The fortune cookie crumbled for Danica Patrick.
Not even a third-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday fulfilled the fortune Patrick found last month in a cookie at a Kansas City restaurant promising four-wheel happiness.
“No, no, a win would have fulfilled it,” Patrick said. “How many times do you get a fortune cookie tell you a four-wheel adventure is going to bring you happiness? Why would they even write that? Who has four-wheel adventures … but how great could that be?”
Still, the third-place finish behind three-time champion Helio Castroneves and former champion Dan Wheldon was the best ever by a woman at Indy and topped her previous best at Indianapolis, when she finished fourth as a rookie in 2005. Kansas City Star
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“I’d have to say there lots of parallels, actually,” Patrick said. “Once the car kinda got to the front in ‘05 I was good there, I was fine. But back in traffic I remember at the very beginning of the race I had some engine cuts happening and I dropped back to 10th and I was nothing special back there, I was just hangin’ out.
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“That’s kinda the way it was this year. I think once the track grip came up enough where it came into me being able to be flat out there I think that’s when it made the difference out on the track, and I could make passes happen. I have mixed emotions about both of them. Obviously, I’m happy with today and I was happy with the ‘05 day from what happened.” Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Her Andretti Green team helped her gain spots on pit stops, except for one when she overshot her mark.
Though her finish bettered the ‘05 run that sparked Danicamania, it was suggested that this year’s result wouldn’t create such hysteria.
“That’s good, though,” said one of the most popular female sports personalities in the world. “I’m doing my job. My job is to finish as high as possible and get as many wins as possible.
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“I’m actually glad about the shift.”
Though Patrick never led Sunday, her overall performance in some ways was better than ‘05 because she didn’t move to the front simply on pit strategy.
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She battled the leaders and made several passes to help her position.
At one point in the first half of the race, she was behind only powerhouse drivers Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan, and rookie Raphael Matos. Indianapolis Star
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