Danica Predictions...

[Matt Albee]

If you think Tony's interest has to do with the amazing talent of Danica - you are naive at best. Her crowning achievement in IndyCar was a joke. She was in one of the best rides there for years and consistently underachieved. Tony saw an opportunity to lock up sponsorship dollars and hype for his team. He did just that.

As for recommending she play with JR Motorsports for a while first, I dont blame him for letting her tear up as much equipment elsewhere first. They were in dire need of sponsorship as well.

She has been impressive on road courses.

That's exactly what i think. I don't recall Tony ever picking a driver to help or to hire based on their sponsorship dollars. But he's sure helped a lot of drivers over the years, including Danica's current boyfriend. Tony spotted for him several times and helped get him rides. He picks drivers who show they can drive. She can drive. She wasn't running in 15th waiting for the others to run out of fuel in her Indy Car win. She was running 4th and had been all day. And that's far from her only racing accomplishment.
It might be just a tad early for all the hysteria surrounding her finish position in each race. She'll run up front like she did at Daytona. She'll crash out like she did at Phoenix. But she'll get better and faster as the season gos on.

[Osmosis Jones]

So...

....what are some of her other racing accomplishments?

This a serious question because I really don't know. I like close competition and exciting racing therefore I don't care much for Indycar racing. I can't stay awake long enough to follow Formula One let alone pronounce any of their names. I don't read fashion magazines and I'm not much into karting. local or nationally.

So without me Googling her racing record, give us the Readers Digest version of her accomplishments*.


* Beauty Pageants and magazine covers do not count.

[Osmosis Jones]

I couldn't wait.....

I went ahead and Googled it and came across her Go Daddy site. The only race she won in any series she raced in was at a Toyota Pro/Celebrity race at Long Beach from the pole position. Other than where it says she won "several World Karting Association Regional, National and Grand National championships" in her "early" racing career....no real wins.

A couple of podium finishes in the Barber series, though....

Hardly a "stellar" career resume to warrant this much media attention.



Oh, I almost forgot. She's a hot, little, whisker biscuit, ain't she?

Talent "pardoned".Nuff said.

[MW68SS]

She barely finished 10th in the Nationwide series in points last year and almost lost that to Joe Nemecheck who didn't even run all the races. How is that deserving of a full time ride in the absolute top division of Nascar?
To say she is there because of her talent and not her marketing ability is laughable. People would most likely feel different about her if we didn't have to listen to the announcers tell us for 4 hours everySaturday/ Sunday how good she is while she is running in 35th 2 laps down.

[Matt Albee]

She just barely finished 10th in points???? Damn man, you're hard to impress. By finishing tenth she beat a lot of full time, long time drivers. As long as we're on the subject though, of the current drivers in NASCAR Cup, how many of them raced in Nationwide? And of those who did ( which is almost all of them ), how many of them finished a season 10th or better in points?
You may not like Danica, you may not like a woman racing against the men, you may think your local short track hero deserves a ride in Cup more than Danica does. But she's there because a lot of smart people think she deserves to be.
Don't blame her for the announcers constant attention. She doesn't write their script for them. They fall all over themselves with Gordon and Johnson too.

[Benny The Mule]

Or as the media was spewing all day Sunday......"Jimmy Johnson and Danica Patrick will lead the fields to California next weekend".

I don't recall her leading anything right now.

I have also listened to her race chatter. She can't give feeback on what the car is doing or needs.

[BVS40FL]

I'm with OJ

Until the fuel mileage in the rain race in Japan I don't think she EVER won a race in ANY kind of CAR. Only karts. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[MW68SS]

In the 2012 Nationwide Series final point standing Danicia finished 10th in points.
11th Joe Nemecheck
12th Mike Wallace
13th Jason Bowles
14th Jeremy Clements
15th Taylor Malsom
Of which 2 of these drivers did not run all the races.

