Danica to join NASCAR?

[headhawg]

Is she not the Anna Kournikova of racing?

Danica Patrick (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=1&id=2515044)

[Suff]

Is she not the Anna Kournikova of racing?

Danica Patrick (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=1&id=2515044)

not.

[andicap]

Cripes, she's only been racing for a little over a year. Yeah she's gotten a lot of hype, but Kournakova was a joke because of her lifestyle decisions and her lack of dedication to her tennis game.
Patrick is married, down-to-earth and talented, backed by some of the biggest names on the Indy circuit.
No comparisons whatsoever in my mind.

[JustRalph]

The word around town here, (columbus ohio, home of Team Rahal) is that the Kurt Busch thing has her looking at Nascar. Kurt Busch was reportedly the highest paid Nascar driver after the deal he cut with Penske this year. Also, Toyota is throwing major money at drivers and Toyota would love to field a women for next season in Nascar. Dale Jarrett just got a 20 mil 2 year deal to drive for Toyota next year, under the Michael Waltrip flag. Danica thinks she can get more............and she is probably right.

I would love to see her win a race though. It might legitamize her a little more. I also have reservations about her driving a full size Nextel Cup car. Totally different animal. No telemetry and you need more physical strength.

As a related side note............. Juan Pablo Montoya is leaving F1 next year and driving a Nextel Cup car for Chip Ganassi.......you might even see him later this year.

[headhawg]

I would love to see her win a race though. It might legitamize her a little more.That's kind of what I was getting at with my comparison. That and the "cheesecake" photos that they both have done. Nobody went ga-ga over Lyn St. James or Janet Guthrie and they didn't win anything either. They didn't have Danica's looks. Must make a difference.

[Valuist]

How about Maria Sharapova :jump:

[rastajenk]

How 'bout Michelle Wie? Shouldn't she win a women's event before any more missed cuts on the men's tour?

[ponyplayerdotca]

Looks are the reason. Success at their respective sport seems to matter little to the hype machine.

Without any disrespect to the talents of any of the female athletes mention in this post thus far, the only ones that get hype and promotion are the pretty ones (or the ones men would like to f......).

Is it fair? No. Is it politically correct? No. Is it ever going to change? No.

TENNIS: Amelie Mauresmo just won her first Wimbledon title this past Saturday (similar to Sharapova one or two years ago). But because Mauresmo has a very masculine face, and has publicly stated she is a lesbian, no hype or promotion for her. Image management companies won't touch her. The fact that she is not an American also hinders her marketability.

Sharapova, Kournikova are rare non-Americans who are exceptions to the rule. Why? Because they are both stunningly beautiful. And because most men would love to f... them.

GOLF: Michelle Wie, who is a young, budding, very pretty woman, and American to boot, gets all the hype the networks and NIKE can possibly give out.

Not so with Annika Sorenstam. She's had some promotion during her unbelievable streak of wins a year or two ago, but because she is both plain looking, not American, and a possible lesbian (not public yet, but most suspect it), not very marketable on the greater stage.

But newbies who are hot like Michelle Bulbus (I think that's her name) are already getting new hype on the golf circuit. Remember Jan Stephenson years ago? She was "hot" at the time versus all the other women on the tour. I remember her for her photos in Sports Illustrated, not because of her golf game.

CARS: Danica Patrick is remarkably beautiful, whereas Lynn St. James and Janet Guthrie weren't seen that way. So, Danica gets the hype machine treatment which often comes before success in the sport.

HORSE RACING: Chantal Sutherland is a Canadian jockey who is very stunning. Last year on Travers Day, someone posted that they gave her the "Danica Patrick" treatment on the ABC broadcast. Same reasons as the others above, she is beautiful and trying to make it in a "man's sport".

And I don't begrudge these female athletes trying to cash in on their success with side ventures like magazine photo shoots and talk show appearances without having "won anything" (or not much). It's how the game is played.

If you're a female in sports, and gorgeous, you will have your face and body put out there for all (mostly horny men) to see. That's the root of their popularity.

Guys find it hot when a beautiful woman is good at something they do (mechanics, car racing, horse riding, poker, etc.).

Now, I am not trying to speak for anyone else but myself. These are the things I believe. I could be right or completely wrong. But that's how I see it.

I hope I've added some thinking points to this debate. :ThmbUp:

[Murph]

Danica is an aggressive driver and has put herself into position to win several races. I consider her accomplished on the Indy car circut and should she win a race this season, right on schedule to improve her talents. A cup deal could change all of that though. It might take her focus off the task at hand.

I don't see any crossovers to the Cup circut making an immediate impact on those races either. It's already been shown that this looks easier than it is to actually make the change and realize any success. Since A.J., Tony Stewart is the only one to make the leap and win.

These moves will keep things in nascar interesting for awhile. All we need now are the US open wheels to get back on the same page. Any Columbus scuttlebutt on that happening soon, Ralph?

Murph

[JustRalph]

Any Columbus scuttlebutt on that happening soon, Ralph?
Murph

I actually heard Rahal talk about that in an off the cuff conversation with some reporters at a local airport. This was a long time back. He seemed to imply that won't happen until Tony George dies or one of the series goes completely broke.

I actually have a friend who drives for Rahal.

He drives a truck for them part time.......but I love to introduce him that way..........

[GaryG]

NASCAR is changing but it is still a different world from Indy and F1. Does anybody remember the welcome Janet Guthrie got, especially from King Richard? I don't know how Danica would react to some of the wheel to wheel action at Bristol. I'll bet my favorite driver Jimmy Spencer would have an opinion.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/af/JSpencer1.jpg/250px-JSpencer1.jpg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:JSpencer1.jpg)

[JustRalph]

Love hate relationship with Jimmy........ hated him when he got in the way.........loved him when he broke Kurt Busch's nose.........

