Danica Patrick

[luke]

This is not a bashing thread just so you know. But I have to say I'm not the buggest fan of her.
For a start I think she's too cocky for a rookie. A quote from her on Jacques Lazier after they collided at the race. She also slapped him which is hardly professional:

"... no wonder he jumps from team to team, he's outta control."

For a start I think that's a bit harsh considering he's an actual winner and done 50 odd races.

She's a good driver and it's good to see a woman up there but I just feel that the way she is over hyped and given extra autograph tables then the other drivers which I know ****ed a lot of drivers off last year and ended up not doing these as a result.
And I've heard from several fans at that were at IRL races last year that she ignored them and didn't want to sign autographs. Where as Katharine Legge is great all the time none stop and would go out of her way.

I think she should be treated fairly to the other IRL drivers. Doesn't she have a big advantage due to her weight as well?

Also the fact that I rate Buddy Rice and Vitor Meira quite high; it was a shame that Vitor who in my opinion was the best driver for Rahal-Letterman that year was sacked from the team? Why not Danica?

Now if we have a merge in the future it would be great to see her battle against the other drivers from Champ Car and in particular Katharine Legge.

It will no doubt be interesting to see how Danica does this year in her second 500. Maybe she can become the first female winner? Yes, No?

[BootsOntheSide]

The number of autograph tables she gets are a direct result of how many people want her autograph. Like it or not, she has brought a lot of new fans into the sport, and may open the floodgates for future female racers.

Jacques Lazier hasn't won a race against the top-level fields post-2003, and has spent a lot of time out of contract, so while her words were a little harsh (probably made purely because she knew she'd get publicity), she did have half a point.

The weight advantage is true, but there are physical differences in different sports - she'd be too short to play basketball and not muscular enough to box (at female level), for example. Some other racers such as da Matta are a similar build to her anyway.

[Knowlesy]

To some extent Danica is overrated, through the extreme publicity more than anything else.

However, who cares? She has a place in the IRL field IMO and does OK for herself.

The weight advantage...well, the drivers will never be the same weight will they? Someone ahs to be lightest....

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by luke

Also the fact that I rate Buddy Rice and Vitor Meira quite high; it was a shame that Vitor who in my opinion was the best driver for Rahal-Letterman that year was sacked from the team? Why not Danica?

If you rate Rice highly, you surely must rate Danica - she usually beat him last year.

[mountainstar]

I thought the fact that she slapped Lazier last year was way out of line.

[Dutton]

I don't suppose she would be overly impressed if a driver smacked her one.

Regarding the "weight advantage": I think the hurdles she has faced as a female in a male-dominated sport/world just might make up for any "wieght advantage" there might be.

[ralf fan]

What helps her is that she is a female doing decently well in a male dominated sport... she certainly has a place in IRL as she is better than a lot of the other drivers.
If she goes on wins plenty of races and wins the IRL championship she certainly deserves the plaudits but lets not go about blowing her results out of proportion...Just because she is a woman.

[Snrub]

The CDM example is a good one. Before CC implemented their weight compensation formula, did PT and Michael Andretti have trouble winning races when they were above 200lbs and they were competing against guys like CDM. The difference between PT and CDM was almost 100lbs! Logically heavier drivers shouldn't be able to compete, but it doesn't seem to effect things as much as it should. For instance if you look at fuel loads vs. performance, the difference is huge.

[Mr Jinxx]

The "weight advantage" is real.

I only recently realised that the car's are all the same weight, so if you have a light driver, you have an advantage. In Europe/UK there is a minimum *combined* weight, so a light driver has to add a load of lead ballast to the car to bring the total weight up to the minimum.. The only advantage this has is the siting and positioning of the lead (i.e. at floor level, and front/rear to change the basic weight distribution of the car) but in practice this makes virtually no diffierence.

Where the Danica lightweight thing works is in qualifying. With such a huge weight diference between Danica and almost every other driver, she will get a qualifying boost. So you can expect her to qualify beyond what might normally be her abilities.

However this is likely to work against her in the race, as stamina and fatigue etc are likely to be more of a factor, and her race pace is likely to fall away in comparison to the "sturdier" drivers.

But she is a good driver, a fantastic media attraction, a great asset to the series, and if you can qualify towards the front, there;s every chance you can stay there.

[drewdawg727]

First of all, we do not know for sure if Danica "slapped" Lazier, that was just how the media brought it about. From hearing the other side, i think Danica might have just "pushed" him. This could have happened between any two drivers.

I admit that last year Danica was put on a high pedestal. Every race, they always had "Danica time" where they would focus on her on board camera for a period of time when she was midpack. This kinda upset me because sometimes they did it when there was a lot more interesting stuff going on up at the front.

Danica is a good driver. She qualified extremely high on most races last year and she did fairly well for herself. I dont remember Sarah Fisher ever qualifying high consistently race after race.

I dont necessarily see a correlation between Danica signing a lot of autographs attracting a big fan base and her ignoring fans....that also seems like a grey area.

Im not saying she's great, but she is a very impressive female driver...and she's definitely made a name for herself in IRL.

[luke]

Originally Posted by Mr Jinxx

The "weight advantage" is real.

I only recently realised that the car's are all the same weight, so if you have a light driver, you have an advantage. In Europe/UK there is a minimum *combined* weight, so a light driver has to add a load of lead ballast to the car to bring the total weight up to the minimum.. The only advantage this has is the siting and positioning of the lead (i.e. at floor level, and front/rear to change the basic weight distribution of the car) but in practice this makes virtually no diffierence.

Where the Danica lightweight thing works is in qualifying. With such a huge weight diference between Danica and almost every other driver, she will get a qualifying boost. So you can expect her to qualify beyond what might normally be her abilities.

