All things relating to Danica -- New season

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DanicaFreak said:
Takes some longer than others, and yes she should be finishing up front every week. I have said time and time again that she needs consistent good finishes.
I want to see her in victory lane at least 2-3 times per year maybe more.

The point is, she is coming. and man what a ride it will be
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. Enjoy the good run, You have had it coming a looooong time. you're a loyal fan no doubt!!! Congrats:cheers:
 
MAGICMILER said:
OK She finishes good finally. How many years has she been racing NASCAR? And now it's all" good job" Blah Blah Blah.
Shouldn't she be finishing up front every week?
Shouldn't she be living up to the hype weekly?
Shouldn't she have a win by now?
A lot of backslapping going around for someone who SHOULD be doing what she did last night.
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I don't know where I've heard this before, but I think one of the driver said that it takes a good 4 to 5 years to figure out how to race the Gen6 car. I mean it's not like they have NASCAR University where they teach you everything you need to know about running competitively in the sport. You're thrown right into the driver's seat and you're expected to perform along drivers like Harvick, Busch, Johnson, etc. right from the start. It's a lot of pressure and some people do very well under that pressure and rise among the top tier drivers. Other, it takes awhile.
 
http://racing.fantasysports.yahoo.com/auto/164991?week=11





KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Danica Patrick, chided by some for being more style than substance during her brief NASCAR career, took a giant step toward silencing her critics Saturday night with an impressive seventh-place finish in the 5-hour Energy 400 at Kansas Speedway.

It was a career-best for the diminutive Patrick, eclipsing an eighth-place finish in the 2013 Daytona 500. It was the fourth-best finish by a female driver in NASCAR's top series, trailing fifth- and sixth-place finishes by Sara Christian in 1949 and Janet Guthrie's sixth at Bristol in 1977 (see the table below).

Patrick ran as high as third in the 267-lap event, held for the first time under the lights at the 1.5-mile track, and was rarely outside the top 12.

"I was like, 'no yellow!' Patrick said of her charge from fifth to third, which came when she shot past Dale Earnhardt Jr. and her team owner and teammate Tony Stewart on Lap 173. "When I was fifth, I was thinking, 'this is good ? I feel faster than them.' They got caught up in traffic in (Turns) 3 and 4 and got checked up and I got underneath them.

"But when I'm running third, I'm honestly trying not to think about the fact that I'm running third. I'm trying to think about the fact that I've been looking at that car in front of me for the whole race and I've been passing that car and I need to go do that. It's probably best to really think about it like 'pass the next car' than being in a place that I'm not normally in."

Focusing on one car at a time, she said, "is a little bit more calming.

"The last thing you want to do is get excited out there and start overdriving it and making mistakes."

It was a "complete" weekend for Patrick and the No. 10 GoDaddy team fielded by Stewart-Haas Racing. Although no higher than 23rd in the two practices, she made the cut for the final 12 in qualifying and earned the ninth-place spot on the starting grid.

A new car and conversations with teammate Kevin Harvick were also instrumental.

"We talk a lot, and I think for her it's just the confidence in knowing exactly what the car is going to do," said Harvick, who led 119 laps and finished just behind race winner Jeff Gordon. "She kept track position on the restarts. That's probably the biggest thing.

"But I guess the one thing I did tell her was just to quit thinking about it and mash the gas."

Crew chief Tony Gibson said it took the whole package, but gave most of the credit to his driver.

"That's the night we've been waiting on," Gibson said. "We were solid all day, she did great restarts, ran hard, was up on the wheel."

And that, he said builds "confidence for the team, confidence for her.

"We want to be able to carry this over into Charlotte and hopefully it's a trend -- the way we're going to run from here on out. We can definitely do it and she can do it, we just have to get the right combination and I think we'll be fine."

In a race that saw eight caution flags slow the pace, Patrick found herself outside the top 15 after pitting under green for the final time on Lap 237. As others ahead of her began to peel off the track and pit as well, Patrick began her move back through the field.

"I knew everybody had to stop," she said, "it was just a matter if a yellow came out."

The result moved her up two spots in the points standings, but a less-than-stellar start to the season has her just 27th overall. Still, Saturday night's effort and result may bode well for the No. 10 team.

"I've always believed in myself," she said. "I've always believed that in the right situation with the right car that I can do it. I say with all respect it's little moments like when you drive by Jimmie Johnson on the outside, stuff like that is what makes me really proud of myself and ? gives me a little bit more confidence."
 
