The Danica Drama

[photonrider]

Danica is giving testosterone nuts a kick to the guts.
Anyone care about the Cope Twins? Who?
Right.
It's all Danica, Danica, Danica for now - hottest flavour of the moment. Perfect timing, perfect race, perfect opportunity in a world of superfast global communication for the perfect publicity. And a kick where it counts when it comes to boosting so many aspects of this enigma . . . this enigma called Danica.
No one even bothers with 'Patrick' any more.
It's just Danica. There's only one Danica - the madonna of motor-racing.
There's a Hot Wheels model on my rec-room wall: a fantasy Indy Car called 'DANICAR'. Yup. She's got car in her alright.

But, this challenges so much. So many traditional views. So many cultural views, life-style views, whatever views - from any perspective. A woman in no way should be thrilled with danger. A woman in no way should dominate a man, let alone a sport dominated by males, whether Alpha or wanna-be. NASCAR, let alone F1 or Indy, is probably the most dangerous of sports the human condition can offer, next to facing hungry lions while carrying only a trident and net.

Taking the torch that Janet Guthrie lit so many years ago, and carrying it high, burning bright, either unwittingly, intuitively, or deliberately, Danica has become an inspiration to our lady drivers from every walk of life, extracted the gentlemanly out of the rowdy, and become a role model for those even with the unlikeliest of dreams.

I still remember exactly where I was when I heard the news that we had lost Kulwicki. I still tremble within remembering that moment of losing Dale Sr.
This sport has evolved a long way from what was basically a boot-leg run to the incredibly complex, vigorous, and technical sport it is today.

Preparing to watch the most dangerous ballet dance in the world - the Daytona 500. And there's a gutsy woman with probably more testosterone than some men I know, mixing it up with the best of them. That's Danica.
Your thoughts, lady racers? Yes, guys, we can mix it up with them, too.

 

[Ardius]

Danica Patrick has to be one of the most over-rated drivers - she's good but nowhere near good enough to deserve the kind of attention she gets.

I have no problem with people supporting lady racers or even suggesting that they can win and beat the best regardless of gender. But Danica is not really all that great, flashes of speed on occasion but way too inconsistent to ever secure a championship.

I get that it means a great deal to some people just for a female driver to get to the top steps of motorsport because there have been so few as well as most female drivers being made fun of. However, equally you can build a driver up for a fall and I feel a lot of Danica's fans in the past have built her up for a fall that basically then justifies some of the jokes and dislike she gets.

I prefer to view drivers without taking reference to nationality, name, gender or skin colour. And if you view drivers like Danica this way and compare her to any other driver - is she really all that good?

Not to poo-poo this thread though or sound like a party pooper . I just feel like sharing my opinion on this topic and make it perhaps a little more balanced.

 

[scarslasher]

I don't think she'll be in for long if she ever plans to have kids.
That's one thing.

I'm waiting for a black guy to join the sport now. Who knows, maybe Lewis Hamilton?
Amazing to see more types of people interested.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Danica Patrick has to be one of the most over-rated drivers - she's good but nowhere near good enough to deserve the kind of attention she gets.

She's a woman entering the top level of our nation's largest form of motorsport that is dominated by men.

Of course she's going to get a lot of attention.

 

[scarslasher]

EDIT
Yikes.. sorry. wrong thread.

 

[photonrider]

Ardius - Thank you, for a wonderful post - yes, we need the balance you bring.
As for the idea of you 'Pooh, pooh!'ing 'MY' thread and so on - doesn't make any sense in my field of thought - it's just a few lines penned at a video-gaming site - an opportunity for a bunch of us 'racing-video-gamers' to gather in a specific room to dscuss all aspects of this phenomenon - both pro and con, whether subjective or objective - of the only significant woman racer on the world stage at the moment if ET's landed tomorrow and demanded we hand one over or face a giant laser ray.
Come to think of it, there'd probably be a a sizeable bunch of males ready to jump to her defence. That's the way we are. That's what makes us different. Men protect and defend. Women create and nurture. So Danica is an enigma.
Does gender matter in racing? It shouldn't - though I'm sure Robby Gordon would disagree with me and say it DOES carry weight.
I have followed NASCAR for 25 years now, and seen other females come and go. Danica looks like she's digging in her heels and set to stay. Men will get used to it. Chauvinists . . . not so easily. Gender fundamentalists . . . probably never. Non-NASCAR fans . . . they'll just see a celebrity. Which Danica is not. She's ONLY a driver now. NASCAR is a team sport. And Danica has a helluva team around her - including JRM, SHR, and those chassis' and engines from Hendrick Motorsports - as well as mentors, fans, and media attention that other teams can only envy.