I'm sorry I stand corrected it is plain to see she beat a who's who list of racers for sure.

[Matt Albee]

In the 2012 Nationwide Series final point standing Danicia finished 10th in points.
11th Joe Nemecheck
12th Mike Wallace
13th Jason Bowles
14th Jeremy Clements
15th Taylor Malsom
Of which 2 of these drivers did not run all the races.

I'm sorry I stand corrected it is plain to see she beat a who's who list of racers for sure.

There were only 15 drivers in the Nationwide series in 2012??? That series is obviously in trouble.
But even with only that few drivers in the series, she still beat a lot of guys who had far more experience in stock cars than she did.

What it is you're trying to convince me of? She can't drive? She doesn't deserve to be in Cup? She gets too much attention? She hasn't beaten the top drivers in NASCAR in points yet?

[Osmosis Jones]

"She can't drive? She doesn't deserve to be in Cup? She gets too much attention? She hasn't beaten the top drivers in NASCAR in points yet?"

I'm thinkin'.......yes.....yes....oh, HELL yes.....and "Welcome to the future"

[Boneman]

"Welcome to the future"

Go Danica!

[chevyj31]

I think she is great for the sport. ..... sounds like a lot of sour grapes on this board. half of you guys would shit your pants if u took 1 lap around Daytona, let alone lead and race in the front pack, all day......She is doing a great job....Joe

[Osmosis Jones]

Please.....

"half of you guys would shit your pants if u took 1 lap around Daytona, let alone lead and race in the front pack"

I don't usually shit my pants when I'm asleep (unless I've been out drinking with Frass and Ed), so I kinda doubt racing Daytona is gonna do it for me, either.
Driving at Daytona is like putting 45 monkeys in a locked room with typewriters. Sooner or later they will all turn into NASCAR race reporters.

That's a mixed metaphor so you all better read it a couple of times to get the masked humor...EZ might need to read it 5 times.....lol

Her presence is great all right.
But not for the "sport"....the only thing she's great for is NASCAR's bottom line. More Danica means more $$$ for them.

And speaking of bottom lines.....it's not hard to see the Marrowboy's real attraction to the Danimal.....that picture pretty much sums up the bane of her existence in motorsports all in one nicely shaped, well-manicured little bit of backyard, real estate.

A date with a 15ft brass pole over on the OBT can't be too far away on her career path.....and I'll be waiting with a fistful of GW's....

OOOooooomigawdJay

[Osmosis Jones]

I wonder.....

.....what she thinks about during those racy, photo shoots?.......

"It's tough to concentrate on looking sexy when I'm worried about the setup we're using for Phoenix this weekend. When I'm through I'm heading to the shop to scale the car again and run the numbers with the crew."

or maybe

"Why do they have me leaning against a sports car?...haven't they seen the pictures of me driving that loud, green car that goes in a big circle? What do they call those things again?..."

or even

"When I'm done with this shoot, I have an appointment with some guy named Boneham or Sconeman or something....wants to sponsor me by promoting his new book, "Racing for Obama"....(too bad he's *gay cuz I think he's kind of cute!)"


These supermodels today...tsk tsk tsk.......

[Matt Albee]

.....what she thinks about during those racy, photo shoots?.......

"It's tough to concentrate on looking sexy when I'm worried about the setup we're using for Phoenix this weekend. When I'm through I'm heading to the shop to scale the car again and run the numbers with the crew."

or maybe

"Why do they have me leaning against a sports car?...haven't they seen the pictures of me driving that loud, green car that goes in a big circle? What do they call those things again?..."

or even

"When I'm done with this shoot, I have an appointment with some guy named Boneham or Sconeman or something....wants to sponsor me by promoting his new book, "Racing for Obama"....(too bad he's *gay cuz I think he's kind of cute!)"


These supermodels today...tsk tsk tsk.......

You sure you're not talking about Jimmy Johnson and/or Jeff Gordon here.