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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDanica Patrick wins Daytona pole
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Danica Patrick has won the Daytona 500 pole, becoming the first woman to secure the top spot for any Sprint Cup race.
It was the biggest achievement of her four-year NASCAR career.
Patrick went out eighth in the qualifying session Sunday and covered the 2½-mile superspeedway in 45.817 seconds, averaging 196.434 mph.
She waited about two hours as 37 fellow drivers tried to take her spot. Only four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon even came close to knocking her off.
Gordon was the only other driver who topped 196 mph. He locked up the other guaranteed spot in next week's season-opening Daytona 500. The rest of the field will be set in duel qualifying races Thursday.
However the field unfolds, all drivers will line up behind Patrick's No. 10 Chevrolet SS for "The Great American Race."
http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/8956961/danica-patrick-first-woman-win-daytona-500-pole
You go girl!
onehandle
(51,122 posts)...that markets by demeaning women?
Who knew?
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)corporate sponsor??? Because it seems to me that pretty much every corporate NASCAR sponsor has unclean hands in some respect or another.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)i was thrilled to see that she is still competing and did an awesome job.
Elwood P Dowd
(11,443 posts)My worry is the sponsors may have rushed her into the Sprint Cup series a year too soon. Time will tell I guess.
Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)Only racing part time at the beginning and staying in open-wheel too didn't help.
She was not as bad as it seems last year. Her engine blew up a couple of times. She was spun out of at least a top ten finish by a driver who clearly had room to maneuver. She won't say anything, but she has had some trouble on the track with some drivers. Her crew chief was so mad about that spinout that he had to be held back.
There are some racers out there who have muddled about forever. She gets attention both good and bad.
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)in some tough times now. The cars are having trouble finding sponsors. Some well known shops and racers are scrambling.
Go Daddy is not a PC sponsor. However, in this racing climate, it's probably them or nobody.
Brother Buzz
(36,444 posts)spanone
(135,844 posts)k&r