So something's happening here . . . and it's more than just Danica.
She's just the (excuse the expression) frontman.

 

[Submerged]

... or frontwoman in this case (or "frontperson" if the PC people had their way)

 

[Ardius]

She's a woman entering the top level of our nation's largest form of motorsport that is dominated by men.

Of course she's going to get a lot of attention.

Indeed, but my point is the attention really deserved? And as I said, although the attention is good because it highlights that its not just men who can be fast race drivers, it can also back-fire and further build the stereotype of being a whole load of nothing.
Should gender really be big deal? No, not at all. I understand why it is - because women in motorsport are rare. But it shouldn't really be a big deal.

I feel the same way when people talk up their local driver - sure I understand why but is it really necessary? People should support drivers for more sensible reasons than simply gender or birthplace - it seems so old fashioned and ridiculous to only take interest because of this.

If a woman wins a world championship against some tough competition - fine to give the immense support and attention. But just for winning one race or simply being a woman? Nah. I grant that Danica is better than most and deserves some support as she is good. But the kind of talk and interest she gets doesn't equal her ability.

I also don't like the dark sides of some people all this talk brings out - basically I'd rather interest was created from results and/or personality or other reasons rather than gender or race and its associated political and social baggage.

Ardius - Thank you, for a wonderful post - yes, we need the balance you bring.
As for the idea of you 'Pooh, pooh!'ing 'MY' thread and so on - doesn't make any sense in my field of thought - it's just a few lines penned at a video-gaming site - an opportunity for a bunch of us 'racing-video-gamers' to gather in a specific room to dscuss all aspects of this phenomenon - both pro and con, whether subjective or objective - of the only significant woman racer on the world stage at the moment if ET's landed tomorrow and demanded we hand one over or face a giant laser ray.

I just felt I had to add that on in case people felt I was being overly negative in a thread perhaps intended to be supportive. Its difficult to express tone and intention in text on a screen so I usually feel its necessary to clarify my intentions - and I don't intend to sound like I'm moaning or trying to put the discussion down or whatever. Particularly as this is a delicate topic which can get some people a little passionate.
So thank you too for realising I'm not here to hate on Danica or anything. 👍

 

[Bigbazz]

Since when do women not like danger? I don't know much about Danica other than I've never heard much of a good thing said about her actual driving. She just happens to be a young attractive woman who has managed to make a decent career out of racing, makes her very marketable.

 

[Camaroyenko]

I saw a headline for her qualifying in 29th. What's the big deal? -_-

The only reason she's as popular as she is is because she's hot...

 

[Mike Rotch]

She's a woman entering the top level of our nation's largest form of motorsport that is dominated by men.

Of course she's going to get a lot of attention.

I'd have no issue with suggestion of her talent getting her to where she is, if she weren't turning up in magazines wearing bikinis.

"Take me seriously as a driver"!

"Whilst I model this two piece".

 

[Dennisch]

I'd have no issue with suggestion of her talent getting her to where she is, if she weren't turning up in magazines wearing bikinis.

"Take me seriously as a driver"!

"Whilst I model this two piece".

Anna Kournikova syndrome?

 

[tribolik]

She definitly looks good on the car 👍... Im very sorry I couldnt resist ... nevermind me

 

[ND4SPD]

Holy airbrushing....

 

[astrosdude91]

I'd have no issue with suggestion of her talent getting her to where she is, if she weren't turning up in magazines wearing bikinis.

"Take me seriously as a driver"!

"Whilst I model this two piece".

That's the reason I have a problem with her. Any ounce of talent she has is offset by her modeling career. And the super annoying and stupid Go Daddy "see the unrated version" commercials, definitely hinder any credit she gets.

Of course she isn't the only driver to do advertisements...

But they aren't going for all out sex appeal, or sex appael at all.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Should gender really be big deal? No, not at all. I understand why it is - because women in motorsport are rare. But it shouldn't really be a big deal.

It's not so much the women in motorsports part, but the women in NASCAR part.

 

[photonrider]

Holy airbrushing....

