Danica Patrick on a frustrating 2016 season: “I get so sad . . . it’s just not much fun”

She's gotta be almost finished. I would think maybe three more years tops and she calls it a driving career and moves onto the fitness and TV world
 
This has to be killing her to not run where she feels she should be. Certainly where I feel she should be. That car should be top 15 for sure
 
I assume she's driven Kevin and / or Kurt's cars a couple of times, just to see what kind of feel she's looking for.

Maybe, just maybe, she's a mid-pack driver. I wonder how she'd feel if she'd spent the season in Clint Bowyer's seat.
 
I'd say she stays at SHR until Custer is ready for Cup which could be a few years. I imagine she would get offers if she ever left SHR but I also think she might just retire. Wouldn't get a better ride than what she has now. Maybe go back to Xfinity were she could be more competitive to end her career.
 
Simple Fan said:
I'd say she stays at SHR until Custer is ready for Cup which could be a few years. I imagine she would get offers if she ever left SHR but I also think she might just retire. Wouldn't get a better ride than what she has now. Maybe go back to Xfinity were she could be more competitive to end her career.
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Or IMSA. Her road racing skills are better than her oval ones.
 
For those that follow her, has she ever remarked that she needed to work hard to improve herself? I always see her comments about how she needs to demand more of the team, the implication always being that they are failing her. Does the buck ever stop with her?

I wanted to refrain from judging and see if she could develop into a decent NASCAR driver. It's becoming clear that there is no improvement. She can only plausibly continue for a couple more seasons of this nonsense.
 
It's a shame. They don't even talk about her during the race broadcasts anymore. Hopefully she runs better in 2017. She's great for the sport and some better finishes would be nice to see.
 
The coming reduction in downforce should play in her favor, putting the emphasis on driver skill rather than car. SHR’s switch to Ford rather than what Hendrick gives ‘em. A new team mate who respects her ability as a driver. She’ll turn thirty five – another year of maturity.

Equaling her career best final points finish of twenty fourth ‘n out scoring seven other drivers starting all thirty six races coupled with the pending positives will act as a springboard to a 2017 season she’ll never forget.
 
I was hoping she'd succeed, but she's not getting any better. 2016 was her first full season without a Top-10, so you could argue she's even regressed a bit. If the results don't improve in the next year or two, I don't see her hanging around.
 
gnomesayin said:
She came up through road racing, but the open wheel people say the opposite. She was better on ovals in IndyCar, and she has been nonentity in NASCAR road races.
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I think she had one road course/street circuit podium in IndyCar.
 
ToyYoda said:
I was hoping she'd succeed, but she's not getting any better. 2016 was her first full season without a Top-10, so you could argue she's even regressed a bit. If the results don't improve in the next year or two, I don't see her hanging around.
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In SHR equipment and not one top ten all year? My god that's bad.
 
She's going to have to tighten up then.

Danica certainly not a bad driver, but the positive thing is that she's not waddling in the 30th position or worse nearly as much as the last two years. Her pace seemed better to me, but you know there will always be those who disagree. She's gotten better IMO, just she did not have that top 10 finish. We will see what '17 holds for her, she will be fine.
 
I figured it was something newsworthy that could be discussed as the website it came from was reputable and Danica was explaining how she felt about how 2016 went. Some folks take even a hint of criticism as hate but, IMO, that should not be not be allowed to cut off discussion. My own opinion is that DP had her best year in 2014 as she had 19 lead lap finishes and 3 top 10's and I was looking for her to do something like that again this year.
 
I wish she could find a way to restart aggressively.

Any forward progress is almost always lost at the next caution / restart. jmo, of course.
 
To those saying she now has one more year of maturity so she'll inprove, or she should go down to Xfinity or to IMSA to find success, here's the thing:

Do you REALLY believe she even cares about winning whatsoever? She's a marketer and literally nothing more. She wasn't brought in NASCAR because Dale Junior or Tony Stewart thought she would be winning championships. She doesn't care if she wins either. She does this as a *job*, not a passion for stockcar racing. Which is fine, but lets call a spade a spade. She drives every weekend and collects a good paycheck. She'll retire in a couple years and use her clout to market protein powder and a fitness clothing line and go on with her life still raking in tons of cash.

I mean good for her honestly, but lets stop pretending she would ever consider a series swap to run better. Cup pays the best, therefore she will run Cup or she will not be racing at all.
 
cheesepuffs said:
To those saying she now has one more year of maturity so she'll inprove, ........
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Never heard that one before . She a top 25 driver , at best , who gets attention on this forum because she's a female . And she's not the only female driver who gets the same attention . That said , she is a terrible driver and she should be out of racing .
 
The last couple of DP threads have not gone poof and this one is Kosher too. I agree with Aunty about restarts as while not everyone can be a Shrub or Ron Hornaday she could really help herself by figuring out how to at least maintain on restarts.
 
Lol, this thread is such a **** show.


First, the usual attack on people for not thinking the world of DP, and then the moderator comes in and shredded the whole conversation.
 
DUN24 said:
Lol, this thread is such a sh!t show.


First, the usual attack on people for not thinking the world of DP, and then the moderator comes in and shredded the whole conversation.
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I have no problem with people not thinking the world of DP, I do have a problem with the same posters time after time destroying what could be
a decent discussion. All I removed were the obvious off topic posts --- such as the referral to her breast size. That has no place here.
If you wish to stay on topic, which is the article in the OP --- be my guest.
 
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