We are not in the habit of using phrases such as "You go, girl!". But this year's return of Danica Patrick - who has come closer than any female driver in Indy history to winning the race and is a superb Indy driver - has our admiration. We forget which race it was, but Patrick had to "Pit" several times, including once to replace a damaged nose cone on her car; and each time came roaring back to the front group of cars in the pack. (That time, however she ran out of gas just as a pedal to the metal could have won the race.)
But after trying to win eight times, she went into a snit and took her act to NASCAR, a culture not particularly welcoming to woman drivers. We don't watch a lot of NASCAR but it's the only racing shown in most clubs we go to. And when Danica was racing on the TV in those watering holes, the fans wanted her off the track since she was always causing problems and wrecks.
And we were upset with Patrick because all she had to do was learn a bit about fuel management and she could probably win.
Now Danica Patrick is going to try for a win at Indy again. And if you are wondering why we're rooting for her, it's NOT because we think it's "time for a woman to win" or some such twaddle. Rather the fame she would gain from such a win could provide an inspiration for perseverance by our youth. And if she loses, tough. As long as she learns and applies that learning, she'll do better every year. Go Danica! We'll be watching.
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