Patrick: "It doesn't matter"

[Scotty G.]

DP was just interviewed and said that "It really doesn't matter where I finish". :s mokin:

Really DP? That is your mindset?

That quote is an embarrassment to all race drivers, both living and not.


It doesn't matter? Then what are you out there for?

Why charge for tickets? Why is ESPN broadcasting the race? Why are you crew guys spending hours upon hours getting your car ready for this "hobby"?

If all you are out there for, is "experience", then what the hell are you doing in the Nationwide series? Why not start in ARCA (where you belong)? Or go to some regional NASCAR series (like Fisher did) and get your feet there?


Pathetic! :(

[harvick#1]

can we please get a moderator in this Forum, keep this on the Nationwide thread.

we dont need a new thread for each Danica update

[TURN3]

All hatred for this hack is a good thread!!!

[71Fan]

what's up with the posting police attitude? I've seen this from you before and I don't understand what the big deal is.

Anyways.....You can't learn to drive Busch car by driving an ARCA car. Just not posssible. Boots and all.

As to driving in a lower division at all, it's all about the money. GoDaddy knows the best bang for buck is having her right where she is. Ever consider that maybe they wouldn't be spending money to have her drive in ARCA or a regional series? Ain't no TV time in either.

As to it not mattering where she finishes.....At this point, I agree with her. Once it became obvious at Funtana that she was not competitive, logging laps while heading for the flag and back to garage in one piece is primary.

[harvick#1]

what's up with the posting police attitude? I've seen this from you before and I don't understand what the big deal is.

Anyways.....You can't learn to drive Busch car by driving an ARCA car. Just not posssible. Boots and all.

As to driving in a lower division at all, it's all about the money. GoDaddy knows the best bang for buck is having her right where she is. Ever consider that maybe they wouldn't be spending money to have her drive in ARCA or a regional series? Ain't no TV time in either.

As to it not mattering where she finishes.....At this point, I agree with her. Once it became obvious at Funtana that she was not competitive, logging laps while heading for the flag and back to garage in one piece is primary.

because we don't need a new thread for each Danica update.

OMG she broke a nail!!!!!! quick post a new thread about it. keep it in the Nationwide thread or make a "Danica only" thread, I don't like clutter in the Nascar forum

[The instant classic]

OMG she broke a nail!!!!!! quick post a new thread about it. keep it in the

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!! :laugh:

[Phoenixent]

OMG Dancia as a driver sucks. Just name the series Atlantics, Indycar and now Nationwide. She will not have anyone to setup her car for her at a Nationwide race like she does in Indycar. :laugh:

Hey but she's NASCAR's #1 Superstar or is that Stupidstar. :D

[71Fan]

If somebody starts a thread about Danica breaking a nail, it would probably be because that person thought the nail break was relevant.

Scotty thought Danica's attitude was worth mentioning, so he mentioned it. And I agree with him....specific driver attitude is worth talking about.

[Mark in Oshawa]

what's up with the posting police attitude? I've seen this from you before and I don't understand what the big deal is.
Anyways.....You can't learn to drive Busch car by driving an ARCA car. Just not possible. Boots and all.
Ummmm since when did an ARCA car not teach anyone about driving a race car? You ever compare an ARCA car to a Nationwide car? Right now, they are about the same size, with the Nationwide being slightly down on power, but with a shorter wheelbase and less weight. Same tire size. I would say driving an ARCA car is the BEST training for someone going Nationwide racing. That is WHY many top guys coming TO NASCAR run ARCA first. Some needed more time there than they realized; but of course it is sponsors and the lack of actual competition at times for the well prepared teams that makes people jump to Nationwide....


As to driving in a lower division at all, it's all about the money. GoDaddy knows the best bang for buck is having her right where she is. Ever consider that maybe they wouldn't be spending money to have her drive in ARCA or a regional series? Ain't no TV time in either

Go Daddy doesn't want her in ARCA, but her relative lack of experience with setups and how to race these cars says to me she should have stuck to ARCA. Yet another case of sizzle pushing someone beyond their abilities.


