What they're saying about Danica
Tuesday, Dec. 08, 2009
What other drivers and motorsports media members are saying about Danica Patrick’s decision to run limited Nationwide Series schedules in 2010 and 2011:
“I think Danica will show girls that the door is wide open for them to pursue opportunities in motorsports. Lots of kids think that racing isn't for girls, but Danica and I are proving that we have what it takes to mix it up with the boys. It's great for racing and great for women everywhere.” - ARCA driver Alli Owens
“Nobody’s been a bigger support of Danica than I but I think she needs to become a consistent winner in IndyCar before she needs to worry about being a NASCAR driver. But I understand her curiosity - the money and all that.” -Long-time open-wheel motorsports journalist Robin Miller
“NASCAR has been an all-male bastion for a long time. There have been a few women who have ventured into the sport here and there. But what Danica is doing is very well organized, very well-thought-out and hopefully she’ll be able to have an impact commensurate with her talent and won’t be sidetracked by all the extraneous issues of being a historical figure.” -Speed TV analyst Bob Varsha
“How do you define success? Is it how much money Danica will make or how many races she’ll win? If it’s how much she’ll make, it will be a huge success. If it’s how many races she’ll win, it won’t be successful at all. I don’t expect her to win more stock car races than she’s won IndyCar races, which is one. But in terms of her financial security and opportunity to try a new racing challenge, it’s a great thing to do.” -Dave Despain, host of “Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain”
"Chevrolet would like to congratulate Danica Patrick on joining JR Motorsports (JRM). Dale Earnhardt, Jr., along with Kelley Earnhardt and everyone associated with JRM have built a winning organization that has proven its teams can deliver victories and contend for championships. Danica has firmly established herself as a contender in IndyCar Series racing and has developed a enormous fan following. "NASCAR and the sport of stock car racing now enjoys one of the most diverse fan bases in not only American sports, but worldwide as well. Her presence in NASCAR will be of interest to both women and men and is sure to attract new fans to the sport. We wish Danica and everyone at JRM the best of luck and success as they prepare for the 2010 season." - Statement from Team Chevrolet
The Charlotte Observer is pleased to be able to offer its users the opportunity to make comments and hold conversations online. However, the interactive nature of the internet makes it impracticable for our staff to monitor each and every posting.
Since charlotteobserver.com does not control user submitted statements, we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted on our website. In addition, we remind anyone interested in making an online comment that responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The Charlotte Observer.
If you find a comment offensive, clicking on the exclamation icon will flag the comment for review by the administrators, we are counting on the good judgment of all our readers to help us.