An assumption, but, coming from an Advertising background myself, I would say a justified one.
Let's take a look at that slice of the pie. As the Creative Director of an Advertising Agency in charge of the Go Daddy account, the first thing I would look at is my USP: what am I selling? Domains. What have I got to work with? A woman as my spokesperson.
Okay - if it was Waltrip, the entertainer, I'd turn him into a pseudo-Elvis, and make him sing, dance, and shake his butt. NAPA did this.
If it's Kyle, capitalise on his wildness, and make him touch Pandora's box.
Logano? Use his innocence, his newness, show him as prepared and mentored to 'do it yourself'.
Jimmie, the hands-on man? Get those Kobalts working.
Danica? Right.
Now, this is no Alana Blanchard, or Alex Morgan, or Allison Stokke. It's just feisty little Danica. Smaller than a tire. Sure, they could have easily focused on other assets she has; her confidence, her incredibly quick learning curve, or her inate femaleness. Going beyond the beauty that is only skin deep, one gets to the heart of her character: as when she wondered whether the fans were inconvenienced, and whether they could get to the concession stands. She was pissed that she had totalled her car, way more than she was concerned about her injuries.
And this also sweeps whatever credentials she has as a bona-fide world-class racer under the carpet of her visual presence.
Dave Despain summed it all up perfectly in his take on her during 'Wind Tunnel. The hype isn't equal - in many ways - to the resume. But as he said: this is not a sport that requires a woman overpower a man physically. A 3000 pound, 190 MPH projectile is a great equaliser in the right hands - and she did brilliantly in looking after those hands split seconds before that crash.
Why was her crash the big news? That was Gordan's spot. In fact over half the vehicles that raced this weekend were involved in crashes.
Crashing twice and walking away (third time 'lucky'?) has made her fluctuate through the media as alternatively a crash artist or superstar.
If Danica caps a wreck-trick this weekend, no shocker.
But, if she pulls of a successful finish - even a top 5 - this is going to kick everything connected with this sport, up a notch.

So what will happen to her today?

 

[Tornado]

I for one can't wait for NASCAR to turn into the Danica Show Starring Danica like IRL was for the past few years. I mean, the stuff they did today when they weren't even racing did a fantastic job painting the picture of her involvement in the series.





Massive battle happening for the lead? Quick, I need to be distracted from it to hear about Danica coasting around the track in the teens somewhere!
Danica in the lead, even just because of strategy so she will soon lose it anyway? Quick, cut to her and keep the camera on her long after she pits in and loses her lead!
Danica crashed? Quick, I need a several minute post-crash Q&A session with her in the middle of the race regarding every detail of the three laps prior to the crash! And be sure to talk about her crashing all weekend. Who cares about any of the other people involved.
Danica has something to say? Quick, I need to hear the massively hyped interview that takes up the entirety of time between the commercial break!









She's good. Better than a lot of the Sprint Cup drivers in the 500 (especially with all the problems everyone is having this year). But it's exactly that kind of overexposure that basically undermines the point that I believe the OP is trying to say she represents.


Though, and I'm being completely serious, it is at least better than the few years where the sport revolved around Junior Nation.

 

[cgr-10]

.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Danica Patrick has to be one of the most over-rated drivers - she's good but nowhere near good enough to deserve the kind of attention she gets.

She's a woman entering the top level of our nation's largest form of motorsport that is dominated by men.

Of course she's going to get a lot of attention.

Perhaps "hype" would be a better word than "attention".

Some of the attention Patrick gets is not undeserved. She is, after all, the first woman to win a motorsports event - the Honda Indy 300 back in 2008 - at an international level of competition. But her performance have been inconistent, and she gets comparatively more attention from the media than other drivers do.

 

[Grand Prix]

Perhaps "hype" would be a better word than "attention".

Some of the attention Patrick gets is not undeserved. She is, after all, the first woman to win a motorsports event - the Honda Indy 300 back in 2008 - at an international level of competition. But her performance have been inconistent, and she gets comparatively more attention from the media than other drivers do.

Pretty sure Michele Mouton won a few international rallies. Not only that, she came second in the WRC to none other than Walter Rohrl. Pretty impressive.


Not much I can add to this topic that hasn't been said really. While it's cool and all that women are becoming more successful in motorsports, lets hope this doesn't turn into some kind of justification for more to say "Racing is just driving around in circles, anyone can do it, just look at Danica Patrick."

 

[Hun200kmh]

When a woman wins:

- one or even several major world class motorsports competitions like world rally events against a bunch of flying finns and other aces;

- or the Pikes Peak climb against all the regular "pros" there;

- or gets a prototype class win at the 24 hours of Le Mans


Or even a major national championship against world class competition like, say, the german rally championship ...


... then and only then I will grant that women are phisically and mentally able to be successful in the world of motorsports.



Oh, wait ...