Yep, I think it's alot better in F1 and all other series that I know of in Europe, the drivers weight counts in the minium fixed weight limit so everyone weighs the same. I have to carry alot of lead in karting as I've moved up to seniors and this may only be karting when it's totaly different but the ballast can work for and against you.....But really it's totaly different racing so I guess it's not really relevant.

I personally think they should bring in a minium weight limit and so the drivers weight is included and not just added on to the car weight so there isn't any unfair advantages and hers is quite a big one. It's the same as touring car drivers just winning a race, then having to put on 50kg of ballast and then struggling in the next race which I believe is what she is is off most of the drivers, so you can see that there is an advantage and I can see why certain drivers are annoyed....that's my opinion on this....

But she is a good driver, and it's good what she's doing for female fans, Kathrine Legge is already attracting many female fans at Champ Car, imagine how many Danica has brought over 2005 especially at the 500 which she could have won....

[BootsOntheSide]

The point that her lack of weight can be a disadvantage as the race goes on is an interesting one. It could be that the lightness advantage is cancelled out as the race goes on, so the US system could be correct. Still, sport is largely about natural ability enhanced by training and tactics, and natural physique is a big part of that. You wouldn't let a 5ft5 man play basketball on stilts.

[luke]

Boots that's irrevlant. A short basketball player that would need stilts would be an advantage to that person.
A racing driver that is only a percentage of others weight to be given ballast is a disadvantage to that person.

[inpitlane]

I must say I was far from impressed with her interview last year on Letterman's show. She came across as very up herself and dare I say it, down market. Having said that she clearly has some talent on the ovals but should the great IRL/Champcar merger happen I think she'll be found out pretty badly on the road and street courses.
As for a career in F1, as much as Bernie would love it: A. She's American.
B. She's Female.
The fact is she's a million kilometres away from being an F1 driver.

[mountainstar]

My personal experience with her is poor so I don't like her at all. She has some skill but when you look at her results starting with formula ford, she's okay, but not great and definitely not a race winner.

[drdisque]

I don't think she's any less talented than a lot of the Minardi pay drivers in thelate 90's early 00's .

[Dutton]

Better than some I'd reckon!

[Seoigh]

Doesn't she need, at some point, to actually win something?

[BootsOntheSide]

She's reached the IRL with less experience than most recent-year rookies (Marco being the obvious exception) so I'm prepered to allow her another year, especially as Rahal have not really been on race-winning form since she joined the team.

I don't think my basketball point was irrelevent. Ballast can be placed anywhere and used to alter weight distribution and centre of gravity, and as a result can change the handling of the car. Even though having the weight including the driver (as in the modern F1 system) cancels out some of the advantage of a lightweight driver, it doesn't cancel it all out. In any case, there is no disadvantage for a basketball player being 6ft6 or whatever.

[luke]

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

She's reached the IRL with less experience than most recent-year rookies (Marco being the obvious exception) so I'm prepered to allow her another year, especially as Rahal have not really been on race-winning form since she joined the team.

I don't think my basketball point was irrelevent. Ballast can be placed anywhere and used to alter weight distribution and centre of gravity, and as a result can change the handling of the car. Even though having the weight including the driver (as in the modern F1 system) cancels out some of the advantage of a lightweight driver, it doesn't cancel it all out. In any case, there is no disadvantage for a basketball player being 6ft6 or whatever.

I think there's an obvious disadvantage for a 6ft6 player in basketball...
Yes you can place ballast around the car but you can only put stilts in one place.

[Knowlesy]

Is this shooting-hoops.com?

[Dutton]

That wouldn't be very family orientated, .

[newoutsider]

She did FVJ in UK a few seasons ago - didn't shine as I recall. But, she is a reasonably attractive female, with a reasonable amount of skill in motor racing, so naturally she is going to get lots of PR. This is actually good for her team, her sponsors and the sport as long as she can look reasonably competitive and doesn't start to belive the hype.

[Mr Jinxx]

In the US, it's almost laughable. Indycars are billed as The Danica Patrick Show, also starring some other drivers, mainly Dan Wheldon

It doesn't matter whether Danica is top notch or not, she's good looking, a good driver, and that's good enough.

Same goes for Katherine Legge in Champ Cars. She would have got whupped in Atlantics this year, because there's some good competition arrived, but she's good looking, a good driver and that's good enough too.

I don't have any problems with that, but it would be daft to pretend that they deserve where they are on merit alone - motorsport doesn't work that way, and never has. Linton Christie and Carl Lewis were always quicker 100metre sprinters than me, but they had an equipment advantage, as their legs are roughly 2 metres longer than mine. It's like skiing ... only a fool wants to play on a level playing field. We want it to slope; we want the unfair advantage, be that equipment, marketing, money, car, whatever. But you have to be really good in the first place to play.

[Mr Jinxx]

And if Danica is a good driver and no more, and she's now able to capitalise on her femininity (or others are able to do so) then good for her ... I'll bet she;s had some tough times in the past being taken seriously. She's a serious racer.

Interestingly, I don't know if the Indycars are light or heavy. I know the Indy Pro cars are heavy old things to drive.

Danica is a very small girl (she is roughly the size of my pint of Guinness here), so she will certainly have a big advantage in qualifying. My earlier comments about her maybe tiring during a full race distance would certainly be true if the car were quite physical to drive, but even if it wasn't too tiring (like ovals) then I still wonder if stamina levels are different? Mind you, I once saw Kip Keino, and he was no fat lad, and stamina didn't seem to be a problem for him. Maybe I just don't know, and like to muse ...