Daytona 500 2012: Danica Patrick Deserves Spotlight Despite Lack of Results

Even though some diehard NASCAR fans might not like all the attention Danica Patrick has received during the build up to the Daytona 500, she deserves every bit of that recognition. After all, she's just the third woman in history to take part in the Great American Race.

Her presence alone will drive up ratings, which is more important than ever following yesterday's rain out, and there's no reason she can't be a contender. Daytona is as unpredictable as any track on the circuit, so it's impossible to count anybody out, as Trevor Bayne illustrated last year.

If Patrick were ever to end up in victory lane, it would dominate sports headlines for a week. She's one of the few drivers who have a chance to boost the sport's popularity once again after a lull in recent years.

In 26 career Nationwide Series races, she has just three top-10 finishes. That's one of the main reasons there has been some backlash about the spotlight that has followed her around for the last couple weeks.

The bright side is that her biggest problem has been getting wrecked (see above). As she earns more experience in the coming months, those issues should subside. It's all about getting comfortable after her transition from IndyCar and she just isn't there yet.

Above all else, Patrick is an extremely talented driver. Looks and commercial appearances certainly play a role in her popularity, but she wouldn't have reached this level of the sport without skill. Eventually, the results will bare that out.

So, instead of turning against Patrick because of the media's tendency to focus on her, fans should cheer for her to succeed because it will allow the entire sport to thrive.

If that's not enough for people to support her, nothing ever will be. Everybody has their favorite driver, but the success of NASCAR as a whole should always be the top priority and she'll definitely make that possible.

Now, if only the rain would go away so the green flag could wave. Unfortunately, the weather reports haven't been promising so far, so the waiting game will likely continue.

Should it last much longer, Patrick's momentum will take a hit and that's not good for NASCAR.