As to it not mattering where she finishes.....At this point, I agree with her. Once it became obvious at Funtana that she was not competitive, logging laps while heading for the flag and back to garage in one piece is primary

It is one thing to realize that, it is yet another to ADMIT IT. I think to an extent, she found out this is really hard...and while the IRL is hard, it is a hard she has gotten proficient with dealing with and you have more support.

The prediction she wont be back I don't believe is true, but I do believe she will have one heck of a time being successful if she doesn't go full time, and she wont get a decent full time ride based on what she is showing us so far. IN comparsion, Jacques Villeneuve made a half-@ssed attempt at this NASCAR thing but had no sponsor but still was able to run on the lead lap for extended periods of time in just a few races. With the quality of the car she has, making laps is part of the goal, but making them while sniffing the lead lap is much more a goal than just trying to stay out of the way testing while people race around you.

[Mark in Oshawa]

because we don't need a new thread for each Danica update.

OMG she broke a nail!!!!!! quick post a new thread about it. keep it in the Nationwide thread or make a "Danica only" thread, I don't like clutter in the Nascar forum

Danica is going to be gone soon...hang on to your sanity. Besides, you keep us telling you hate what NASCAR has become.....so I would think Danicamania would be a great outlet to carve up yet another sideshow of the NASCAR universe.

[beachbum]

Anyways.....You can't learn to drive Busch car by driving an ARCA car. Just not posssible. Boots and all.Actually, it is the Nationwide series now. ARCA announced in November 2009 that 105 inch Wheelbase Nationwide cars are permitted in the ARCA series starting in 2010 at all tracks but restrictor plate tracks, so the cars in both series can now be almost identical, except for tires and engines.

I guess you don't remember the old "ABC" development process many teams used to bring new drivers along either. The NASCAR teams seem to think time in ARCA is valuable. Where do you think many of the "young guns" in Nationwide today started?

[Lee Roy]

DP was just interviewed and said that "It really doesn't matter where I finish". :s mokin:

Really DP? That is your mindset?

That quote is an embarrassment to all race drivers, both living and not.


It doesn't matter? Then what are you out there for?

Why charge for tickets? Why is ESPN broadcasting the race? Why are you crew guys spending hours upon hours getting your car ready for this "hobby"?

If all you are out there for, is "experience", then what the hell are you doing in the Nationwide series? Why not start in ARCA (where you belong)? Or go to some regional NASCAR series (like Fisher did) and get your feet there?


Pathetic! :(

Hey Scotty G., it's amazing what a crush you seem to have on Danica Patrick. You start more Danica threads that DanciaFan does.

[71Fan]

Mark......didn't say what you say I did. Will say that from what I'm reading that you can learn some in ARCA car about what a Busch car can do.

As for Danica's attitude.....I think you have to go in to mental make-up. The passive-aggressive of women in general as compared to the straight aggressive of men. Women are much more likely to take what they are given than men are. Men go out and get it, while women tend to wait for what comes their way. And even tho the occasional woman breaks the mold, the super-aggressive woman is not the cultural norm.

And of course it's hard. If it was easy I'd have knocked the King off the top of the heap years ago. Speaking of the King, I had the pleasure of sitting at the same picnic table with him while eating a burger one Saturday years ago....whoops...memory lane......side trip.....watching Harry work the ladies at the local Holiday Inn one night.....now that there was cool. :-)

beachbum....It is? Heck, and here I thought it was Sportsman Stock. As for the abc thing. Yea, I remember. Of course I also remember folks going straight to the top right out of the gate. And, I think straight out of the gate is the way to go. Ya either got it or ya don't. Does Dani have it? Heckums, I don't know. But she is not going to find out racing against lessor cars.

Double Heckums.....If she were my driver (and I had the money) I'd have her testing for weeks on end to learn the terminology and feel of a stocker. That they had to move the steering around at a race venue was not good. Nope, I'd take to say Milwaukee and start her out tight and then loosen her up to the point that even a good dirt tracker would have a hard time hanging on.

but, GoDaddy ain't gonna pay for that. They've got a gold mine and they ain't gonna not mine it. There used to be a site that dealt with logo time and return on investment.

