NASCAR
Danica Patrick’s First Time Behind the Wheel Almost Ended in Disaster: ‘I Just Killed My Daughter’
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
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While she might not have achieved a great deal of success in terms of winning races, Danica Patrick still earned her place in motorsports history. Between her time on the IndyCar and NASCAR circuits, the Wisconsin-native is one of the most successful women to ever sit behind the wheel of a race car. Her driving career, however, couldn’t have got off to a worse start.
As a girl, Danica Patrick got her start in motorsports by climbing into the driver’s seat of a go-kart. Her first time on the track, however, ended with a crash that had her father fearing for the worst.
Danica Patrick’s successful IndyCar career
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If you don’t follow motorsports, you might think that Danica Patrick took part in a few races, then stepped into the spotlight by dating Aaron Rodgers. In reality, though, she boasts a pretty impressive resume in her own right.
Patrick started her racing career driving go-karts and, unsurprisingly, showed plenty of potential behind the wheel. Her talent eventually earned her a spot in the Lyn St. James Foundation Driver Development Program; she also attended three more driving schools and headed abroad to break into open-wheel racing.
In 2004, however, Patrick returned to the United States to join Rahal Letterman Racing for the 2005 IndyCar campaign. She had a successful inaugural season, earning three pole positions and capturing both IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors.
In total, Danica Patrick spent seven seasons—plus the 2018 Indianapolis 500— on the IndyCar scene. She won one race, earned seven podiums, and finished fifth in the overall 2009 standings.
Making the move into NASCAR
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Danica Patrick wasn’t content to stay in the world of open-wheel racing, though. In 2010, she moved over to the stock car side of things, starting out in the ARCA Racing Series before working her way up the ladder.
After a bit more seasoning on the Nationwide Series, Patrick made her Sprint Cup debut in 2012; the following season, she took part in the full campaign, making herself eligible to earn points. While she clinched pole position at the Daytona 500, there wasn’t much to cheer about beyond that.
During her time as a NASCAR driver, Patrick took part in 191 races across the Xfinity and Cup Series. She didn’t win a single event but claimed seven top-10 finishes and one famous pole position.
Danica Patrick’s racing career almost ended in tragedy
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Even if she didn’t find much success in terms of victories and top-ten finishes, Danica Patrick still made history as a female driver in the male-dominated world of motorsports. Her racing career, however, could have ended in tragedy in its earliest days.
When Patrick was about 10-years old, she and her sister convinced their parents to spend their savings on a pair of go-karts instead of a family pontoon boat. The first time Danica got behind the wheel, though, things didn’t go according to plan.
“A brake pin came out, so she didn’t have brakes,” Patrick’s sister Brooke explained in Brant James’ 2012 espnW story. “But I don’t think she was thinking that she couldn’t turn, so she went straight into a concrete wall. My dad was thinking, ‘I just killed my daughter.’ I think her experience was definitely more memorable than mine.”
Danica Patrick, of course, didn’t die that day and went on to change motorsports history forever.
