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closePatrick's win also creating buzz in NASCAR; hill might be steeper
The Associated Press
Friday, Apr. 25, 2008
TALLADEGA, Ala. – Danica Patrick is a big topic in NASCAR garages again.
The renewed buzz at Talladega Superspeedway stems from Patrick’s first IndyCar Series win, with NASCAR drivers and team owner Jack Roush discussing the daunting challenges of a move from open-wheel racing for anyone, male or female.
Patrick’s win Sunday in Japan made her the first woman to win a major open-wheel race.
“It’s not clear because she won an open-wheel race that it would be a straightforward thing for her to step into a stock car,” said Roush, adding that officials with Roush Fenway Racing had spoken to Patrick in Phoenix before her win as well as last year.
“Quite to the contrary, I think she’d have to get comfortable with it and the people around her would have to get comfortable with it.”
Likewise, Sprint Cup points leader Jeff Burton talks about the potential challenges for any such move, regardless of gender. He has little doubt that a woman can succeed in NASCAR and was “really impressed” with Patrick’s win.
“I think it’s a harder transition to go from an open-wheel type car to this than people think,” Burton said. “I don’t know if she can do it or not. Ask (Juan Pablo) Montoya how hard this is. I’m not saying we’re better drivers. What I’m saying is it takes different stuff, a different driving style, to run well in these cars.”
Kevin Harvick had a similar sentiment.
“It’d be interesting to see how she’d do here,” he said.
“I think this is a much more competitive garage than what they have over there. I think it would be a little tougher road to hoe than what she has there.”
John Andretti sounded, perhaps, a little more charitable.
The way he sees it, Patrick’s first IndyCar victory last week in Japan was good for everyone involved in the sport.
“The way I look at it is that it was a huge win for motorsports,” said Andretti, who raced, and won in, open-wheel cars before moving to NASCAR.
“She’s extremely talented and everybody knows that,” Andretti said. “She’s already brought a lot of attention to motorsports because of the package. She has it all, sort of like a Dale Jr. She draws excitement and attention wherever she goes.
“For herself, more so than anyone else, it was important for her to win that race. In the overall scope of things, people who don’t know a lot about motorsports, or maybe that followed only one kind of motorsports, are going to follow all of it now. It’s a big win for the whole motorsports community.”
