One in a series this month
When the 99th Indianapolis 500 gets under way on May 24, Danica Patrick will be watching from her motorcoach in the infield at Charlotte Motor Speedway. She insists on being free of commitments during “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” wanting to see every driver, every move, every great moment.
Patrick now watches as a fan, but knows exactly what it’s like to be in the “500” as a competitor. Ten years ago, she was the story of the 89th Indianapolis 500.
As a 23-year-old rookie, Patrick qualified fourth and finished fourth in what was a whirlwind Month of May from the very start to the finish.
“I remember that I had pink nail polish on for rookie orientation,” she said. “And I never wore nail polish but thought it’s no big deal, it’s just rookie orientation here. And it was a crazy scene.”
From the outset Patrick was a media and crowd favorite, an attractive driver with plenty of confidence and a good team in Rahal Letterman Racing. Her No. 16 Argent Pioneer Panoz/Honda wasn’t just a car to watch, it was the car to watch.
In qualifying she saved a bobble on her first qualifying lap to land on the inside of Row 2, the highest starting spot for a woman at Indy, kicking off a two-week media frenzy as outlets worldwide wondered if this rookie could make even bigger history.
“I was overwhelmed from a media perspective, I wasn’t used to that. It was just so sudden,” Patrick said. “But I remember being real calm and really grateful I was in a good position.”
Her race wasn’t exactly a work of art, as she stalled in the pits midway through the 500 miles and at Lap 154 spun out and sustained damage to the nose and front wing of her car. But the team was able to fix the Panoz and, while opting to stay out while leaders pitted on Lap 172, took the lead and stayed there for 14 laps.
She relinquished the lead to Dan Wheldon on Lap 186 but took it back on a restart with 10 to go, whipping the massive Indy crowd into a frenzy. (Patrick said this fan video of the restart from the south short chute “always gives me goose bumps.”)
The story wouldn’t have an incredible ending for Danica, as her fuel load was in question and she couldn’t hang with Wheldon as he reclaimed the lead with seven to go en route to his first Indianapolis 500 win. But she held on for fourth, the highest finish for a woman in the race and one that continued to propel her to superstardom.
Ten years ago this month.
“I suppose it doesn’t feel necessarily like 10 years, but it feels like a lot has happened,” said Patrick, now in her third full season of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing. “I still remember it like it was yesterday.”