Triple Shuckems.....with production cost you 30 seconds of Super Bowl commercial time for a half mill. With a racecar with Dani in it, you get hours for that same half mill. You think Rick hired Dale because he thought he was a great driver? I don't. I think Rick hired Dale because Dale is a money-making machine, and Rick saw his chance to get a piece of the pie.

anyways......long-winded even for me. have a great race day.

[Scotty G.]

You think Rick hired Dale because he thought he was a great driver? I don't. I think Rick hired Dale because Dale is a money-making machine, and Rick saw his chance to get a piece of the pie.




Dale JR is a money-machine. He's also had some success in his racing career too.

And while he has struggled recently in Cup, his racing resume is LIGHT YEARS better then Danica Patrick's.

Dale Jr has won 40 Busch/Cup races and 2 Busch Championships in his NASCAR career.

Danica has won 1 Indy Car race and 1 professional race total in her life.


The reason why Dale Jr took Danica on, was simple......Go Daddy paid them big bucks to do it. She is nothing more then a typical Indy Car ride buyer in NASCAR, who is ONLY in the series because she is paying for it. That is it.

If it was about actual talent and racing resume's, there are about 300 race drivers out there more qualified to race in Nationwide then "The Brand".

Don't try and compare Dale Jr with Danica. Its a terrible comparison.

[Jag_Warrior]

You can't learn anything about a Nationwide car by driving an ARCA car, eh? Well, from what I understand, there are more differences between a Sprint Cup COT and a Nationwide car than between a Nationwide car and an ARCA car. So if she can't learn anything about Nationwide (or stock car racing in general) from driving an ARCA car, she may be wasting her time with this Nationwide Experiment in Pain & PR. I think she should just jump on into Cup and drop Nationwide. She's clearly ready! She's already learned to sell more t-shirts and do more interviews in a few weeks than most drivers ever get. And that's the important stuff (in Danica's world).

You can do it, Danica! I've got faith in ya! Failure in Nationwide... next stop, Sprint Cup Championship! :bounce:

[beachbum]

The passive-aggressive of women in general as compared to the straight aggressive of men. Women are much more likely to take what they are given than men are. Men go out and get it, while women tend to wait for what comes their way. And even tho the occasional woman breaks the mold, the super-aggressive woman is not the cultural norm.You obviously have never been around ANY woman who raced. They are NOT shrinking violets - anyone of them, including Danica. I have seen some VERY aggressive female racers. No racer (male or female) fits any cultural norm. As one racer put it to me (it was a she if you care), "you don't have to be crazy to do this, but it helps"



Double Heckums.....If she were my driver (and I had the money) I'd have her testing for weeks on end to learn the terminology and feel of a stocker. That they had to move the steering around at a race venue was not good.I guess you haven't been following the saga then have you? Tony, Jr stated that they had been testing Danica at a number of short tracks to get her up to speed. Her ARCA test was hardly her first run in a stocker, or her last before Daytona. As for moving the steering wheel, the TV coverage showed a couple drivers having the driving position adjusted. If you follow NASCAR you know that isn't uncommon at all.

But carry on. It makes for good entertainment.

[beachbum]

Dale JR is a money-machine. He's also had some success in his racing career too.

And while he has struggled recently in Cup, his racing resume is LIGHT YEARS better then Danica Patrick's.

Dale Jr has won 40 Busch/Cup races and 2 Busch Championships in his NASCAR career.

Danica has won 1 Indy Car race and 1 professional race total in her life.


The reason why Dale Jr took Danica on, was simple......Go Daddy paid them big bucks to do it. She is nothing more then a typical Indy Car ride buyer in NASCAR, who is ONLY in the series because she is paying for it. That is it.

If it was about actual talent and racing resume's, there are about 300 race drivers out there more qualified to race in Nationwide then "The Brand".

Don't try and compare Dale Jr with Danica. Its a terrible comparison.I can not believe it. I agree with you. Its a first.

