Danica stays in IRL, signs with AGR

[Hoosier_Vol]

Danica Patrick signed with Andretti Green Racing on Tuesday, deciding to stay in the Indy Racing League instead of switching to NASCAR. Patrick will start driving for her new team in 2007. Her current contract with Rahal Letterman expires at the end of the season. Though she toyed with joining NASCAR, Patrick said last week she was leaning toward saying in the IndyCar series.(Associated Press)(7-25-2006)

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

What a wonderful day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AGR gives her a much better chance than RLR. Hopefully they'll be back where they were in 05 :cross:

:yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

 

[tidwell]

Well at least Danica is loyal.

Is she going to replace one of the current AGR drivers or are they going to start a new team for her? They already have 4 cars, correct?

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

Right now, AGR has three drivers signed for 07, Danica, Marco Andretti, and Tony Kannan. The status of Brian Herta and Dario is still uncertain.

 

[volinbham]

I think she made the right decision. I wonder if AGR can get back to the top without Wheldon and possibly Franchitti.

TK would be the only proven winner.

 

[milohimself]

Good choice. She wouldn't stand a chance in NASCAR.

 

[Arclight]

Has she even won a race in her current league???? No

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

I think she made the right decision. I wonder if AGR can get back to the top without Wheldon and possibly Franchitti.

TK would be the only proven winner.

I believe they can. Last year it seemed like one of the AGR teams won nearly every week, and all 4 drivers won at least once. Losing Wheldon was a huge blow, and losing Dario would be another, but if anybody knows how to get the right people in place to build a championship calibar team it is Michael Andretti.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

Good choice. She wouldn't stand a chance in NASCAR.

Given the current state of NASCAR I would tend to agree.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

Has she even won a race in her current league???? No

And how many races has she actually started???? 25

It's not like she's the only driver who has never won driving in the IRL :banghead:

 

[tidwell]

She hasn't won a race since she was driving go carts when she was like 11 or 12 years old either..

 

[USAF_Vol]

What is milo doing in this forum??

 

[milohimself]

Just felt like commenting on Danica staying in IRL, which I do catch from time to time.

I am not completely unfamiliar with NASCAR, though... I do know so much as the cars are all on an even playing field. So to speak. They are a lot closer in performance than IRL cars. I don't think Danica is really that good of a racer, and she needs a superior machine just to have a shot at the winners circle. I think she realized she would have gotten destroyed in NASCAR, and made a good choice.

 

[USAF_Vol]

Just felt like commenting on Danica staying in IRL, which I do catch from time to time.

I do know so much as the cars are all on an even playing field.

Except the jimmie cheater johnson and chad ferretface knaus

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

I don't think Danica is really that good of a racer, and she needs a superior machine just to have a shot at the winners circle.

She usually outruns her teammate, who is a former Indy 500 champion, which tells me that she is driving with an inferior team. Come to think of it, I can't think of a single racer who would have a shot at victory lane without a top notch team. Can you name me a single quarterback who could win the Super Bowl without a top notch team?

She may or may not be capable of winning, but we will find out.

I think she realized she would have gotten destroyed in NASCAR, and made a good choice.

I think she realized that she wouldn't have gotten a fair shake in Nascar, and would have wound up getting caught up in "one of those racin deals" more times than not, just like every other woman who has ever taken a shot at Nascar.

 

[tidwell]

Was it "just a racing deal" when Deborah Renshaw killed a man at Charlotte a few years ago?

 

[checkerboard_charly]

Was it "just a racing deal" when Deborah Renshaw killed a man at Charlotte a few years ago?

that was totally ironic tid.

but danica would get slammed in nascar. But Mike Helton would be quick to come in and put a stop to it. Ol warden of the business is a media kiss a$$ and would give her anything she wanted.

 

[tidwell]

I don't quite remember Shawna Robinson getting knocked around in her feeble attempt at the Cup Series a few years ago. She had normally taken herself out before anyone else got near her to put her a lap down. Granted she was in vastly inferior equipment with the BAM racing team, that's something Danica wouldn't have to worry about with the hype already surrounding her. She'd get signed to wreck cars just for the money and pub it'd bring to the team.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

Was it "just a racing deal" when Deborah Renshaw killed a man at Charlotte a few years ago?

It was a piss poor job by her spotter, which was confirmed by ARCA as well as several of the drivers, including Frank Kimmel.

Funny how the chauvinist racing fans will bring that one up every time, but never seem to hold Sterling Marlin responsible for Dale.

 

[tidwell]

The difference being, Sterling didn't kill Dale. DE was blocking, and he paid dearly for it.

Those situations aren't even remotely similar and it has nothing to do with being chauvinist. Spotter or not, how does a driver not see a car stopped in the middle of the track? I know racecars don't stop on a dime, but she t-boned the guy going full speed. With that said, I can't name a woman driver that's been killed by a man.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

The difference being, Sterling didn't kill Dale. DE was blocking, and he paid dearly for it.

Sterling got a run on Dale on the last lap, and dropped down below the yellow line to make the pass (perfectly legal at the time). Dale got a push from Rusty and nudged back in front of Sterling, and Sterling spun him out, period! If you don't believe me, pop in the tape and watch it for yourself. I just did!

