Lady luck was truly on her side, and that’s a good thing. Not that Danica Patrick winning the Firestone Indy 300 in Japan this weekend only created history as the first female driver to win a major race. But now is the time for Patrick to move to NASCAR.
She’s said all along that she would transfer to America’s Good Ol’ Boys when she won in Indy Car. Placing fourth in the Indy 500 in 2005 wasn’t sufficient. So, how about now?
Patrick finally winning, in her 50th career Indy Car start, is remarkable, almost comparable to Brett Michael’s Rock of Love choice. The seven people watching in the U.S. must have been pretty stoked. The rest of us, well, are still yearning to see her compete against the Dale Earnhardt Jrs., Jeff Gordons, Jimmie Johnsons and Denny Hamlins of NASCAR.
The Sprint Cup Series perhaps is the best competition Patrick will receive in her motorsports career. And she’s a great fit. Several women have tried to make the transition, but none have the talent, marketability or fan base. Patrick is a dream (I’m talking about racing), and she could overcome Dale Jr. in market status. That is, if she makes the switch, and NASCAR would certainly welcome her.
The sport needs her as much as Pat O’Brien needs Jack Daniels, considering a slow, mundane start to the 2008 Sprint Cup campaign. Also, the other open-wheel drivers that made the jump haven’t panned out. Barring Juan Pablo Montoya’s win at Mexico in the Nationwide Series last year (and he performed a gutless move at the end), only Tony Stewart has fared well as a former open-wheel driver in NASCAR. Patrick would and with her presence, the sport will grow at an exponential rate.
Recent Comments