Danica says that she doesn't miss Indy 500...

[Z28]

She reads from the NASCAR script, just like everyone else in NASCAR. When they ask a driver what his favorite track is, the answer is always whatever track they are at, it's mindless response. Even Tony Stewart can do it and you you know darn well there's no place more important to him than Indy. If you tell me Juan Pablo is being honest when he expresses how happy he is to be racing for 27th place in Martinsville Virginia when he used to race in Montreal and Monaco I'll try to be enough of a sap to believe it.

What's sick is so many people who hate and/or dismiss Danica seem to pay so much attention to what she says.

[millrace]

Darn right. This is PR spin after the article the other day where she was talking about anxiously watching pole day and how she had been an open wheel racer her whole life. No need to sling mud here, this is a wash job by nascar.

And by the way, some of her comments sound an awful lot like Mikey and Little Al circa 15 years ago. When they came back they changed their tune, as did many on this board.

[gaelastiel]

If the 500 is Danica's ex-boyfriend then she's just upset that she never got to sit on his pole.

[aaron5572]

we don't miss you either Danica. Hinchcliffe is a better driver now than you ever were.

[theracefanblog]

This reminds me of Vasser's "Who needs milk" line. It comes from the "Who are you trying to convince?" category.

[theracefanblog]

If the 500 is Danica's ex-boyfriend then she's just upset that she never got to sit on his pole.

Nah, he just didn't give her enough money.

[Dmanus]

My, My, Boys asnd Girls. It appears to me the lady has her life very successfully compartmentalized and under control.
She definitely made her mark in this IRL thing and upon moving to NASCAR quickly became a known entity there.
The fact she was able to accomplish things here that other women could not seems to wrinkle some folks feathers.
She easily stole the show of virtual nobodies and was very instrumental in convincing the media and fans to eventually
realizing the IRL thing was in fact alive and that is where the Indycars were.

Too bad she relegated many to the shadows but her efforts were a positive thing for the series. Once folks became aware
of the Darios, Helios and Marcos, etc. she became less important to the series Yet her trinket trailer and autograph lines
continued to dwarf others.

I hope she does well where ever she chooses to go.

Go Get 'em Danica !!

[RS2]

She is not kidding anybody. She misses it.

[TimmyZ1]

Pruett and Brant James have both noted in articles that the paddock itself has moved on quite quickly. I think we should do the same. And if she does come back welcome her with open arms and discuss her then.

[theracefanblog]

My, My, Boys asnd Girls. It appears to me the lady has her life very successfully compartmentalized and under control.
She definitely made her mark in this IRL thing and upon moving to NASCAR quickly became a known entity there.
The fact she was able to accomplish things here that other women could not seems to wrinkle some folks feathers.
She easily stole the show of virtual nobodies and was very instrumental in convincing the media and fans to eventually
realizing the IRL thing was in fact alive and that is where the Indycars were.

Too bad she relegated many to the shadows but her efforts were a positive thing for the series. Once folks became aware
of the Darios, Helios and Marcos, etc. she became less important to the series Yet her trinket trailer and autograph lines
continued to dwarf others.

I hope she does well where ever she chooses to go.

Go Get 'em Danica !!

I don't know about anybody else, but I think all the negativity surrounding Danica was brought on by Danica and her attitude. She got so much attention because she's a pretty girl and it went to her head. When she first came to Indy she had a ton of fans and everybody wanted to see her do well. Now, because of her bad attitude, you have threads like this.

[cpthornman]

I don't know about anybody else, but I think all the negativity surrounding Danica was brought on by Danica and her attitude. She got so much attention because she's a pretty girl and it went to her head. When she first came to Indy she had a ton of fans and everybody wanted to see her do well. Now, because of her bad attitude, you have threads like this.

Bingo. Danica made her bed and how she has sleep in it.

[uncommonsense52]

The Danica Patrick Production Incorporated train keeps rolling along.

She's not a race car driver, she's a brand. She knows that.

[skypigeon]

All I know is of 41 posts and counting in this thread, exactly ONE is from someone who clearly bothered to read the article in context, and there's another that hints at it indirectly.

Good grief. The 500 is THREE DAYS AWAY. Why don't we focus on the drivers IN it?

[WheelerDealer]

Can somebody please tell me what this means. I've been trying to figure it out for months and I just can't.

This

[Mikefive]

When I was down on pole day, I never thought of her once--until my wife commented that she wondered if Andretti regrets losing her now that Hinch is challenging for the pole.

Her statements are purely political. Of course she's not going to say she misses Indy even if she's sick over it. That would be a NASCAR negative. And some day if she gets a ride for the 500, she'll talk about how much she missed it. She's being Bush or Obama, take your pick. I just hope that if that day ever comes, somebody calls her on these quotes.

[mitchbr]

All I can say is, the feeling is mutual.

