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

Consistency has been a huge part of Danica Patrick's recent run at the Sprint Cup level, but her first two races in the Chase have been mirror images of each other.

A week after starting 18th and finishing 19th in Chicagoland, she did the exact same in New Hampshire. Only this time, Patrick ran up in the top 10 and even challenged for a top-five spot before all hell broke loose on the track.

Simply remaining on the track was a task itself on Sunday, with a season-high amount of cautions, per Nate Ryan of USA Today:

Overall, it was Patrick's fourth consecutive top-20 finish and a strong run for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver. A top-10 result might have been in sight, but finishing well this season means a lot for her future at the NASCAR level.

Prior to the start of the third Chase race in Dover, here's a look at the latest news and ranking for Patrick.

Race	Track	Start	Finish
Sylvania 300	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	18	19
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*	2097	5	12	15
2	Joey Logano*	2096	4	12	17
3	Kevin Harvick	2090	2	10	15
4	Jimmie Johnson	2080	3	9	17
5	Kyle Busch	2077	1	6	11
6	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	2077	3	11	17
7	Jeff Gordon	2070	3	10	18
8	Matt Kenseth	2057	0	10	17
9	Carl Edwards	2057	2	6	11
10	AJ Allmendinger	2056	1	2	4
11	Kasey Kahne	2055	1	3	10
12	Ryan Newman	2055	0	2	10
13	Denny Hamlin	2049	1	6	12
14	Greg Biffle	2049	0	3	10
15	Kurt Busch	2047	1	6	8
16	Aric Almirola	2045	1	2	7
28	Danica Patrick	578 (N/A)	0	0	3

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Frustration for several drivers boiled over with the late cautions on Sunday but also left difficult decisions for crews. Patrick's strategy was to save fuel and remain on old tires, which didn't pay off late.

Numerous restarts dropped Patrick behind the pack and eventually cost her a chance at a top 10 at New Hampshire. The SHR driver spoke about her day following the race, via the team's official site:

"

It’s too bad. I had a good GoDaddy Chevy. We should have finished top-15 or top-10, but the cautions at the end killed us. We were lucky to get tires at the end and get 19th. Tony Gibson and the guys gave me a good car, but it just didn’t work out. We got another top-20, but we should have been better. I’m pleased we seem to be getting better, and I’m excited for Dover.

"

Despite the rough finish, Patrick showed some promise throughout the race. On the heels of three straight top-20 results, she was able to do the same and grow some confidence moving forward.

Along with driving to another consistent finish, Patrick also convinced a few analysts that she can contend. Jenna Fryer of The Associated Press noted a crucial part of the race and passed along her thoughts:

New Hampshire Motor Speedway's official account even pondered a victory for the SHR driver:

That hope faded quickly as cautions piled on, but Patrick was still strong on Sunday. She's not competing for a championship like 16 of the drivers in the Chase, but Patrick is still working toward goals of improving.

Those have slightly come to fruition so far, but she will need more finishes inside the top 10 to truly make a statement. Patrick referenced how her role changes slightly as a driver outside of the Chase, per Brant James of espnW.com:

"

I surely don't want to be a jerk. And I try not to ever be one on the weekend, but I'd say even more so when it comes Chase time. People get way more fired up if you don't cooperate and move quickly out of their way. So let's hope I don't have to be in that position.

Let's hope I am running for great spots on track, and it's only understandable I run hard for them.

"

Reaching her goals will be increasingly more difficult this coming weekend. Dover has been a difficult track for the SHR driver, but she had a career-best finish of 23rd back in June.

Here's a look at her full statistics from the track, per DriverAverages.com.

Date	Finish	Start	Laps Led	Driver Rating	Status
June 1, 2014	23	28	0	56.7	Running
Sept. 29, 2013	29	31	0	42.8	Running
June 2, 2013	24	39	0	44.0	Running
Sept. 30, 2012	28	38	0	42.0	Running

A run of four straight top-20 finishes proves there is progress for Patrick, but a lack of top 10s leaves her wanting more. In order to show continued improvement, simply gaining ground at Dover would help her moving forward.

Patrick had a chance to clinch one of those crucial top-10 results at Loudon but will have a much tougher test in Dover. With the speed the track brings, simply remaining on the track is a task for drivers.

The Monster Mile has never treated Patrick well, but an improved finish seems likely for her at the track. She might not be as competitive up near the front as she was in New Hampshire, but running in the top 20 and maintaining good speed should do a lot for Patrick's confidence.

Predicted finish: 17th

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