Danica Patrick! A new meaning for hot laps!!!

[MotoSook]

Well, after todays Permatune hissy fit!

How about something fun (for the guys...sorry ladies).

Anyone heard of her? And she's from Illinois!!! Hope she never shows up at Blackhawk or Gingerman...wait..yes, hope she shows up. (lets see how long before this gets zapped)



Heres a blurp:

Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick logs first day on track in Barber Dodge Pro Series - Jul 5 2002
Team Rahal’s Danica Patrick made her debut in the Barber Dodge Pro Series Friday in the streets of Toronto as part of the Molson Indy CART Champ Car weekend.

Patrick, the 20-year-old female driver from Roscoe, Ill., drove the No. 89 Team Rahal/Rahal Automotive Group formula car to 16th fastest in qualifying on the 1.755-mile temporary circuit through the Exhibition Place grounds near downtown Toronto. The 5-foot-1, 100-pound dynamo was as quick as fifth early in the qualifying round and stayed consistently in the Top 10 before tire trouble slowed her.

Her single-lap clocking of 1:13.708 at a speed of 85.918 m.p.h. put her 16th on the grid after the first 30-minute qualifying session but Patrick felt she could have been quicker in her first outing in the Barber Dodge Pro Series.

Patrick signed an exclusive contract with Team Rahal last month and is beginning her trek through the newly formed CART Ladder System for young drivers. Patrick is scheduled to run five Barber Dodge Pro Series races in 2002 before taking on the Toyota Atlantic Championship next year for Team Rahal.

Patrick will run one qualifying session on Saturday before Sunday’s 45-minute feature race set for 11 a.m.

Danica Patrick (#89 Team Rahal/Rahal Automotive Group) - “I’m a little frustrated with myself today. I think I was expecting to come out fast after the Sebring test with the Barber Dodge car. But I quickly realized that the street course is much different than Sebring. It was tough getting a consistency in the chassis setup. In the morning practice, the car was sliding quite a bit. So we got aggressive with the changes – probably too aggressive. At the start of qualifying, I was able to lower my times pretty consistently. But the tire pressures got too high and the traction wasn’t there. That’s probably some inexperience on my part with these cars. I should have pitted and had the crew guys adjust the pressures. It’s only the first day and Bobby (Rahal) and everyone have been very helpful and supportive with me. The track will be getting better as the weekend goes on and that will help me. I ran two days at Sebring and didn’t have one problem. Then I spun this afternoon. I couldn’t believe it. I just hit a curb and the car got sideways. I think I have to settle down and drive the car like I have in testing. It’s the first day and I was probably a little anxious today. The Barber Dodge people have been very good to me and they are excellent to work with on this program.”

Bobby Rahal (Team Rahal co-owner) -“Danica was a little tough on herself today. She is learning the track and the car all on the same day. That’s real hard to do. She has the talent and I think she’ll be more comfortable on Saturday and Sunday. She hasn’t been on a street course with an open-wheeler before. So that’s a learning curve in itself. But she is keeping right on the program that we set up. It’s a step-by-step process and she understands that right now.”

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go here for more pix:

http://www.fhmus.com/girls/covergirls/220/

[Doug E]

She definately would have attracted more attention last year at the ALMS race here in DC if she was dressed like that. Unfortunately she was wearing her driving suit (despite the heat) when I saw her.

[MotoSook]

Like this?

[ZAMIRZ]

I'd hit it.

[RANDY P]

suddenly, I'm not thinking about cars...

rjp

[rcwaldo]

I work for the chassis mfg. that supplies the entire Atlantic field with chassis. I meet her from time to time at the racetrack dealing with Team Rahal. She has a very firm handshake and quite a "fighter" in and out of the car. She does have talent. Kinda refreshing to have a competitive female racecar driver

Chris

[emcon5]

Milka Duno. Finished 12th in driver points in ALMS LMP900 class last year, and has four masters degrees (Organizational Development, Naval Architecture, Maritime Business and Marine Biology). She also raced in the Toyote pro-am race in Long beach last week, where she lead most of the race before being bumped twice and finishing third.

Good looking too.



To keep this on topic, her coach was(is?) Vic Elford, a 911 driver of some renown, and author of the "Porsche Performance Driving Handbook"

Tom

[89911]

I don't about you, but she looks like the racing version of Anna Kornikova. If she was that great, she would'nt have to drum up publicity by leaning against a car with her butt sticking out. When is the last time you saw Michael Shumaker posing? (She aint bad though )

[ckelly]

Ditto Amir

[jyl]

It is really sad that these innocent young women have to prostrate themselves against their cold hard race cars to further their careers. Men are so cruel.

[lateapex911]

I might be wrong about this, but I think I read that Danica finished 2nd in the Formula Ford Festival in England a while back. Best finish for an American driver since Danny Sullivan, I think, back in ??? 'the seventies, when he finished.....2nd.

That is a very tough festival.

She has looked very good this year as well, but not great. Her weight will be a great advantage for her, as it is for DeMatta. (No doubt the deciding factor in last years CART championship) But there are lots of great drivers who aren't at the sharp end of the grid every race. Time will tell.

The "pinup" shots are cool, but I liked seeing her drag TK around the Long Beach paddock last year on a dog leash! Priceless!

[jluetjen]

I think that it's great that there are finally more women in motorsports and that they are doing well. It doesn't hurt that she is attractive, I'm sure that physical appearance of Tony Steward, Scott Pruit, the Schumacher brothers (although my wife maintains that Michael has a "distinctive chin") hasn't hurt their marketability.

The neat thing about Danica is that she did almost win the FF Festival which is an incredably intense competition, and she did beat Tommy Kendal in equal sedans, and she is beating at least half the field in FA's. She also does a real good interview.

I think that it is almost a sadder commentary on the males in motorsports (including the fans) that they notice her for her physical appearance rather then her abilities.

- John (Father of of 2 -- both girls. Can't you tell!)

PS: Someone once observed that the thing that most opened up the leaders of the corporate world to sexual discrimination was having a daughter in the workplace.

[MotoSook]

Eeek! Milka

John, I don't know if I'd be messing with either women in such a way that would offend their fathers. (Well not that I wouldn't) BUT! I bet these women are a heck of a lot more fun to talk to and hang out with in the pits than some of the cocky male drivers out there. My female friends who don't mind getting a little dirty or greasy are the coolest ones 'cuse they can hang out without getting all pissed off at our "manly" ways. Some of 'em do a pretty good job of mixing it up with us too!

Would you want to mess with Danica??

"You talking to me?"



Here's one that'll make the gurlz smile:

Sam Hornish Jr., the two-time defending Indy Racing League champion who battled Danica on the go-cart circuit when the two were teenagers.

“He tried to knock me off the track, but I drove over top of him,” Danica says of the time she embarrassed Hornish at a championship race. “He didn’t like getting beat by a girl.”

[Jdub]

Gurls can rock, no question.

John

[layzee]

Whoever gave this thread no stars is just being unAmerican. I counteract with 5!

[McDaniel]

going this way...
Here is a pic of my wrench working





Maybe I should have put this over in the BMW forum...

[Ray 911s]

Where can I get a jack stand like that?

[MotoSook]

Ray, remember the jacks from the infomercials that connects to your exhaust to inflat! LOL

[9XI]

What star power! With that beauty, and plenty of driving talent, she is going to make a MINT. If I were her, I'd steer my career toward stock car racing. Can you imagine how she would play to that crowd/market?

[old_skul]

There are far better forums for stuff like this.