[71Fan]

Yes beachbum, I have been around lady racers. And yup, as a rule they are much more agressive than the everyday middle of the road female. Just my opinion that that agressiveness is not ingrained as much as it is in males.

hmmmm.....guess I don't follow nascar then.....double hmmm. :-)

[Easy Drifter]

There were several male racing drivers in Ont., Quebec, Ohio, NY and Mich., including one who ended up on his roof, who would dispute that my former wife was not an aggressive driver.

[71Fan]

yup, like I said....They are out there. There's a lady at the Bullring in Vegas that has bumpered the heck out of most everybody that has ever bumpered her. Paybacks a bitch :-)

[Mark in Oshawa]

I don't care what anyone thinks of Danica on whether she is aggressive or not. The fact is she seemed perfectly ok to publicly admit riding around was enough. I don't doubt for her learning curve that is the truth, but GoDaddy isn't paying her to SAY things like that.

This isn't a male/female thing, this is Danica admitting publically she was out there to play a bit, like this is a hobby. Last time I looked, ARCA was a place to do that. You run the Nationwide series, you are have to pull on your adult pants and be competitive as your ride and team will allow. Last I looked, JR Motorsports cars were top cars to be in. Running around near the back happily is not the MO. If ANYONE else was behind the wheel of one of JR's car at the back of the pack and was happy back there, they would be walking....

[slorydn1]

I don't care what anyone thinks of Danica on whether she is aggressive or not. The fact is she seemed perfectly ok to publicly admit riding around was enough. I don't doubt for her learning curve that is the truth, but GoDaddy isn't paying her to SAY things like that.

This isn't a male/female thing, this is Danica admitting publically she was out there to play a bit, like this is a hobby. Last time I looked, ARCA was a place to do that. You run the Nationwide series, you are have to pull on your adult pants and be competitive as your ride and team will allow. Last I looked, JR Motorsports cars were top cars to be in. Running around near the back happily is not the MO. If ANYONE else was behind the wheel of one of JR's car at the back of the pack and was happy back there, they would be walking....


Amen :up:

[71Fan]

Happy? The way she stomped off last week sure didn't seem happy to me.

As for her riding around and admitting that that becomes the priority....When she's apparently told over and over to log laps, what would you want her to say?

[Mark in Oshawa]

Happy? The way she stomped off last week sure didn't seem happy to me.

As for her riding around and admitting that that becomes the priority....When she's apparently told over and over to log laps, what would you want her to say?

I would like her to say she is frustrated she isn't able to get more speed out of the car and she hates riding around. Admit to THAT.

[Jag_Warrior]

Since it's become apparent that all Danica has to do is be present on the track for ESPN to devote 51% of the broadcast to her, maybe we're looking at this all wrong. Maybe we don't see the big picture. Maybe that's all Go Daddy expects or wants: just cruise around up top or down low, and suck up those sponsor mentions.

As long as ESPN keeps playing along (and I think they will), Danica could be out there on a bicycle and she'd get as much attention as whoever wins the race.

We need to stop measuring Danica as if she was a (real) racing driver. Danica is a racing star (she was actually called that on some TV show). She is a PR and marketing force... and she's good at that. Odds are she'll never even crack the Top 5 in Nationwide or the Top 10 in Sprint Cup. But she's going to sell bunches of t-shirts and get Go Daddy all kinds of attention. Mission Accomplished!

[beachbum]

Since it's become apparent that all Danica has to do is be present on the track for ESPN to devote 51% of the broadcast to her, maybe we're looking at this all wrong. Maybe we don't see the big picture. Maybe that's all Go Daddy expects or wants: just cruise around up top or down low, and suck up those sponsor mentions.

As long as ESPN keeps playing along (and I think they will), Danica could be out there on a bicycle and she'd get as much attention as whoever wins the race.

We need to stop measuring Danica as if she was a (real) racing driver. Danica is a racing star (she was actually called that on some TV show). She is a PR and marketing force... and she's good at that. Odds are she'll never even crack the Top 5 in Nationwide or the Top 10 in Sprint Cup. But she's going to sell bunches of t-shirts and get Go Daddy all kinds of attention. Mission Accomplished!In June we will learn if it "doesn't matter". When she makes her scheduled return at new Hampshire, she will have to qualify. Based on the last 2 races and the nature of New Hampshire, just qualifying will be a major problem. If she wasn't locked into the field, she would have missed the last 2 races - by a bunch.

