Danica Patrick: 10 Areas Where She'll Need to Improve to Be a Success in NASCAR
Speculation is abound that Danica Patrick is planning to make the jump from the Indy Racing League to the NASCAR Nationwide Series full time in 2012. This would then most likely lead to a full-time ride in the Sprint Cup Series in 2013.
Many have questioned Danica's ability to succeed in NASCAR, especially because she hasn't seriously threatened to contend for an IRL title to this point.
Danica has achieved some success in the Nationwide Series, albeit over a small sample size, but there is no doubt that she'll need to make plenty of adjustments in order to adapt to the NASCAR style of racing.
Here are 10 areas in which Danica will need to improve to be a success in NASCAR.
Get Stronger
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I can't really speak to Danica's physical strength, but there's no question that it takes more strength to drive a NASCAR car than an IRL car. Look no further than the weight of the respective cars for confirmation.
A ready-to-race NASCAR machine should weigh roughly 3,400 lbs., while an IRL car should weigh about 1,550 lbs. The weight and form of a NASCAR car makes it far more difficult to turn and maneuver than an IRL car.
Another issue is the heat that builds up inside a NASCAR car. This can really bog down a driver over the course of the race and it requires the driver to have an incredible amount of stamina. Due to the open-wheel nature of IRL cars, ventilation really isn't much of a problem.
Be Willing to Learn
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This is apparently already a strength of Danica's, but if she's going to make the full-time jump to NASCAR, the learning curve will be a steep one. Danica has often confided in Tony Stewart who has said that Danica seems to ask all the right questions.
This should bode well for Danica's future success in NASCAR. Since her NASCAR experience is limited, it's likely that she hasn't raced at many of the tracks she'll see on the circuit. Even if she did race at certain tracks in the IRL, it's a completely different animal to do it in a NASCAR car.
Danica can benefit greatly from paling around with other drivers and learning the ins and outs of specific tracks. If Danica is able to absorb the information she picks up from her colleagues, the transition will be much easier for her.
Be Patient
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For Danica, being patient means a couple different things. First and foremost, Danica needs to be patient in terms of her development as a NASCAR driver.
She can't expect to be one of the best from the very first moment she transitions to NASCAR. It's a positive that she already has some races under her belt, but it's going to take some time to develop the necessary skills.
Danica also needs to learn to be patient within the actual races. With the breakneck pace the IRL cars run at, it's easy to make careless decisions. In NASCAR it's much more important to wait for opportunities to present themselves rather than forcing something that isn't there.
As long as Danica stays patient, she'll be able to stay in races and good things will happen.
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Forge Better Relationships with Teammates and Crew
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While Danica has usually been considered a good teammate in the IRL, she has had her share of share of dust ups as well. There have been a few occasions where Danica has been publicly critical of her pit crew, and her former teammate Tony Kanaan once said that she has a bad attitude.
Although having a good relationship with your teammates is important in any racing series, it's particularly important in NASCAR due to the element of drafting. It's always best to be on the good side of your teammates to ensure that they'll be willing to help you on the track as well off the track.
Obviously it's also vital for Danica to be on the same page with her pit crew. If she has issues with something they're doing, it should be handled privately.
When those types of issues are handled publicly, it causes fans and the media to think that there is dissension within the team. When that happens, things go downhill very quickly.
Focus More on Racing than Sponsorships
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Whether it's true or not, there is a perception that Danica might care more about being a star than being a great driver. It's clear that this perception is bred from the numerous commercials Danica has done, specifically those for GoDaddy.com.
Even though Danica is most likely very committed to racing, she needs to make sure that everyone knows it, including the fans, but more importantly her opponents. If Danica struggles early in her transition to NASCAR, there will almost certainly be whispers questioning her desire.
As long as Danica just focuses on what she does on the track, nobody will give a second thought to her off-track ventures. If things go awry, however, she'll have to be prepared to answer for them.
Improve Drafting
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In a lot of ways, this goes hand-in-hand with having a good relationship with her teammates, but it stretches beyond that as well. In NASCAR, drafting is absolutely paramount to a driver's success. This is especially true on super speedways such as Daytona and Talladega.
If you can't draft effectively in NASCAR, then you have absolutely no chance to thrive. Drafting stretches beyond just teammates because it's impossible to know who you might be near at a specific time in the race. This makes it all the more important for Danica to be civil with all her peers.
In the IRL, drafting is essentially non-existent. Because of this, Danica hasn't had a great deal of experience doing it, but in order to be competitive in NASCAR, she'll have to adapt to the style quickly.
Drive Tougher
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When comparing NASCAR to the IRL, it can be said that NASCAR is like full-contact football, while the IRL is like two-hand touch. In NASCAR, a car can take a beating all day long, but still be in contention at the end of the race. In the IRL, however, one tiny bump can usually knock somebody right out of the race.
Danica can't be afraid to make a little contact once she moves to the Nationwide Series. It's understandable that she might be a bit tentative at first due to the fragility of Indy cars, but her competitive spirit will most likely shine through eventually.
It's very important for Danica to show that she can hang with the big boys and that she won't fold when they drive a little rough. For as tough as her opponents drive, Danica will need to drive twice as tough to ensure that she'll be respected.
Be More Consistent
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Consistency is the name of the game in NASCAR. Most drivers enter every race with the intention of winning, but no matter what, there are always going to be 42 losers.
If Danica can be among the best losers a weekly basis, however, she could put herself in a great position to win the ultimate prize.
At the end of the day, the driver with the most wins normally wins the championship, or at least comes close. There are plenty of drivers, though, who only win one or two races, or perhaps none at all, that are in contention until the end.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a great example of that in the Sprint Cup Series this season. Despite being mired in a 105-race winless drought, Junior is fourth in the standings. This is the result of consistently completing races and finishing in the top 10. If Danica can do the same while keeping her car in one piece, she'll be a force to be reckoned with.
Keep Emotions in Check
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If there's one complaint about Danica that trumps all others, it's the fact that she has a fiery temper which she struggles to control at times. Danica has gotten into a number of heated arguments with IRL drivers in the past such as Milka Duno and Ryan Briscoe.
Danica absolutely needs to remain level-headed or else she'll be labeled as a hothead and a joke by her colleagues. She'll never garner the respect that she obviously wants unless she is able to settle disputes calmly and rationally.
This holds true during the race as well. If something goes wrong, Danica needs to remain in control. If she allows things to get to her, it can lead to mistakes, and in a sport as precise as NASCAR, any mistake can lead to disaster.
Just Win Baby
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As important as it is for Danica to stay consistent, if the opportunity to pick up a win presents itself, she needs to grab it.
At the moment, it seems like Danica is being perceived as a novelty act. If she were to win a Nationwide race, however, it would give her instant credibility.
The same was true in the IRL until she won in Japan in 2008. Since that point, Danica has been considered a legitimate threat rather than just a pretty face.
A fourth place finish on the Nationwide Series earlier this season in Las Vegas showed that Danica can get the job done. It's obvious that the potential, the equipment and the support is in place for Danica to thrive in NASCAR.
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