In her 50th career start, Danica Patrick finally won her first IndyCar race on Sunday. The historic victory, in the Indy Japan 300 on the Twin Ring Motegi, was the first by a female in that series.
Although some pundits will conclude it was a fuel-mileage win since the leaders were forced to pit in the closing laps, it doesn’t matter. Out of 18 contenders, Patrick, 26, was the best on Sunday. Period.
Nearly a year ago, we asked: Where is NASCAR’s Lewis Hamilton? Now, the question begs: Where is NASCAR’s Danica Patrick?
If open wheel can groom minorities to fill the seats in Formula One and IndyCars in much smaller fields, why hasn’t there been a female or black racer groomed for the podium in stock cars? There’s really no excuse.
Some young minority drivers claim that Juan Pablo Montoya’s arrival at the Sprint Cup level has satisfied NASCAR’s need to have a face of color among the sport’s top ranks. Some owners in the garage resent the fact that the onus is on the teams and sponsors to bankroll the development programs rather than
NASCAR itself. And some perfectly talented females simply haven’t had the necessary support systems to protect their racing interests.
That’s about to change. Chrissy Wallace signed a contract with Germain Racing on Wednesday to run for rookie honors in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2009. She will run an additional six races this season, starting with the Milwaukee Mile on June 20.
“I’m extremely excited,” Wallace said. “This is a big deal for us. When I saw my name on that contract, I almost couldn’t believe it. But I’m thrilled about this opportunity.”
