled to keep the Motorola car up front during her 156-lap run. However, Patrick was able to stay among the top-10 drivers and on the lead lap.

Dan Wheldon picked up his second win at Kansas Speedway and first in 2008. Patrick's Andretti Green Racing teammate Tony Kannan got a second-place finish. Scott Dixon finished third, Helio Castroneves finished fourth and Andretti Green Racing driver Marco Andretti finished fifth.

Danica Patrick, "I am disappointed that the Motorola car had to cut the day short due to the right rear wheel mount. I came on the radio earlier in the race saying there was some movement in the car, but we had no idea that it was that serious. We came into the race with a great car, and struggled to stay up front from the beginning. I hope that this does not cause me to lose many positions in the championship standings."

Patrick Wins First Race


Danica Patrick, driver of the #7 Motorola car, drove to her first career IndyCar Series victory on Sunday at the Honda-owned Twin Ring Motegi in Motegi, Japan.

Starting from the sixth position, Patrick drove among the top-eight cars for the entire 200-lap event. As the race wound to its conclusion, the majority of the field came in to pit under yellow-flag conditions on lap 143. As the race was about to return to green-flag racing, Motorola race strategist Kyle Moyer called Patrick back into the pits on lap 148 to top off her fuel.

With five laps remaining in the race, the leading cars began to pit for a quick splash of fuel. It was during this time that Patrick passed each of the cars in front of her while they were making pit stops. Patrick was able to maintain her fuel mileage and claimed her first career IndyCar Series victory.

Patrick's victory came in her 50th career IndyCar Series start. She is the first female to win a major racing series event in history. She was followed across the finish line by Helio Castroneves, who was also on the same strategy as Patrick. Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan rounded out the top five.

Danica Patrick, "Finally! This is a long time coming. It was a fuel strategy race, but my team called it perfectly for me. I know I was on the same strategy as Helio and when I passed him for the lead, I couldn't believe it. This is fabulous."

Patrick Finishes 10th at Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Motorola Car


Danica Patrick drove to a 10th place finish in theMotorola car at Sunday's fourth annual Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Starting from the 19th position, Patrick was able to move her way to the top 10 throughout the two hour timed event.

The race started under caution as rain started to fall on the temporary street course in St. Petersburg. The caution lasted for nine laps, but the timing and scoring counted during the period of caution. There was a single-file restart on lap 10.

During the duration of the race, there were many cautions due to the wet course and tight turns. History was made as Newman/Haas/Lanigan driver Graham Rahal scored his first IndyCar Series win and became the youngest driver to accomplish the achievement. Helio Castroneves picked up a second-place finish. Patrick's teammate Tony Kannan finished third, Ernesto Viso finished fourth and Enrique Bernoldi finished fifth.

Danica Patrick, "We had an up and down race day. I am proud of myself for moving up a few positions at the end of the race. I was able to hold my own when we were on the wet tires. I think half the battle in races like these is just to stay out of the wrecks and to stay on the lead lap, which the Motorola car was able to do. We have some work to do, we need to fine tune our pit stops. We have to start putting it all together or we are not going to win races. Congratulations to the 7-Eleven team for making the podium today."

 

Patrick would relish a proper F1 test opportunity


Every driver would love to drive a Formula One car at some point in their life, so yeah.

Danica Patrick, who made history when she claimed her first IndyCar race win two weeks ago, has confessed to wanting a Formula One test.

Patrick made her IndyCar debut in 2005, however, it was not until three years later, driving for Andretti Green Racing, that she claimed her first victory, winning the Indy Japan 300 and thereby becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar race.

The American is now hoping to test her skills in Formula One, admitting that she would relish a 'proper' test with one of the teams.

"Every driver would love to drive a Formula One car at some point in their life, so yeah," she told Autosport.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with a real, proper test.

"I was asked to do a demonstration lap at Indy in 2005, and I said, 'No way. You're making me a show. That's embarrassing.' But I would say that a real test is absolutely something I would do."

And one team who would welcome her testing with them is Honda. "We haven't instigated anything, but if Danica wanted to be a test driver then we'd be more than happy to talk about it," Honda CEO Nick Fry said

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.



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