Danica Patrick: Latest News and 2014 Sprint Cup Standings Ahead of New Hampshire

Much like her entire 2014 season, Danica Patrick was forced to take the good with the bad Sunday afternoon.

Patrick nailed down yet another top-20 finish and set a career high at Chicagoland. Though she wasn't in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, she narrowly finished ahead of championship contender Carl Edwards.

Mistakes down the stretch were costly, though, as Patrick nearly took out herself and boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Both remained on the track and in the top 20 but missed out on opportunities to gain more positions late.

Heading to New Hampshire, Patrick is looking to continue her improvement at the track with at least a top-20 result. Before the second Chase race begins, here's a look at the latest news and ranking for Patrick ahead of the Sylvania 300.

Race	Track	Start	Finish
MyAfibStory.com 400	Chicagoland Speedway	18	19
Federated Auto Parts 400	Richmond International Raceway	13	16
Oral-B USA 500	Atlanta Motor Speedway	27	6
Irwin Tools Night Race	Bristol Motor Speedway	24	27
Pure Michigan 400	Michigan International Speedway	14	18
Cheez-It 355	Watkins Glen International	43	21
GoBowling.com 400	Pocono Raceway	10	30
Brickyard 400	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	14	42
Camping World RV Sales 301	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	29	22
Coke Zero 400	Daytona International Speedway	29	8
Quaker State 400	Kentucky Speedway	10	21
Toyota/Save Mart 350	Sonoma Raceway	11	18
Quicken Loans 400	Michigan International Speedway	27	17
Pocono 400	Pocono Raceway	16	37
FedEx 400	Dover International Speedway	28	23
Coca-Cola 600	Charlotte Motor Speedway	4	39
5-Hour Energy 400	Kansas Speedway	9	7
Aaron's 499	Talladega Superspeedway	7	22
Toyota Owners 400	Richmond International Raceway	35	34
Bojangles' Southern 500	Darlington Raceway	33	22
Duck Commander 500	Texas Motor Speedway	24	27
STP 500	Martinsville Speedway	10	32
Auto Club 400	Auto Club Speedway	27	14
Food City 500	Bristol Motor Speedway	36	18
Kobalt 400	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	22	21
The Profit on CNBC 500	Phoenix International Raceway	33	36
Daytona 500	Daytona International Speedway	27	40

Pos.	Driver	Points	Wins	Top 5	Top 10
1	Brad Keselowski*	2059	5	12	14
2	Jeff Gordon	2052	3	10	18
3	Joey Logano	2049	3	11	16
4	Kevin Harvick	2047	2	9	14
5	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	2042	3	11	16
6	Jimmie Johnson	2041	3	8	16
7	Kyle Busch	2041	1	6	10
8	Denny Hamlin	2041	1	6	12
9	Kurt Busch	2039	1	6	8
10	Kasey Kahne	2034	1	3	10
11	Matt Kenseth	2034	0	10	17
12	Carl Edwards	2030	2	6	11
13	Ryan Newman	2029	0	2	10
14	AJ Allmendinger	2025	1	2	4
15	Greg Biffle	2021	0	3	10
16	Aric Almirola	2007	1	2	6
28	Danica Patrick	553 (N/A)	0	0	3

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Despite a strong start Sunday for Patrick, much of the talk following the race was what occurred with just 10 laps remaining.

Jockeying for position with Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Tony Stewart, Patrick went high to steer clear as he drove by her. But as she neared the wall, contact with Stenhouse left both drivers in the wall with substantial damage to their cars.

Patrick referenced the late wreck, per the SHR post-race report:

"

I heard my spotter (Brandon Benesch) say that the 14 was below me on track, and I didn’t know the 17 was there on the high side of the track. My spotter took the blame on that one. I just didn’t know Ricky was up there, and I obviously don’t want to hit his car or anyone else with 10 laps to go. I talked with Ricky afterward, and we’re fine. It’s just a tough deal. We finished 19th even with the damage, so it was a decent run.

"

While Benesch may have taken the blame, NASCAR fans will be quick to point out this is a recurring theme for Patrick. Past results show that Patrick has been involved in myriad accidents, but recent starts have told a different story.

Since her sixth-place finish in Atlanta, Patrick has been inside the top 20 in every race. She's no longer in contention for the Chase, but the string of strong results proves she's improving on the track.

Pete Pistone of MRN pointed out the strong run by Patrick on Sunday by comparing her to other Chase drivers:

"

That's @DanicaPatrick running ahead of 7 Chase drivers right now #NASCAR @MRNRadio #AskMRN

— Pete Pistone (@PPistone) September 14, 2014"

Of course, several had issues Sunday, but the results speak to Patrick's recent consistency.

Her three top-10s were already a career high, so more finishes of 20th or better simply add to a decent year. Unfortunately, those finishes mean nearly nothing since she didn't make the Chase this season.

Patrick will look to continue that run of top-20 results at New Hampshire, a track where she has steadily improved. Here's a look at her stats at the track, via DriverAverages.com.

Date	Finish	Start	Laps Led	Driver Rating	Status
July 13, 2014	22	29	0	60.9	Running
Sept. 22, 2013	27	21	0	57.1	Running
July 14, 2013	37	32	0	47.7	Accident

Looking to play spoiler with 16 drivers still competing for a championship, Patrick might take another top-20 spot away from a Chase contender. With Patrick coming up just short in July, a clean car will be crucial for her chances in New Hampshire.

Another finish inside of the top 10 likely won't happen for the SHR driver in the Sylvania 300, but a consistent result looks possible. Expect a good start for Patrick as she continues to work toward the future at the Sprint Cup level.

Predicted finish: 17th

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