While IndyCar Series rookie Danica Patrick faded to a fourth place finish to conserve fuel during the final laps of the 500, it was the highest finish ever by a woman driver in the famed race.
In addition to being offered more than $20 million in endorsements in just the two days following Sunday's running of the Indy500 (including a reported offer of mega-millions from Playboy to take off the racing suit), the drop-dead gorgeous Danica has also landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.
Incredibly, SI hasn't put the 500 on it's cover since 1985, but Danica's face, bod, and reputation as a "fast woman" is guaranteed to sell issues. Lots of them. Oh, and Dan Wheldon won the race in case you were wondering.
But it's Danica who has set the racing world on fire and is attracting new fans to the sport. And while I hate to make a girlie comment about all this ... I should mention that her hair is totally fab.
Danica had an unlucky point in the race when her engine cut out leaving a pitstop and that cost her vital positions. Then she negotiated a crash, so what could have been a sucky day ended up to be a respectable 4th place finish. The winner Wheldon, a Brit who drove in an Italian chassis with a Japanese engine, stayed out of trouble to take the checkered flag. Oh, rule Britannia!
After the race, Danica deflected some of the focus on herself and talked up her team: "I try not to get overwhelmed by the media attention. But for someone like Sports Illustrated to notice how good our Rahal Letterman team has been this month and to recognize Indy-car racing like this is great."
Senior writer E.M. Swift's story about the race is titled "Here She Comes." The headline on another story describes Patrick as a "one-name celebrity, a hot pinup and the object of marketers' affections." Can't argue with that.
Comments
I can not wait for you to win your first IRL race this season - it will happen girl, just relax and let it.
KG
AuctionGoat.com
Posted by: KG | June 27, 2005 4:12 AM
FOR DANICA PATRICK OR HER'S AGENT AND STUFF,
my name is Tomas or Tommy,I'm 24 years old and I'm from Italy.
I'm a very and a GREAT Danica Patrick's fan(100% SUPER FAN!!):for me she's wonderful,beautiful,
pretty,lovely,nice and her's caracter in the Qualfying Sessions and the race and without all this is very GREAT FOR A BEST GIRL!!
The 4th Place in Indianapolis and the first Pole Position in Kansas City for me is very
GREAT for a GREAT girl-driver in the IRL!!
In Italy I think nothing like her's performance because the IRL is different respect the F.1
Now write with Danica is a great dream:the same is speak with her but I think for me is far the distance rispect Italy to USA to meet her.
Can I have a GREAT request for me,please?Can I
have(again)2 Danica's photos(one in a car and the
other with a 2005 Team Rahal's track-suit)with a
great dedicate and the autographs,please?
Saying for me yes and in the next E-Mail write for all the Staff many,many thank you.
In the next E-Mail write my address in my village in Italy and we send all by Danica Patrick but after I attend an answer,ok?
Thank you very much and sorry for my American or English language.
TOMAS-TOMMY(100% Danica Patrick's fan from Italy)
Posted by: Tomas-Tommy | July 6, 2005 3:13 PM