This week saw Danica looking stunning at the ESPY awards and her better Half Ricky Stenhouse Jr didn't disappoint by also looking very dashing. As usual she has been a front runner in a poll for the best dressed.
What was supposed to be a great event that many were looking forward to, again we had the usual ugliness and unnecessary Danica bashing going on. Twitter feeds were alive with the usual negativity coming from those who were just green with envy at her success and the general sour out pour of negative comments.
What a shame that some NASCAR fans just cannot accept that she is a lot better than most people think and she deserves more credit than what she is given.
Its a pity that many racing fans don't see the positive and tend to concentrate for their own motives, and on all the negatives. Its human nature really. People are far more prone to remember the negative and tell people about it, that what they are in remembering positive aspects of anything they encounter or give credit where credit is due.
I am a huge fan of motor racing .... period. I really follow any type of motor racing and my first love when it comes to fuel burning, sleek machines has been Formula one. I have watched races on many continents and I have been there when dreams became real and when tragedy robbed us of super human beings. In Formula one at present the racing is dull. We have inventions to make passing a reality, limits on fuel, cars that sound like lawnmowers, and domination by the teams that have the biggest budget and the best interpretations of the rules. Its all in my humble opinion about what the FIA will allow and if you are the number one in the team. You really have less than 5 people who can actually win the championship.
So how does that relate to Danica Patrick. It does on completely the opposite level that Danica finds here self at present. I say that because Formula One would absolutely welcome her into the ranks. They would protect her to a certain extent and they would relish having her superb talents and what she brings along with her to that sport. Where as the good old boys of NASCAR are blinded by the fact that she is a successful, beautiful woman, they dont look at this holistically and what she brings to the sport.
FACTS
Danica Patrick brings a completely new Geographic to the sport. She has introduced fans to NASCAR who would not have given it a second thought. Where many of the legends in NASCAR have handed out sometimes incredibly harsh criticism, they have forgotten that we are in 2014 and not in the 1980's when sport was about guys who made it through the ranks, to realize the ultimate dream of racing against legends and alongside trend setters.
Every sport including NASCAR has had to take note of the changing nature of their sport. In my opinion where NASCAR are industry leaders in many areas, they have been slow to react to how sport has changed and continues to change. Lets look at an obvious example
Danica Patrick has one million followers on Twitter and on Facebook. Many of those are the same people who follow on both Twitter and Facebook but many are on one or the other. Those followers span the globe. Sponsors no longer sponsor drivers for their love and commitment to sport and because they believe in drivers. They sponsor because they want and need to sell products. So ask yourself if you were a potential sponsor who would you choose, a guy who has been in the sport for 10 years and has won a handfull of times, or a young lady who by the touch of a send button on twitter can get your product to one million people? Just like the music industry its not about talent alone. Its about an entire package. Does that mean that people with pure talent suffer .... Absolutely .... however how many people are there out there who are better drivers than Jimmy Johnson but are cleaning pools.... you kind of cant answer that can you. Even if you go back to the 80's it wasn't just about talent .... its a business people ... it was then and still is now.
Its a no brainer. Danica Patrick is a sponsors dream. If you are one of the good ole boys reading this... you may be nodding your head now.... but don't for to long.... If Danica Patrick was finishing 25 laps down every race and was ending stone last race after race, then yes we could say, YES she probably should not be there. That however is not happening, she is leading laps, she is taking pole positions and and she has been improving at a steady pace. Its a question of time before she wins. Lets face it winning in NASCAR is a bit of Lottery. Part of the NASCAR enigma is the fact that anyone can win on any given day. Rules are enforced and teams penalized heavily, yellows are thrown for cigarette box sized debris and last lap carnage often take out the front runners and some of the guys who slog it out every week without any reward. Danica has a lot more talent as a race driver than anyone gives her credit.... is she the best... probably not .... but I think that Oval racing and especially NASCAR is difficult to do.... its not easy. I consider here that one driver I think of in particular, competed and won against the likes of Michael Schumacher, .... but after close to a decade in NASCAR never won on an oval ..... You don't seem to get that stat a lot, especially from some of the harshest critics. There have been many very good and very famous drivers who ended further down in their rookie season .... don't get that stat a lot either. Mmmmmmmm wonder why not.
Today I love watching NASCAR. I can say that if it had not been for Danica Patrick I would never have known the sport. In a world where people are watching less and less of NASCAR, (Go check the ratings) I would think that even the most die hard woman hating NASCAR fan would have enough grey matter to realize that like it or not, NASCAR really needs support and they need Danica at this point. She is a positive energy and she has made a difference.
So many of you have remarked that she has used her looks and the fact that she is a woman to get where she is today.... You know what if you were a woman and you looked like that ... wouldn't you? .... Come now of course you would! The fact is though she is not an empty shell with a smile. This is a woman with huge heart and she is full of passion. I often listen to her on that radio and its obvious to me and those who listen without any predudice, That Danica is really trying to make a difference. She wants to achieve, she wants to be the best she can be and most of all she wants to win.
Many people say, "Oh She's just a face" I would say that Danica Patrick is a talented, determined, passionate, very commited, awsome race car driver, .... who just happens to be a mega babe!
I shake my head at some of the comments I read and for some of the die hard fans, i find it impossible to understand how you can on one hand call yourself a NASCAR fan and yet be so un informed and biased simply because she is a woman.
I as a fan choose to concentrate on the positives, I look at the sport and say "Well done Jimmy, Well done Kurt, Wow thats deserved Denny... Go Smoke!" Drinks will be on me when I hear a good ole boy saying, "Well done Danica!" Its a pity but I think my drinks are safe.....
I hope she achieves all of her dreams and we have around for a long time, she really is unique.
A Fan
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