Indy 500 Not Won By Danica Patrick!

[AWC]

Personally I don't mind the press coverage, interviews, etc. I find her to be the most attractive driver in the Indy 500, by far.

[george71z]

Are the rumors true that she is a distant cousin of Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Seems like they share the same publicist, at least. As for Sarah, I hear she's going racing in the Winston West series.

[jmanz6]

Hey guys, I just want to say it was a great race, I was there. Danica did an excellent job, considering she had all the pressure put on her. I don't think she asked for all the hype, but did a great job handling it. Dan had a very fast car, and was fast all day. If DP had been able to keep her car full rich, and race Dan full out, it would have been awsome. She was passed because she was running out of gas... She earned a lot of fans, and deserves every one. In my section, there weren't very many people sitting when she was leading... Her media attention is great for the sport (IRL), the ratings have been down, and in serious jeopardy of losing any TV time. If her being in the series helps bring viewers in, that's great. It was a little over the top at times, but it kept the Indy 500 in the minds of people outside the midwest.

[2-4-T-Z-MAN]

Yeah!! What jmanz6 said!!!

[panchovisa]

Yes, she drove a winning car to forth, and how many winning cars did Michael Andretti drive to DNF's?

Giafone, Carpenter, Herta the world asks the question "Who are they?" Jungeria (hard time spelling, though I do know who he is) lost his car in the same kind of incident that Danica drove through.

Anybody named Foyt (with, or without numerals or Jr's) is irrelevant and has been for years. Drives from 32nd to 10th sound good, but how many drivers did they pass that were not on the end of a wrecker?

The country now knows at least one drivers name (outside of F1 and Nascar) and I think thats good for the sport.

Once people start watching what is left of single seat racing in this country then maybe we will end up with what we had before the personal power play to create "opportunity for young AMERICAN drivers". Though the defectors from "gocart" have kind of squeezed out Tony's boys.

I don't care any more if it's the IRL or "whatever they call themselves now".

[sopwith21]

I don't think she asked for all the hype

Girls who aren't asking for hype don't appear in men's magazines. Still, she's done a fantastic job handling it and focusing on her driving at the same time.

She was passed because she was running out of gas...

So now the only reason anyone else won the race was because Danica ran out of gas? (Buries head in hands). Heaven help us. We're starting to believe our own propaganda.

We should all remember that The Other Guy Who's Name Was Not Danica had already passed Danica once. This Non-Danica Person also passed two other people who aren't Danica... a couple of incredibly fast, incredibly talented unknowns named Vitor Meira and Dario Franchitti. In fact, this Non-Danica Person passed every single car on the track, some - including Danica - multiple times.

I'm sorry guys, but when we start diminishing the accomplishments of other good drivers in order to prop up the person that we desperately wish would have won, we all need to take a long look in the mirror.

On a related note, I must agree that folks who weren't watching Indycar before may be watching it now. Well... correction... they're watching Danica. They're not allowed to see much of anyone else. Still, more viewers is better.

Hopefully she'll win quickly, the media will finally have their female hero, and we can all get back to something resembling auto racing and a civil respect for the accomplishments of other talented drivers. In the meantime, expect the gag factor to be at an all-time high at the next race in Texas.

Please, Lord... we're begging you... make it stop. Let Danica win. Quickly. For all our sakes.

[dogma420]

Danica created her own yellow flag, came down pit road when pit road was closed, changed nose cones on her damaged car and went on with no problem and no penalty.

She did get a penalty; she had to pit under green right after that. She changed tires and got more fuel....

I was rooting for her until she did the spin out...what was that all about? She looked like a girl driving! (just kidding)....that spin kinda brought reality back. Pretty good prelude to the Nascar race. I haven't watched it for a couple of years (the Indy 500)....I enjoyed it....although it is very tough watching open wheeled cars on TV because they go so darn' fast!

Hope everyone had a good Memorial day!

[sopwith21]

Yes, she drove a winning car to forth, and how many winning cars did Michael Andretti drive to DNF's?

When Danica scores forty Indycar wins (which she just might do), that will be an excellent question worthy of consideration. In the meantime, let's refrain from comparing five-race rookies to one of the winningest drivers in the history of the sport. It looks kinda silly.

Giafone, Carpenter, Herta the world asks the question "Who are they?"

I guess we'll never know, will we?

Jungeria (hard time spelling, though I do know who he is) lost his car in the same kind of incident that Danica drove through.

You mean "in the same kind of incident that Danica caused."

On lap 155, Danica spun on cold tires while trying to jump the green on the car in front of her. She took out Tomas Scheckter, Jeff Bucknam, Thomas Enge and nearly herself. If she hadn't crashed into the side of Scheckter, she'd have spun into the wall and been one of those DNF's you were talking about.

Danica is a good rookie, a good driver and she's good for the sport. But let's all keep our heads and come back down to earth. She's not - yet- the second coming of Juan Fangio, Mario Andretti and Michael Schumacher all rolled into one, and its time to give the other drivers their due.

[Bambikiller240]

Maybe all this hand wringing should be directed to the people who can do something about it........ABC, ESPN, etc. Remember they play to the lowest common denominator (i.e. the idiot who watches their broadcast) who is not necessarily a race fan in the true sense of the word(s).

[sopwith21]

She did get a penalty; she had to pit under green right after that. She changed tires and got more fuel....

Absolutely correct; I was wrong. She did get a mandatory stop and go in the pits. Thanks.

[HS30-H]

Alan...

Of course you know who won the race. Dan Wheldon is your countryman is he not?

And justification... there is no need for that. The world already knows.

Walter,

Maybe Wheldon is my countryman, but his win didn't even make the terrestrial news media here.....

Sadly, the INDY 500 is a pale shadow of its formerly glorious self. A backwater for assorted has-beens and probably-won't-bes to paddle in.

Can we measure Wheldon and his ilk against the likes of Wilbur Shaw, Jimmy Murphy, Jim Bryan, Bill Vukovich and Frank Lockhart ( and that's just a few off the top of my head )? I doubt it.

Sorry, but I think the rest of the World might have trouble agreeing that it "already knows" that Indianapolis is the "...racing capital of the World.". But maybe Sopwith 21 might like to expand on it for me, as it is he whom has it written next to his avatar?

Surely it should be easy to justify if it is true? Come on - give it a shot

[First Gen Z]

Racing Capitol of the World? I DON"T THINK SO! Must I remind you of Daytona Int'l Speedway? Several racing events every year. Two that draw over 200,000 spectators. And I can't believe that you would pay any attention to the media. They make a circus out of everything. Now, give credit where credit is due. That young lady did a great job, period!