I wonder what will happen to all of that marketing power and the value of the "brand" when there is a DNQ beside your name?

[Mark in Oshawa]

Since it's become apparent that all Danica has to do is be present on the track for ESPN to devote 51% of the broadcast to her, maybe we're looking at this all wrong. Maybe we don't see the big picture. Maybe that's all Go Daddy expects or wants: just cruise around up top or down low, and suck up those sponsor mentions.

As long as ESPN keeps playing along (and I think they will), Danica could be out there on a bicycle and she'd get as much attention as whoever wins the race.

We need to stop measuring Danica as if she was a (real) racing driver. Danica is a racing star (she was actually called that on some TV show). She is a PR and marketing force... and she's good at that. Odds are she'll never even crack the Top 5 in Nationwide or the Top 10 in Sprint Cup. But she's going to sell bunches of t-shirts and get Go Daddy all kinds of attention. Mission Accomplished!

THat is why we don't like her too. All you need to know is how the SPEED guys were referrring to the lineups at her souvenir trailer. Last time I looked, people who cant make races didn't even HAVE those trailers. The Hype is so far in front of the driver it isn't funny.

As for New Hampshire, you know how this will work. They will put Bire's in the 7 because he will make the show, and the ownerpoints from his car will be what gets Danica in the show. This of course will will be fine because ESPN would never criticize the Danica.....

[Jag_Warrior]

They can't let Danica be a "Go or Go Homer". Maybe NASCAR can create a "racing star provisional" or something. :D Seriously though, my guess is she'll swap cars with whomever has the points to guarantee her a spot. New Hampshire is a tough track. I'd be amazed if she could qualify based on time. But... she is just awesome like that, so who knows?

Nah, they won't take a chance on her falling on her face. I think there's going to be a car swap.

[TURN3]

She won't be capable of qualifying at New Hampshire, there is little doubt. Many possibilities including the potential for a "scheduling conflict" where somebody else might actually qualify her car for her...where she then gets in for the race and takes to penalty to the rear, which is where she'd be anyway. This assumes of course she actually goes back which I'm leaning toward that she will. She won't be in the 88 because that'll make all of her merchandise obsolete...which is why she to the #7 with last years #88 points to begin with. It makes merchandise between Indycar and NASCAR somewhat universal.

[71Fan]

Buying, selling, and trading points is commonplace. Menard apparently buying the guys off in front of him was just the latest example.

Will JRM and GoDaddy do the same for Danica? Of course they will. It's all about return on investment, and so far that investment is probably working out just fine.

Remember folks....Money drives the sport....Way old adage....Speed Cost How Fast You Wanna Go?

And that being the case, you can either enjoy the ride or you can keep getting upset about something you have no control over. If you don't like the woman, or how races are reported when she's in them, my suggestion would be to tune it out and enjoy those parts that you can even if it's just watching her fail.

But as noted by someone way back when....There's no such thing as bad press.

And, I agree that New Hampshire will be something to see. Will her finishing position matter all that much? Nope. Heck, Mikey's been shilling his way in to races for decades. Nothing new about Danica doing the same except that she's undoubtably making a heck of a lot more money at it.

[beachbum]

They can't let Danica be a "Go or Go Homer". Maybe NASCAR can create a "racing star provisional" or something. :D Seriously though, my guess is she'll swap cars with whomever has the points to guarantee her a spot. New Hampshire is a tough track. I'd be amazed if she could qualify based on time. But... she is just awesome like that, so who knows?

Nah, they won't take a chance on her falling on her face. I think there's going to be a car swap.A couple problems with that scenario. First, all of the promotion is on the 7 car as has been pointed out.

If she jumped into the 88 and pushed Bires out again, many of the faithful would cry foul, as they did at Daytona

While you can buy a team entry from the previous year (as they did by buying the 2009 points from the #11 car), you can't do that during the year. It isn't that uncommon to buy a seat in a qualified car, but that would probably fire up a lot of fans as well.

