Subscribe to this blog's feed« Lug nutZ 2010 | Main | No snow in Daytona! »
February 09, 2010
While I changed her tires, Danica changed my mind
By: Dennis Terry
Saturday's ARCA race in Daytona was my first race of the 2010 season.
This season I'll be changing front tires for Marcos Ambrose in the Cup series and Danica Patrick in the Nationwide series.
Danica finished sixth in her stockcar debut and our pit crew got a great preseason workout.
The Daytona Nationwide race this Saturday night will mark Danica's NASCAR birth and I think she will continue to impress.
What’s your take on NASCAR’s newest superstar?
I was impressed. VERY impressed to say the least!
I thought she did a great job driving and an even better job of RACING.
At times she was both successful and unsuccessful in the draft. Her sixth place finish shows that she is quick at figuring out what works and what does not.
The weekend TV highlights kept showing her miraculous front stretch save.
After being forced into the infield grass, Danica was able to correct an out of control spin and remain on the lead lap. The commentators applauded her natural driving ability and her confident car control.
I applaud her intensity and her focus on driving fast and racing hard! When you focus and concentrate on your task at hand your odds of success exponentially increase. (That's a DT quote).
Danica came to Daytona focused on racing.
She didn’t come to Daytona with an IRL attitude or any preconceived ideas that she was going to be guaranteed success due her celebrity status.
She didn’t start her first stockcar race thinking other drivers were going to be easy on her because she’s a girl.
She didn’t grant any interviews thinking that media was going to treat her like a princess.
She didn’t come to Daytona to prove anything or to make a statement.
Danica came to race!
Driving hard, being focused and racing with Earnhardt-esque intensity, Danica has proven she is racer first and a celebrity second.
NASCAR needs more racers.
NASCAR needs drivers who are celebrities because they are good racers NOT celebrities who just want to be racecar drivers.
Danica is a racer.
DT
February 9, 2010 | Permalink
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451bce769e201287781272d970c
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference While I changed her tires, Danica changed my mind:
Comments
I don't see what everyone is so impressed with. Wow, Daytona.... pedal to the floor and ride around. (not exactly but you get the point) I will be impressed when she she goes to some other tracks and places in the top 10.
Posted by: JG | Feb 9, 2010 6:00:03 PM
Excellent article. I totally agree with you. Danica did a better then expected job. She made a save that most Cup drivers would have lost it. (IE Waltrip, Mccmurray, KT Busch) She did want Earnhardt used to do, come from the back in the closing laps.. She even rubed fenders. CAnt wait for the Nationwide race.
Dupont24fan
Posted by: Anthony | Feb 9, 2010 8:32:54 PM
Well Im impressed!!!! I thought she handled herself very well. For all the hype surrounding her, to remain that focus!!! I say lets sit back and watch the lady race. We all know there will be good and bad days, but lets no hate on the good ones
DT loved the quote!
Posted by: kendria | Feb 10, 2010 12:10:12 AM
DT,while I won't throw a party for her yet,I too was impressed with her.I also agree that it was just Tona and had that thought going in.But dude,she raced hard,took her lumps,made some good moves(some bad),and made a hell of a save,tried to punk the 4,and finished sixth at around 180mph.I'd say pretty impressive!Now it will be a different beast with the Cup guys.It will be a different beast to the Nationwide regulars that feel she doesn't deserve that ride.It will be a different animal at smaller tracks.Bottom-line,she is a good shot in the arm for Nascar and it's fans,like her or not.Good luck this year DT and stay safe.........
Posted by: DJ | Feb 10, 2010 12:41:52 PM
I agree with Anthony, Kendria, and DJ., JG, I disagree with you because I think she did exactly what she hoped to do, maybe even a bit better. Yeah, she rode mid-pack in a minor league race, but after only a few hours in a stock car, that's pretty good. It's all a matter of what you expect from her. I hope she can run mid-pack, not wreck anyone, and finish the Nationwide race, even if a lap or two down. Anything more than that is gravy, as far as I'm concerned. I bet her own goals aren't a whole lot higher than that. I also like the fact that is having fun and says it.
Posted by: Doug in CA | Feb 10, 2010 4:22:10 PM
I don't know how much you can gauge a driver with just one race at Daytona, let alone it being in the ARCA series. Let's see what she has when she actually needs to step on the brake once in a while.
The thing I was disgusted about during the ARCA race, was the fact that the announcers didn't even mention her during the whole race. (HEAVY sarcasm)
Posted by: Scott Groves | Feb 10, 2010 7:18:03 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Advertisements