PS - Danica Patrick, I know nothing about her, I mean ... I know nothing abut her that relates to motorsports achievements. But the picture above is nice. I'm talking about the car, obviously, I do like side exhaust pipes, it's cool

 

[sumbrownkid]

That's the reason I have a problem with her. Any ounce of talent she has is offset by her modeling career. And the super annoying and stupid Go Daddy "see the unrated version" commercials, definitely hinder any credit she gets.

Of course she isn't the only driver to do advertisements...

But they aren't going for all out sex appeal, or sex appael at all.

The difference between those two men and her is that those two manage to win F1 titles. She has won that Indy race, and that's about it. I know guys that know her just because of her go daddy commercials instead of actual driving. But I find it funny when people say she's empowering women, when in reality she's being portrayed as eye candy.

 

[photonrider]

I don't think she'll be in for long if she ever plans to have kids.
That's one thing.

I'm waiting for a black guy to join the sport now. Who knows, maybe Lewis Hamilton?
Amazing to see more types of people interested.

Why would she need to have kids? Is that a prerogative of a NASCAR driver?

EDIT
Yikes.. sorry. wrong thread.

Understandable. That's we we can leave the Danicamania here, while we discuss all the hype-less drivers in the general discussion taking place in the regular thread. That's if we actually get to turn our focus on them . . ..

I for one can't wait for NASCAR to turn into the Danica Show Starring Danica like IRL was for the past few years. I mean, the stuff they did today when they weren't even racing did a fantastic job painting the picture of her involvement in the series.





Massive battle happening for the lead? Quick, I need to be distracted from it to hear about Danica coasting around the track in the teens somewhere!
Danica in the lead, even just because of strategy so she will soon lose it anyway? Quick, cut to her and keep the camera on her long after she pits in and loses her lead!
Danica crashed? Quick, I need a several minute post-crash Q&A session with her in the middle of the race regarding every detail of the three laps prior to the crash! And be sure to talk about her crashing all weekend. Who cares about any of the other people involved.
Danica has something to say? Quick, I need to hear the massively hyped interview that takes up the entirety of time between the commercial break!









She's good. Better than a lot of the Sprint Cup drivers in the 500 (especially with all the problems everyone is having this year). But it's exactly that kind of overexposure that basically undermines the point that I believe the OP is trying to say she represents.


Though, and I'm being completely serious, it is at least better than the few years where the sport revolved around Junior Nation.

Spot on, Toronado. A small voice with a big point.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Pretty sure Michele Mouton won a few international rallies.

She won rallies. Not circuit races.

 

[peter_vod69]

She won rallies. Not circuit races.

Which is, arguably a greater achievement. If Danica wasn't a woman, and a relatively attractive one at that, she wouldn't be getting the seats/opportunities she is getting. She's a sideshow.

 

[Ardius]

Which is, arguably a greater achievement. If Danica wasn't a woman, and a relatively attractive one at that, she wouldn't be getting the seats/opportunities she is getting. She's a sideshow.

I don't think thats completely true - she is still a decent driver and there are plenty of worse examples even at the highest levels of motorsport. I still think if she wasn't a woman, she'd still be where she is - just the perception of the general public would be different and she would possibly struggle for sponsorship a little bit more.

 

[peter_vod69]

I don't think thats completely true - she is still a decent driver and there are plenty of worse examples even at the highest levels of motorsport. I still think if she wasn't a woman, she'd still be where she is - just the perception of the general public would be different and she would possibly struggle for sponsorship a little bit more.

I highly doubt she'd be anywhere near where she is if it wasn't for the novelty factor.

 

[Ardius]

I highly doubt she'd be anywhere near where she is if it wasn't for the novelty factor.

You don't win an Indycar race and regularly compete for points simply because of a "novelty factor". And before you either ridicule the quality of Indycar or refer to money = better teams = better performance, I suggest you actually watch the series first and compare her to the other drivers and their relative performance.
Given the team she had and the circumstances of each race, I think she is a decent and respectable race driver.

As I said there are far, far worse examples of pay drivers in top levels of motorsport getting very good chances in very good teams and even driving in races where they could have took advantage of other drivers screwing up and still never got any results. If you really want I can reel off plenty of names of male drivers who are worse than Danica Patrick. Much much worse.

And I'm not even a fan of Danica's, I think I made that clear enough in my first post in this thread. So I certainly don't think I'm being biased here. Its just what I think after seeing her Indycar career.

 

[photonrider]

^ Yes. Give her a sex change. Mentally. You'll be surprised at her track record. She IS better than some of the other drivers in this field. Gender notwithstanding. The hype has covered her with a warm, fuzzy, green blanket.