Danica Patrick: Will IndyCar Survive Without Its Favorite Racy Racer?
Danica Patrick and her team are making it known that they want to race in just NASCAR. They are currently working on a deal that would get Danica to race full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2012, and eventually on to the Sprint Cup in 2013.
The details of it all are not yet known. But it is highly likely that Go-Daddy.com will remain with her throughout her NASCAR tenure. The domain website currently sponsors her Indy car as well as the Nationwide car she currently drives.
Is this a smart move for Danica? She has only won one race in the IndyCar Series, but she did finish in the Top 10 the first time she raced in the Nationwide Series.
Does IndyCar need Danica Patrick, or can it survive without her?
Yes: Open Wheel Racing Was Just Fine Before Danica Patrick
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Open-wheel racing has been going strong for decades now. This year, they are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.
Danica Patrick debuted nine years after the start of the IndyCar Series. They were doing just fine before she got there. Of course, she brought a lot of attention to the sport because she was a woman trying to win in a male-dominated sport.
The attention she garnered may have given the sport a bigger name, but it isn't going to die just because she is leaving. The sport has very loyal fans, and while some will miss her, others will be glad she is gone.
No: She Is a Marketable Woman
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Danica Patrick debuted in the IndyCar Series in 2005. Ever since then, she has been swarmed by the media and she has received numerous endorsements.
Danica gave the sport big time attention in the national media. A woman trying to rule in a man's world will always turn heads. People rooted for her to succeed while others rooted for her to fail.
Either way, they were still watching, and that's what the IndyCar Series cared about. Now that she will be making the move to NASCAR, the racing series will be losing one of its most talked about drivers. That is a never a good thing.
Yes: She Never Dominated
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In 102 starts, Danica Patrick only won one race: She became the first woman to ever win a race in the IndyCar series in 2008. It was a great accomplishment for her and the sport.
However, that being her only win shows that Danica never ruled the sport. She brought them a lot of attention, but people continued to see her fail. Race after race they watched her lose.
Is the sport really going to miss a driver who barely won?
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No: She's Hot
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You've seen the photo shoots.
You've seen the racy commercials.
Danica Patrick is smoking hot, and that's what draws people to watch her compete. Let's be real: If she were ugly, would people really care that much about her?
As sad as that is, it's what our society has come to. Men love racing, and now that they are losing the most attractive thing on the racetrack, the sport could suffer.
Granted, they still have the sexy cars to look at (why else are they fans), and they'll keep their fingers crossed for an Ashley Judd sighting from time-to-time.
Conclusion: IndyCar Series Will Survive Without Danica Patrick
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The IndyCar series began in 1996, and things are still going well for the sport. Open-wheel racing did just fine for decades upon decades before Danica Patrick made her debut in 2005.
The proof that open-wheel racing will always remain strong is the celebration of the 100th edition of the Indianapolis 500 this weekend. The sport will not die just because Danica is deciding to leave.
She realized that she has done all she can in the IndyCar series and will try to make more money in NASCAR. It's a smart move for her, and while it will sting the IndyCar series a bit, they're not going to lose sleep over it.
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