The Danica Drama

[TheCracker]

A 0.53% win ratio is pretty appalling for someone involved in topflight motorsport, especially when they run in one of the top teams.

Pick any other journeyman driver, involved at a topflight level, and i bet they have better stats. Even the luckless Yuji Ide has 14 career wins with a similar amount of race starts.

 

[gorsad]

I'm doing a presentation on her in class (has to be about someone breaking gender barriers), anyone have anything that I should include or which order it should go in. I'm a bit confused about how to present it.

 

[Ardius]

Just present it in (somewhat) historical order:
-Describe the sport itself and why it has or its seen to have a gender barrier - i.e. explain that cars and motorsport might not immediately appeal to women from an early age as society generally doesn't encourage it..or didn't in the past.
-Then describe how Danica has risen through junior motorsport categories and managed to achieve a place in two major motorsport series.
-It also might be worth mentioning other examples such as in F1 and rally of lady racers making it high.

-You might get bonus points if you refer to the very discussion going on here in this thread by maybe talking about how there is a balance - achieving results helps change the image of women in motorsport but on the flip side women that only achieve relatively average results get more support than the equivelant male driver and that can be seen as damaging to the image of both women and motorsport.
But I don't know if thats what they are really asking for - depends on the teacher I guess. If its a good teacher they should reward you for thinking outside the box in that way by also thinking about the potential negatives of breaking gender barriers. But some teachers might be trying to push an agenda and take this the wrong way - so you're going to have to judge that for yourself.

The whole point (at least in my opinion) of a teacher setting such tasks for their pupils is try and get them really thinking about subjects, to get them analysing, discussing and comparing actions, ideals, etc.

 

[TheCracker]

Don't forget to mention her nice shiny hair. It's helped her career no end.

 

[Ardius]

^Like I say, that really depends on the teacher .

 

[daan]

Don't forget to mention her nice shiny hair. It's helped her career no end.

So it's no coincidence that Jenson's form is directly related to him being used in Head & Shoulders ads?

 

[TheCracker]

So it's no coincidence that Jenson's form is directly related to him being used in Head & Shoulders ads?

Wow, i guess not. i stupidly never linked the two factors together.

 

[Hun200kmh]

In a long line of talentless losers helped by shampoo to keep their drives, you also have this one ...

 

[gorsad]

Thanks, would have been dead otherwise. My PSHE teacher's pretty open minded and always encourages us to think outside the box, so hopefully see won't she that as a negative. My only problem is I'm presenting with a person who doesn't know anything about Motorsport and is kinda dumb.

 

[Tornado]

So what do you guys have to say about Carl Edwards posing with his shirt off for magazine covers?

Doesn't seem particularly relevant to me, since Carl Edwards is a driver with well over a dozen wins, a Nationwide series champion and almost a Sprint Cup champion.

If Sports Illustrated or Go Daddy offered you hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to show some skin like Danica, would you not do it?

And that changes something?

 

[Earth]

Doesn't seem particularly relevant to me, since Carl Edwards is a driver with well over a dozen wins, a Nationwide series champion and almost a Sprint Cup champion.

Danica nearly sat on pole and almost won the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie. Then she became the first woman to win in a major American motorsport series. Last year she turned in solid performances in the NASCAR Nationwide series, and sat on pole for the Nationwide Daytona race this year. Ask Kimi Raikkonen or Jacque Villeneuve how easy it is to finish in the top 15 in the NASCAR Nationwide series, something she did 50% of the time last year.

So I'm assuming to you, thats not enough. In order to take part in photoshoots and commercials she must win numerous times and be a series champion. Forget the fact she is a woman in a sport dominated 1000 to 1 by men. Danica's presence at the highest level of motorsports opens the door for more female fans and perhaps more female drivers. She is doing things never done before by a woman, and to top it off she has a brash personality that makes fans love or hate her.

I'm not sure why people get so wound up over the attention she gets, rather it is earned or not. Any racing series Danica is in is suddenly more interesting. She is by no means a bad driver. If you want to see a bad female driver, see Milka Duno. Shes a good driver that has shown flashes of potential on ovals. I think NASCAR suits her better, and she will have more success there then in Indycars.

And that changes something?

Yes, it does

 

[gorsad]

Dammit, I presented today. I had a great idea of what I wss going to say thanks to Ardius's post. But when I got up I got stage fright and blabbered my lines out.

 

[Pupik]

In a long line of talentless losers helped by shampoo to keep their drives, you also have this one ...

[YOUTUBEHD]CcFaLCp0z_Y[/YOUTUBEHD]

I had dandruff before Vettel was born cool.

 

[Tornado]

So I'm assuming to you, thats not enough. In order to take part in photoshoots and commercials she must win numerous times and be a series champion.

If she wants to be taken seriously as a driver and not as a constantly-paraded strip-tease who also happens to drive, yeah.




