Danica Patrick's run at Indianapolis 500 History
Woman at Indy 500. So liberating. Incredible looks and fast corners too. Can she win today's race ?
|Twenty-three-year-old Danica Patrick, the only woman in the 33-car lineup and only the fourth female to race in the big event at the Brickyard in its 89-year history, is squarely in the spotlight heading into the 500-mile race.
``If she wins, it could mean so much to the IRL and the whole open-wheel sport,'' said Tony Kanaan, the pole winner and the reigning Indy Racing League champion. ``That's a lot of weight for a little girl to carry on her back.''
It seems, so far, that the 5-foot-2, 100-pound ``girl'' in question is up to the task. She possesses a tremendous amount of grit, determination and focus, commanding an intense presence and often firing steely glances at the phalanx of reporters and fans that follows her everywhere she goes.
The former high-school cheerleader isn't all business, though. She has been known to smile and even giggle at times.
``I like to have fun, too,'' she said. ``But I put all that away when I'm in my race car or talking with my engineers.''
Oh, and another thing: She's fast.
Patrick has been among the quickest drivers since rookie orientation began on the famed 2 1/2 -mile oval on May 5. Only a bobble on the first lap of her qualifying effort kept her from winning the pole, and she will take the green flag from fourth on Sunday, the best starting position for a woman at Indy.
Patrick was fastest with a lap of 225.997 mph to lead the one-hour ``Carb Day'' practice on Friday, the only time the cars got on the track during the week between the end of time trials and the start of the race. |
Via Yahoo | cars
|Twenty-three-year-old Danica Patrick, the only woman in the 33-car lineup and only the fourth female to race in the big event at the Brickyard in its 89-year history, is squarely in the spotlight heading into the 500-mile race.
``If she wins, it could mean so much to the IRL and the whole open-wheel sport,'' said Tony Kanaan, the pole winner and the reigning Indy Racing League champion. ``That's a lot of weight for a little girl to carry on her back.''
It seems, so far, that the 5-foot-2, 100-pound ``girl'' in question is up to the task. She possesses a tremendous amount of grit, determination and focus, commanding an intense presence and often firing steely glances at the phalanx of reporters and fans that follows her everywhere she goes.
The former high-school cheerleader isn't all business, though. She has been known to smile and even giggle at times.
``I like to have fun, too,'' she said. ``But I put all that away when I'm in my race car or talking with my engineers.''
Oh, and another thing: She's fast.
Patrick has been among the quickest drivers since rookie orientation began on the famed 2 1/2 -mile oval on May 5. Only a bobble on the first lap of her qualifying effort kept her from winning the pole, and she will take the green flag from fourth on Sunday, the best starting position for a woman at Indy.
Patrick was fastest with a lap of 225.997 mph to lead the one-hour ``Carb Day'' practice on Friday, the only time the cars got on the track during the week between the end of time trials and the start of the race. |
Via Yahoo | cars
posted by forexdude at 5/29/2005 06:17:00 pm
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