SpeedPagan said:
I think one of the driver said that it takes a good 4 to 5 years to figure out how to race the Gen6 car.
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Well that doesn't make any sense. It's only the gen 6's second year and several drivers know how to get the most speed out of it. They're the ones who are up front week in and week out
 
Patrick has set another record for with her 7th place finish last evening and has also become the first woman to compete at Kansas Speedway in NASCAR’s premier division under artificial lighting.

Charlotte and more opportunities are up next.
 
Nitro Dude said:
I was holding my breath because that would have turned bad if she had slid up and took out Tony. But, she nailed it.
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That would have been beyond bad. She showed stuff in this race that reminded me of her indycar days...wheelin' the heck out the car!
Was good to hear her upbeat for a change at the end.

She certainly kicked her bfs butt...wonder how that convo went back in hauler? ;)
 
DanicaFreak said:
That would have been beyond bad. She showed stuff in this race that reminded me of her indycar days...wheelin' the heck out the car!
Was good to hear her upbeat for a change at the end.

She certainly kicked her bfs butt...wonder how that convo went back in hauler? ;)
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I was impressed when her crew had a problem with the lugnut and she calmly said that's ok we will get the lost positions back. A lot of other drivers would have been cussing at their crew and beating on the steering wheel. She actually stayed pretty cool under pressure.
 
Nitro Dude said:
I was impressed when her crew had a problem with the lugnut and she calmly said that's ok we will get the lost positions back. A lot of other drivers would have been cussing at their crew and beating on the steering wheel. She actually stayed pretty cool under pressure.
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nawwww no driver in nascar curses their crew......;)

I was impressed with that too.
I think Gibson likes crew chiefing her....he seems to enjoy in her success as much as she does.
 
Enjoyed watching Danica race last night, passing cars and for the first time really looking like she belonged out there. Had to be a HUGE boost in confidence for her. Expecting her to win might be asking a bit too much but sooner or later its going to happen, I for one cant wait to see it
 
@Kyle18fan

I always will want her to win, and last night was soooooooo awesome that for that moment whens he passed smoke and Jr I dared think she would win...

she had a rocket under her!

I will always believe in my driver!
 
DanicaFreak said:
@Kyle18fan

I always will want her to win, and last night was soooooooo awesome that for that moment whens he passed smoke and Jr I dared think she would win...

she had a rocket under her!

I will always believe in my driver!
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I figured you would be jumping up and down on the couch when she made that pass, she passed lots of others too. If she keeps it up its going to be exciting for sure. Danica was the real winner of the Kansas race IMO
 
Kyle18fan said:
I figured you would be jumping up and down on the couch when she made that pass, she passed lots of others too. If she keeps it up its going to be exciting for sure. Danica was the real winner of the Kansas race IMO
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yeah...it was quite a sight...lots of pacing and praying. A good night :D

I do want to say that I know it was one race.
It is the start of something great I hope, but only one step.
Journey of 1000 miles begins with one step
 
DanicaFreak said:
yeah...it was quite a sight...lots of pacing and praying. A good night :D

I do want to say that I know it was one race.
It is the start of something great I hope, but only one step.
Journey of 1000 miles begins with one step
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It may have only been a step but it was a giant one, a switch was turned on for the first time and no where to go but forward now
 
DanicaFreak said:
Dale Jr and Jeff G as well as uncle harv and Stewart are also favs of mine. DP will always be top, but wanted to show JR some love in spikes game
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Yea, blah, blah, blah, blah.....................................jk
She just showed what she can do when she's given a fast car and she charges. I think she just got herself the fan vote in the Showdown race.
 
FenderBumper said:
Kasey may have to race his way in now that Danica is around. This may be an opportunity for a study to determine which sex is more prone to vote with their genitals.
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So your saying Danica only has female fans? That's quite a sexist statement right there.
 
tony picks up DP

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after the race

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if anyone has a pic of DP passing tony and jr it would be cool if you could post...:)
 
ToyYoda said:
That was definitely the most complete race that Danica has run in her Sprint Cup career. She still has a long way to go to be among the elite of the sport, but last night was certainly a step in the right direction.
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Long way to go before even being average. But yes, a very big step. Another top 15-20 next week and things start looking good for her.
 
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