You can't even pretend that she is more known for her skill as a driver than her ability to walk around in skimpy/no clothing in Go Daddy commercials. That's a "sky is blue" sort of thing. Considering there frequently tend to be Go Daddy commercials during the Super Bowl, I wouldn't be surprised if a sizeable portion of the people who have seen her don't even know who she is beyond "one of the Go Daddy Girls."

Forget the fact she is a woman in a sport dominated 1000 to 1 by men.

Forget the fact that that is meaningless, since it isn't as if she's overcome the big-bad men in her march to the top and has in fact had top of the line equipment in pretty much every professional race she has ever driven. Forget the fact that she was basically manufactured into being the darling of IRL from the second she started in it. Forget the fact that saying "but she's a woman" basically undermines every point that could be made regarding how she has overcome that apparent adversity by turning it into some sort of psuedo-affirmative action qualifier.




Because yep. She's a woman, so obviously her (basically nonexistent) "struggle" is what matters more than her results when it comes time to dole out attention.

Danica's presence at the highest level of motorsports opens the door for more female fans and perhaps more female drivers.

Or it just sets them up for crushing disappointment, since there is no way every up and coming female driver would get the free ride, free hype and free publicity that Danica gets.

I'm not sure why people get so wound up over the attention she gets, rather it is earned or not. Any racing series Danica is in is suddenly more interesting.

Oh? It seems to me that a fairly popular sentiment when she announced she was leaving IRL was something not far removed from what TomMcD said. In fact, I'd even argue that it might have been the more popular sentiment at the time. I certainly don't recall anyone really worrying about how terrible it would impact the excitement of your average IRL race.

Yes, it does

Way to expand, there. You've totally convinced me.

 

[Legit]

She could not even finish the gatorade duel!!! Ahahahahaha

 

[Northstar]

She could not even finish the gatorade duel!!! Ahahahahaha

So?

She didn't cause the accident, she didn't cause any of the wrecks she was in all weekend actually.

 

[Earth]

If she wants to be taken seriously as a driver and not as a constantly-paraded strip-tease who also happens to drive, yeah.




You can't even pretend that she is more known for her skill as a driver than her ability to walk around in skimpy/no clothing in Go Daddy commercials. That's a "sky is blue" sort of thing. Considering there frequently tend to be Go Daddy commercials during the Super Bowl, I wouldn't be surprised if a sizeable portion of the people who have seen her don't even know who she is beyond "one of the Go Daddy Girls."

Who doesnt take her seriously as a driver? Fans who only know her by godaddy commercials? Any driver that doesnt taker her seriously is a fool. Also the fact that godaddy is advertsing during the superbowl highlights how successful their partnership is with Danica, and how wise of a business move it was for her.

I've watched Danica's rise from nearly the very beginning. In the preview of her first race in Indycars, she was shown exercising and stretching. I did not take her seriously after seeing that. But after watching her performance in the Indianapolis 500 and other races, I took her very seriously. There are some female drivers that cannot be taken seriously, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Milka Duno, etc, who offer little more then a pretty face, but I dont think Danica is one of them.

Forget the fact that that is meaningless, since it isn't as if she's overcome the big-bad men in her march to the top and has in fact had top of the line equipment in pretty much every professional race she has ever driven. Forget the fact that she was basically manufactured into being the darling of IRL from the second she started in it. Forget the fact that saying "but she's a woman" basically undermines every point that could be made regarding how she has overcome that apparent adversity by turning it into some sort of psuedo-affirmative action qualifier.




Because yep. She's a woman, so obviously her (basically nonexistent) "struggle" is what matters more than her results when it comes time to dole out attention.

Alot of drivers get the best eqiupment without having to "earn it", because they may be marketable, have a famous last name or a rich relative. This happens all the time. The key is, though, alot of drivers get these "unfair" opportunities and do very little with it. Marco Andretti has been pampered his entire career all the way from the lower ranks, yet he has done not much more then Danica. Is he a few godaddy commercials from being hated as well?

Or it just sets them up for crushing disappointment, since there is no way every up and coming female driver would get the free ride, free hype and free publicity that Danica gets.

In racing, very few drivers get anywhere without having someone help them up through the ranks.

It still looks to me you think all the publicity, hype and attention Danica gets is completely unwarranted, because, I'm assuming, her results have not kept up.

So do you want to see Danica in garbage equipment? Maybe thats all you think she has truly earned in her career? Why not give her decent equipment and see what she can do with it? There's drivers at the highest level of every motorsport that squander good equipment. So far Danica hasn't squandered any equipment that I know of. Her performance has always been similar to her teammates.

 

[adam46]

How can such a small girl cause such big disputes?

 

[Cowboys965]

Haha. I wonder that myself.

 

[photonrider]

Thanks to all here who contribute.

