Danica Is A "Menace!"

You know I am really bored when I do a post on bicycle racing and IRL in the same day.

ESPN did a story today where they quoted former IRL champion and current IRL points leader Scott Dixon as saying that Danica Patrick "is a menace." The story also went on to say that several other drivers have privately expressed concern over Danica's blocking tactics and inconsistent lines on the track. These unnamed drivers also apparently expressed the belief that Danica gets special treatment from the IRL officials during races. The drivers feel the IRL is often slow in blue flagging Danica (telling her to move over and let faster cars pass) because they believe the League officials want to give Danica every chance possible to stay in contention. The feeling is that other drivers get the blue flag much quicker when they use the same kind of dangerous tactics that Danica is rapidly becoming famous (or infamous) for making.

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First off, I'd like to say that I don't watch a whole lot of IRL racing. But, I do feel that I have watched enough of it to form an opinion of Danica and her racing abilities. And I have to honestly say that I do not have very much respect for her as a driver, or as a person for that matter. In case you haven't noticed, nothing is ever her fault. There is no doubt in my mind that she is capable of driving her car very fast. But, she does appear to be pretty reckless at times. There is a difference between being a good driver and being a fast driver. Danica is fast, but she isn't very good. Open wheel racing is about more than just speed. The drivers have to trust each other and know that the idiot beside them is competent enough behind the wheel not to send them both into the wall at 200 mph. That trust has to be earned, and so far I don't think Danica has earned anybody's trust. I'm starting to think that she will never earn it.

You could make the argument that the other drivers in IRL just don't like Danica because they feel she gets more attention than the rest of them get. But if you actually watch the races you will see that there is a lot of truth in what the other drivers are saying about her driving. She consistently drives her car into the corners too fast and drifts up the track. She constantly pulls down on the track to block faster cars that are attempting to pass. You very seldom ever see the IRL officials wave the blue flag at her when she does that manoeuvre. And I don't think I have ever watched an IRL race where Danica ran any kind of a consistent line around the track. But I can hardly blame the League for trying to give her a competitive advantage. Let's face it, Danica is the best thing the IRL has going. Is there anybody out there that really thinks the IRL and CART merged for any other reason than both racing leagues were slowly dying? Having an attractive young female driver is good for business. And its even better for business if she just happens to win a race or two along the way.

I think the other drivers in the IRL are just going to have to get used to racing with Danica, whether they like it or not. She's not going anywhere anytime soon. I have to laugh every time I hear somebody say that Danica will soon be making the jump to NASCAR. All you have to do is look at the limited success that other former IRL drivers are having in NASCAR to see that there is no place for Danica on the "big boys" circuit. If guys like Montoya, Hornish, and Franchitti can't win in NASCAR there is no way that Danica could even come close.

No NASCAR owner in his/her right mind would offer Danica a ride because they know she is nothing more than a novelty that sells tickets. NASCAR doesn't need the novelty of having a female driver to sell tickets, but the IRL certainly does need all the help they can get to sell tickets. So, the IRL is where Danica will stay (at least until she kills somebody with her erratic driving).