Those situations aren't even remotely similar and it has nothing to do with being chauvinist.

No, but based on a history of your posts on the subject, it's clear that you have a problem with women being involved in auto racing in any capacity. I've seen you take shots at Danica, Deborah, Shawna, Erin, and repeatedly at Teresa Earnhardt. It's fine if that's the way you feel, but at least be man enough to admit it.

Spotter or not, how does a driver not see a car stopped in the middle of the track? I know racecars don't stop on a dime, but she t-boned the guy going full speed.

She went where the spotter told her to go. By the time she saw Martin sitting there, there was no time to react.

With that said, I can't name a woman driver that's been killed by a man.

Yeah, like there have been so many women involved in the sport :shakehead: . C'mon Tid, I know you can do better than that.

 

[tidwell]

I've seen the incident last turn of the 2001 Daytona 500 too many times as it is. I don't need to see it again to know Sterling wasn't trying to kill DE or even wreck him. Sterling was under him and DE came down the track to block him and keep him behind him. Sterling's car didn't even move, he was under DE in the turn and DE was trying to keep him behind him. That's racing.

I have absolutely no problem with Kelly Sutton, so there goes your theory about me hating women in racing. The hype around the winless wonder Danica Patrick is disgusting. She hasn't won an IRL race or any race in any of the smaller minor league type series in the IRL. She's in the IRL right now because she poses half naked across the hoods of cars and because it's cool for a woman to be driving fast cars, successful for not. Regarding Shawna, Erin, and Deborah, I've only stated facts about them. Shawna's whole motto the whole time she was in NASCAR was "girl power." Not only did she know she had no business in the Cup Series, she went around and talked about it as much as she could. She even had an all female pit crew at a Truck race in Texas a few years back. Teresa is running DEI into the ground and she could care less, that is my problem with her. I have no problem at all with DeLana Harvick either, someone that actually has a clue as to what she's doing when it comes to running a team, or at least appears to have a clue. She actually goes to the races to WATCH her teams too, what a novel idea. All Teresa is interested in is the bottom line and how much money she can put in her pocket.

The way you made it sound, women drivers get knocked around by the good ol boys all the time, so I figured there might've been one I was missing that was fatally injured in their innumerable run-ins with the men of the track.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

The hype around the winless wonder Danica Patrick is disgusting. She hasn't won an IRL race or any race in any of the smaller minor league type series in the IRL. She's in the IRL right now because she poses half naked across the hoods of cars and because it's cool for a woman to be driving fast cars, successful for not.

First of all, she hasn't gotten nearly the hype this year as she did last year. All the hype this year is going to the winless wonder Marco Andretti. Second, if you don't like the pics that were taken THREE FRIGGIN YEARS AGO, then don't look at them. Maybe you would like it if somebody chooses to judge you based on something you did years ago. Your laughable assertion that that is the only reason she is in the IRL shows your total ignorance of the sport of racing.

As for your problem with the hype, too bad. If Brittney Jackson starts for the Lakers next year she is gonna get tons of hype. If the Cowboys start a woman at quarterback she is gonna get tons of hype. That's just the way it is.

 

[tidwell]

The Lakers nor the Cowboys are going to put a female on the court or field because of the simple fact they couldn't compete. They have a better chance of competing in auto racing obviously, but you still have to have the necessary talent to warrant getting a ride at the top level of your sport, soemthing Danica has never done. Do you honestly believe she'd be where she is now if she wasn't considered in some people's eyes as attractive? Look at the photo on the right in your signature for goodness sake.

Yes, she received more hype last year, but she still gets the most this year. Marco started getting it after he came within 100 feet of winning the Indy 500. Danica is still the only IRL driver that gets interviews outside of the Indy Car circles, she's the only one that garners attention, and she's the only driver that matters, sadly. I seriously doubt she regrets doing those photos, as they are as big for her career as anything else has been up to this point. Combine her arrogance with the fact she's willing to show off her average looks and of course she's going to get attention.

In short, she's a media and IRL sex appeal creation. Sure, it's a neato story to the casual fan that's never watched an IRL race, but when you watch the sport long enough, you actually realize and start to ask, "Wow, why is she here?"

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

but you still have to have the necessary talent to warrant getting a ride at the top level of your sport, soemthing Danica has never done. Do you honestly believe she'd be where she is now if she wasn't considered in some people's eyes as attractive? Look at the photo on the right in your signature for goodness sake.

If she hadn't proven that she could handle a race car, she wouldn't be in it. There's no way the IRL would let her on a racetrack if she couldn't do the job. As far as having the talent, she did almost win the Indy 500 last year, and might have won it if she hadn't had to save fuel. She hasn't run well this year, but none of the RLR teams have. I'll guarntee you Michael Andretti wouldn't put her in his car if he didn't think she could compete for wins and championships. Only time will tell if she can live up to it.

Yes, she received more hype last year, but she still gets the most this year.

You obviously don't watch very many IRL races.

Danica is still the only IRL driver that gets interviews outside of the Indy Car circles, she's the only one that garners attention, and she's the only driver that matters

And she has done more for the popularity of that sport than anybody else that is there.

I seriously doubt she regrets doing those photos

Why should she regret it?

Combine her arrogance with the fact she's willing to show off her average looks and of course she's going to get attention.

Your opinion.