[cj]

Cripes, she's only been racing for a little over a year. Yeah she's gotten a lot of hype, but Kournakova was a joke because of her lifestyle decisions and her lack of dedication to her tennis game.
Patrick is married, down-to-earth and talented, backed by some of the biggest names on the Indy circuit.
No comparisons whatsoever in my mind.

Kournakova was a far better tennis player than Patrick has been a driver, at least so far. She was a top 10 player, and a doubles standout.

She made a choice, work hard and persue tennis and be rich, or take advantage of her looks, don't work very hard, and be megarich. I can't knock her for doing the latter, tennis only lasts so long.

That said, I wouldn't dismiss her as quickly as suff, she has game.
http://indymotorspeedway.com/danica.htm

[JustRalph]

signed with Andretti Green.............. hmmm.............not sure if I like that..........I don't think that team is that good..........but the top two weren't interested apparently..........
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14027459/


http://indymotorspeedway.com/05pics/1danica214.jpg

[GaryG]

I'm glad she is staying with Indy cars. NASCAR does not need the distraction. Although....Dale Jr. might give it a sniff...:eek:

[sq764]

Is she not the Anna Kournikova of racing?

Danica Patrick (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=1&id=2515044)
WHAT?!?!? Only difference is that Kournakova is smoking blazing insane hot and Patrick is, well, not even attractive IMO

[sq764]

Cripes, she's only been racing for a little over a year. Yeah she's gotten a lot of hype, but Kournakova was a joke because of her lifestyle decisions and her lack of dedication to her tennis game.
Patrick is married, down-to-earth and talented, backed by some of the biggest names on the Indy circuit.
No comparisons whatsoever in my mind.
at least kournakova won a tournament..

[PaceAdvantage]

Only difference is that Kournakova is smoking blazing insane hot....

You need to get out of the house more often! :lol:

[OTM Al]

Was watching a bit of the broadcast this weekend and they were talking about her. They had nothing but praise for how well she was doing this year, better than last year in their opinion. It was felt that the Rahal cars were just not top level competitive this year and she was actually out driving one of her teammates who was a previous Indy Car champ. Its just like horse racing where it doesn't matter how good the jockey is if his ride isn't competitive.

[sq764]

You need to get out of the house more often! :lol:
She just played a tennis match in Delaware, there were pics all over our local paper.. Wow.. She's certainly not rough on the eyes

[PaceAdvantage]

Never said she was unattractive, but smokin blazing insane hot isn't something to be tossed around lightly!

[sq764]

Never said she was unattractive, but smokin blazing insane hot isn't something to be tossed around lightly!
Ok, maybe Selma Hayek fits that description

[JPinMaryland]

you're getting warmer. It is amazing what long hair will do for a women, Kournikova has nice long hair and that is about the only real attractive thing for her face...She has nice legs and nice overall body proportions but I would prefer the Swiss over her as well as Sharapova. Sharapova is the hottest since Chris Evert they both have that soft feminine complexiion thing going.

[sq764]

you're getting warmer. It is amazing what long hair will do for a women, Kournikova has nice long hair and that is about the only real attractive thing for her face...She has nice legs and nice overall body proportions but I would prefer the Swiss over her as well as Sharapova. Sharapova is the hottest since Chris Evert they both have that soft feminine complexiion thing going.
See, I think Sharapova is a butterface..

I don't even know what Kournikova looks like, I have yet to get up to her head..

[JustRalph]

http://www.thatsracin.com/2011/08/24/72401/patrick-sets-sights-on-daytona.html

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Danica Patrick will make her debut in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series in the 2012 Daytona 500, the Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned.

Patrick is scheduled to make an announcement at noon Thursday in Phoenix, where she will formally announce a fulltime move to NASCAR beginning next season, multiple sources have confirmed.

Patrick’s fulltime move to NASCAR in 2012 has been widely reported over the last several weeks, but her Cup debut has so far remained unknown.

While Patrick does not plan to run a full Cup schedule until 2013, she will do eight to 10 Cup races next year with Stewart-Haas Racing, beginning with the Daytona 500, a source familiar with the announcement said Wednesday night.



Read more: http://www.thatsracin.com/2011/08/24/72401/patrick-sets-sights-on-daytona.html#ixzz1W0EfJCrI

[Goofyscott]

Hell yeah!! Can't wait. She is a total knockout!!!

Is she not the Anna Kournikova of racing?

Danica Patrick (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=1&id=2515044)

[Marshall Bennett]

She'll be more of a publicity figure than a real contender. She's making the right move simply because there's more money and appeal with nascar. She'll fair no better there as a driver.

[Robert Fischer]

She'll be more of a publicity figure than a real contender. She's making the right move simply because there's more money and appeal with nascar. She'll fair no better there as a driver.

WHY NOT??... JUNIOR HAS BEEN DOIN IT FOR YEARS ! :lol:

[Marshall Bennett]

WHY NOT??... JUNIOR HAS BEEN DOIN IT FOR YEARS ! :lol:
Yeah, and unlike Junior, she appears to have better than a 3rd grade education when she opens her mouth on camera. With Nascar's ratings dropping of late, Danica may well be what it needs. Junior they could live without, if anything he gives the sport the opposite effect.

[JustRalph]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2013/02/17/daytona-500-qualifying-lineup-2013/1926073/

First to win a pole , and she does it at Daytona

[Striker]

Good luck in the race. Dale Jarrett was the last driver to win the pole at Daytona and win the race in 2000.