Since GoDaddy pulled their previous sponsorship, JR Motorsports has repeatedly said they don't have the funding to run the whole season, so it is possible that the 88 may not run enough races to stay in the top 30. In the last 4 races, they have now wrecked 4 cars, with Juniors at Daytona an apparent writeoff. Junior said they had to find funding that didn't exist to replace the crashed equipment, so that limits their ability to compete as a team. The GoDaddy money can only be stretched so far.

IMHO, if she comes back in June (a big IF in my mind), they will try to get her in with the 7. With the quality of the equipment, she really has no excuse if she can't qualify, even at the back.

There seems to be a backlash in NASCAR about this all being a publicity stunt. At some point she has to step up and do the job.

[Mark in Oshawa]

A couple problems with that scenario. First, all of the promotion is on the 7 car as has been pointed out.

If she jumped into the 88 and pushed Bires out again, many of the faithful would cry foul, as they did at Daytona

While you can buy a team entry from the previous year (as they did by buying the 2009 points from the #11 car), you can't do that during the year. It isn't that uncommon to buy a seat in a qualified car, but that would probably fire up a lot of fans as well.

Since GoDaddy pulled their previous sponsorship, JR Motorsports has repeatedly said they don't have the funding to run the whole season, so it is possible that the 88 may not run enough races to stay in the top 30. In the last 4 races, they have now wrecked 4 cars, with Juniors at Daytona an apparent writeoff. Junior said they had to find funding that didn't exist to replace the crashed equipment, so that limits their ability to compete as a team. The GoDaddy money can only be stretched so far.

IMHO, if she comes back in June (a big IF in my mind), they will try to get her in with the 7. With the quality of the equipment, she really has no excuse if she can't qualify, even at the back.

There seems to be a backlash in NASCAR about this all being a publicity stunt. At some point she has to step up and do the job.

You bet. One this is for sure. The start and park's would need to be paid to stay home for her to get into the field in advance. If 43 cars show up at NH when 48 have been at every race before, you can be someone made a phone call because Danica isn't going to be fast enough to make it at that track. Experienced guys can struggle there...there is no evidence at all to make anyone here believe she will get there on speed alone...she hasn't had the time to even get competant in the car....

[Jag_Warrior]

Well, since my ideas don't hold water, I'm fresh out of schemes to get Danica into her next race. Sounds like she's going to have to do it based on driving skill. And that hardly seems fair... since... well... you know. ;)

There'll be no joy in Mudville (or at ESPN) if the Mighty Danica strikes out. Needless to say, I'll be tuning in. This is more fun than watching Paris Hilton take a calculus test. :s mokin:

[71Fan]

Yesserieeeee JAG.....and more than a few folks probably know that the "failure factor" is also bringing viewers, and maybe even selling tickets.

I mean how much fun would it be for somebody to say.....I went to qualifying at New Hampshire just to see her fail, and sure enough she did.

Shucks, I've got $2 bet ticket from Willie Shoemaker's last ride. No way was he going to win the race that day but my guess is that nobody (including the promotors) complained.

And another guess is that even if she doesn't make the race, GoDaddy will still get plenty of press, and other drivers will still complain that they aren't getting interviewed because of her.

[TURN3]

But as noted by someone way back when....There's no such thing as bad press.

LOL! That was Axl Rose!! Not sure that's who I'd be quoting to make a point if you know what I mean.

[71Fan]

Actually, a quick search revealed this.....

There's no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary... -- Brendan Behan (1923-1964)

[beachgirl]

There certainly can be bad publicity - especially in racing. There's a reason some fast people don't get rides. They bring too much baggage, and are high maintenance.

[Mark in Oshawa]

There certainly can be bad publicity - especially in racing. There's a reason some fast people don't get rides. They bring too much baggage, and are high maintenance.

It is why Jeremy Mayfield had to start his own team.....because if you tick off Ray Evernham and Roger Penske, and flame BOTH in public, it pretty much does your career in now doesn't it? Having failed a drug test just confirmed what many thought of Mayfield, that he was an idiot...