Indianapolis 500: Danica Patrick Optimistic She Can Win Pole
May 07, 2008
Ron McQueeney/IMS
Danica Patrick was only ninth fastest among drivers practicing for the first time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but she is already brimming with confidence.
Asked if she could win the pole Saturday for the 92nd Indianapolis 500, which would be a first for a woman at the Speedway, Patrick responded with unbridled optimism.
Patrick, still riding the emotional wave of her first IndyCar Series win last month in Japan, also has three years of Indy experience. Plus she has a strong Andretti Green Racing-prepared Dallara/Honda. She also remembers 2005, when she led 19 laps late in the race as a rookie.
Patrick likes Indy so much that she calls it “a second home.” That comfort shows more each day.
“At this place you can find things that can unlock some speed,” she said. “There is no doubt that many of us are going to find some.”
“A pole run is not out of the question. Not at all.”
To win the pole, Patrick must first be the fastest driver on her team, and right now she’s the third of four.