I didn't see one person wailing or gnashing their teeth because she wasn't there. Heck, I didn't even see any Patrick gear at all last weekend.

It was definitely time for her to move on, and for IndyCar to do the same.

I talked with one guy who had never been to the track before, then walked away wearing a Danica Nationwide car shirt, also saw a little girl wearing last year's Danica shirt, but that was all. And I hadn't thought about her outside those two instances.

[Glenn]

Looks like Andretti Autosports certainly doesn't miss her!

[Pelican Joe]

...and the Indy 500 doesn't miss her, either!

[Dmanus]

Pruett and Brant James have both noted in articles that the paddock itself has moved on quite quickly. I think we should do the same. And if she does come back welcome her with open arms and discuss her then.

[cpthornman]

I talked with one guy who had never been to the track before, then walked away wearing a Danica Nationwide car shirt, also saw a little girl wearing last year's Danica shirt, but that was all. And I hadn't thought about her outside those two instances.

Here's another instance where Danica was mentioned. When Hinch was qualifying during the shootout on Saturday someone yelled in stand E "Let's see Danica do that!" Anyone who heard it got a good laugh.
Danica might be saying she hasn't missed Indy but I doubt anyone buys it. But when many of us say we don't miss her we really mean it.

[IPS-Indy]

I call BS. You know it's eating at her that Hinch put her car on the front row, 9 inches from the pole.

Now that's AC/DC subtle.

[Grinder-Tank]

She reads from the NASCAR script, just like everyone else in NASCAR. When they ask a driver what his favorite track is, the answer is always whatever track they are at, it's mindless response. Even Tony Stewart can do it and you you know darn well there's no place more important to him than Indy. If you tell me Juan Pablo is being honest when he expresses how happy he is to be racing for 27th place in Martinsville Virginia when he used to race in Montreal and Monaco I'll try to be enough of a sap to believe it.

What's sick is so many people who hate and/or dismiss Danica seem to pay so much attention to what she says.

That's what it's become.

[aaron5572]

Can somebody please tell me what this means. I've been trying to figure it out for months and I just can't.

it basically is like shrugging your shoulders or saying "whatever"

[Ryan1248]

Here's another instance where Danica was mentioned. When Hinch was qualifying during the shootout on Saturday someone yelled in stand E "Let's see Danica do that!" Anyone who heard it got a good laugh.
Danica might be saying she hasn't missed Indy but I doubt anyone buys it. But when many of us say we don't miss her we really mean it.

I heard someone in E Stand yell, "Danica never did that! "

[cpthornman]

I heard someone in E Stand yell, "Danica never did that! "

Aha! That's what it was. I had a feeling I was misquoting that. Thanks!

[Vassago]

She's not a race car driver, she's a brand. She knows that.

And that is spot on and right on the proverbial money. In every discipline there are one or two athletes who go above the actual sporting performance. It's like David Beckham, Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. No matter if they don't score goals, don't win any tournaments or get repeatedly beaten by oppisition, they still lead the pecking order in exposure. Dale Jr enjoyes the same status in NASAR, I mean he won ONE fuel mileage race in the last six years, yet is the series money guy. Likewise Danica, she can cruise around for 31st place finish, yet the spotlight in on her!

I reckon she misses Indy and as her NASCAR foray goes longer and longer, without any significant success (see Hornish pattern) she'll be more open on the case. But the problem will be IndyCar won't need her back by then. Besides, if Hornish didn't answer the bell after getting axed from the Cup last year, I see no reason why Danica would come back tbh. It's a one way ticket especially for the Americans. Sure, Dario came back after sponsorship run out, but he was gone for only a year and didn't have to swallow his pride that much as Hornish and Danica would have to. Unless the NASCAR days are over quickly for Danica, I don't see her coming back ever again. It would be a matter of pride really. Tony went over here straight in his first two seasons which still remains the easiest way to do it IMHO. More years pass by, the less chance of a return there is.

[aaron5572]

I talked with one guy who had never been to the track before, then walked away wearing a Danica Nationwide car shirt, also saw a little girl wearing last year's Danica shirt, but that was all. And I hadn't thought about her outside those two instances.

if you own a Danica Nationwide shirt........ there is no hope for you

[ttturner68]

Her car certainly doesn't miss her, it been at the front of the Grid all season

[ajwest92]

I went to the track yesterday...nary a mention of her at all other than her folks at Indy for Opening Day and her car and firesuit from 2005 on display (ironically, next to Petty's 43)...and I liked it that way.

[cpthornman]

I went to the track yesterday...nary a mention of her at all other than her folks at Indy for Opening Day and her car and firesuit from 2005 on display (ironically, next to Petty's 43)...and I liked it that way.

Oddly enough when I went to the museum (for the first time ever) on Sunday when there were a good amount of people there hardly anyone even knew that was her car. Kind of funny really.