Gorsad :- Strange, but it seems like speech time for all the school-going kids in my family – as well as the neighboring kids who drop in on ‘study dates’ (which turn into play-dates! Grrr!)
The blabbering, I’d assume, would be due to lack of rehearsal. Practice perfects! As well – if you really want to study the emancipation of women – research Star Trek. The biggest fiasco in portraying the women of the future. And, via radio waves, transmitted for eternity unto infinity.
In Danica’s case the point is not her emancipation; the traditional pre- and post-industrial view of women has changed. Women challenge danger now and go directly to war.
Now let’s take a rookie driver to NASCAR (albeit only a rookie to NASCAR) and WTH? We are looking at the wrong stats here. She is already emancipated. We’re interested in her form as related to function – and the function is racing.
She is lighter.
With the kind of stamina that goes with the ability to give birth. She can carry an awkward weight for months, 24/7.
She can take more pain than comes from smashing into a 200 gal tank of jet fuel at 170 mph in an NASCAR certified car.
She is intuitive. Like a woman.à
But should gender matter in racing?

Why the confused imaging? Johanna Long was sold short on exposure. The Lucky Dog got 10 seconds. But would Johanna rather the cameras followed when she was off to relieve herself? Danica running to wee-wee is racing? This is news. Man bites dog.

On the advertising issue: I’m bemused by the romance and sparkle that exudes from her as she stars opposite Dale in the Nationwide Ad - somewhat reminiscent of Kelley and Sam at the baseball diamond in Here On Earth. A far cry from the Ads Go-Daddy made her perform – this was no Sports Illustrated offer.
What we’re doing here is watching the flight of the Phoenix – or fake phenomenon covered in phony foam. Only what comes out of the ashes will tell – there’s been enough fire.
She’s still smoldering.

 

[photonrider]

How can such a small girl cause such big disputes?

By nudging someone into a wall? Especially someone as popular as Sam Hornish?

There are those who are probably fist-pumping right now - as in; WTG Danica.
I am not sure this is a wise move on her part. Yet - is she trying to tell 'the boys' something - because, hampered by her gender, she has to?
Will be interesting to see how this develops before Darlington.

 

[Dhalism]

Why cant we get commercials like that in America. Why does it have to be random socccer mom witha can of fabreeze?

 

[hawkeye122]

Why cant we get commercials like that in America. Why does it have to be random socccer mom witha can of fabreeze?

We did have that comercial in america. During F1 coverage last year. I had to explain the significance of Schumacher-Hakkanien to my father.

 

[photonrider]

Sam and Danica have a long history of duking it out. The more I look at the replay the more I see a schoolyard bully get a quick slap - in fact a gentle kiss that sent his ass into a spin. I like Sam - he's a 'nice' guy - and adds a lot of class to this sport; but for a moment there I saw Sam lose more than hot air - I think some old rivalry surfaced - in maybe a way that may have looked cavalier because of opposing genders.

If it was Vickers, it would have just been brushed off as Vickernism. Because it's Danica - the media will milk it in another way.

 

[nitrorocks]

Sam and Danica have a history from karting. The guy that owns the kart shop I go to used to race against Sam, Danica, Ryan Briscoe, an others. He said one time, Sam and Danica were in front of him, and Sam ran her off the track. After the race, he pulled into the pits behind them, and Danica got out and starting hitting Sams helmet and screaming. Lol.

 

[Earth]

Excellent article about Danica's haters

Danica raced 513 laps around Darlington Raceway last weekend.

What did you do?

....

There's a strong resentment toward Patrick that really has to end. It's mean-spirited — sexist in some cases ...

...

...people watching from their couches and hiding behind a computer screen.

http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/nns-danica-patrick-turns-deaf-ear-to-haters-nascar/

 

[astrosdude91]

I really don't care about Danica or NASCAR. But that article was hardly "excellent".

 

[Tornado]

It still looks to me you think all the publicity, hype and attention Danica gets is completely unwarranted, because, I'm assuming, her results have not kept up.

Yes, that's absolutely what I, Toronado, am saying to you, Earth. In fact, the only thing I would change about your statement is removing the word "completely," because then it might as well be word for word something that I would say. It's no different than when the sport revolved around whatever meaningless soundbite they could get out of Junior when he was busy finishing near midpack on every track that wasn't Daytona or Talladega. What of it? Have an actual rebuttal, or is the implication that me wanting her to perform to the amount of exposure she gets is inherently wrong?




And no, cherry picking "news" articles that throw out vague accusations of sexism to support "leave Britney alone"-esque conclusions as equally flimsy as the ones you keep bringing up does not make them "excellent" just because you agree with them. Particularly not when the entire article seems to float itself on "let's see you do better."

 

[nitrorocks]

I'm still angered about the situation last week at Talledega in the NNS race. She still didnt get penalized for running Hornish into the wall after the checkered flag..

 

[Cowboys965]

Well, she gets camera time while she's 3 laps down.