Danica Patrick wins first race

[BTExpress]

MOTEGI, Japan (AP) — Danica Patrick has won the Indy Japan 300 for her first series victory.

 

[Bubbler]

BT, beat me to it. Mods please delete my thread.

Wow.

I know few among you care, but since the reunification of the two open-wheel series, things are really looking up for IndyCar. Between Graham Rahal's win and this, the Indianapolis 500 is going to have more buzz than it has in years.

 

[sportschick]

Girl Power. Damn I wish I was at work to push for this story.

 

[Chi City 81]

As I wait to resend the black plate from the front, and an inside page where the actual story will run. Congrats, Danica.

 

[Bubbler]

Girl Power. Damn I wish I was at work to push for this story.

I called work from home and pulled back the sports page, even though we were done.

This is really big in my neck of the woods.

 

[Beaker]

Congrats to her. Hopefully this will be her big breakthrough.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

It changes everything.

 

[BTExpress]

Midnight deadline.

Not a damn thing we can do about it. Could send a page up . . . where it would sit and not get put on the press.

Gotta get that press run completed so we can print The New York Times down here, too.

 

[kingcreole]

Wow, congrats Danica! Long time coming.

 

[buckweaver]

It changes everything.

I agree.

Yet, it was also inevitable.

 

[jps]

press was starting up late for other problems, so we got it in on a remake if they put it up.

 

[playthrough]

That was the IndyCar Series' greatest dream and worst nightmare -- Danica winning, but in Japan. I'm not sure there were any U.S. racing beat reporters there, even the broadcast team wasn't there (they called it from Long Beach, but did a good job). Like this thread shows, how many papers will get this in? I will say that if this isn't in my morning Indianapolis Star, someone there should be shot.

The payoff will come more on Monday, then next weekend at Kansas and certainly next month at Indy, in the end obviously a HUGE boost for open-wheel racing. Good for her.

 

[Bubbler]

It changes everything.

I agree.

Yet, it was also inevitable.

If you mean in the historical context, yes, a female was going to win race.

If you mean Danica herself, it was no lead-pipe cinch. The rumblings had been getting louder by the year that she was a gimmick who didn't have the chops to win.

Even I called her out for her road course acumen on the open wheel thread as recently as the last race. So this win is not only historic, it shuts a lot of people up who didn't see that she had the talent to win on an oval, and who can no longer accuse her of being a gimmick. The list of active open-wheel winners is not very long, and she just joined the club.

And for those in the open-wheel know, she did it WITH weight added to her car, a significant topic of grousing from fellow drivers since she entered the series.

 

[Bubbler]

That was the IndyCar Series' greatest dream and worst nightmare -- Danica winning, but in Japan. I'm not sure there were any U.S. racing beat reporters there, even the broadcast team wasn't there (they called it from Long Beach, but did a good job). Like this thread shows, how many papers will get this in? I will say that if this isn't in my morning Indianapolis Star, someone there should be shot.

The payoff will come more on Monday, then next weekend at Kansas and certainly next month at Indy, in the end obviously a HUGE boost for open-wheel racing. Good for her.

In a way, it might be better because this story will get an extra day of legs in many newspapers. I already told our deskers to make it our Monday package.

I'm very happy I made the call to stop the press and get it in ... unless I get fired of course. :-\

 

[HejiraHenry]

I hate to be this way, since it's not really my area of expertise, but haven't all the really good open-wheel drivers died or left for NASCAR or retired?

I'm delighted for her and the sport, but isn't her winning at this point like a guy winning the major league batting title while all the good players were gone to fight in World War II?

 

[playthrough]

I hate to be this way, since it's not really my area of expertise, but haven't all the really good open-wheel drivers died or left for NASCAR or retired?

I'm delighted for her and the sport, but isn't her winning at this point like a guy winning the major league batting title while all the good players were gone to fight in World War II?

I don't think so. IndyCar regulars like Castroneves, Kanaan, Wheldon, Dixon are world-class, just not American. Yes, the series is missing the Foyt/Andretti/Unsers of old, but the young'uns like Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal are/will be the real deal.

One nit that you'll read about is that Danica's win was not in the unified series. This weekend they were split one last time with the old Champ Car teams running at Long Beach.

 

[Bubbler]

I hate to be this way, since it's not really my area of expertise, but haven't all the really good open-wheel drivers died or left for NASCAR or retired?

I'm delighted for her and the sport, but isn't her winning at this point like a guy winning the major league batting title while all the good players were gone to fight in World War II?

No. There were three Indianapolis 500 winners in the field, she beat a legit field. The only knock I can see, and it would be unfortunate because she has no control over it, is that the Champ Car drivers weren't in the race.

For those who don't know, one by-product of the IRL-Champ Car reunification is that it came so late (February) that they couldn't solve a date conflict with Motegi (an important race given that Honda supplies the engines) and Champ Car's Long Beach GP (a historic F1 and pre-split CART open-wheel venue).

So there are two races this weekend: Motegi with the old-line IRL cars, and Long Beach with the old-line Champ Car teams. After this weekend, starting with next weekend's race at Kansas City, they are together for good.

 

[Prince of Persia]

Give SC credit cause they are doing an extensive live interview with her right now.

 

[playthrough]

Bet the house on this...someone will write that this is somehow less than monumental because it was a fuel-mileage win. With a half-dozen or so laps to go, Danica was around sixth place but several lead cars had to pit for gas. Castroneves while leading appeared to run dry with two laps left, Danica just blew past him.

That's not me talking -- I know racing enough to know that you win races in all kinds of ways and none need excuses. But look for that argument from some of the Around the Horn-esque unwashed on Monday.

 

[D-3 Fan]

It would be easy to say "She ****ing won?", but the gentleman in me will tip my hat to her in getting off of the "good looking chicks who haven't won a damn thing" list.

Now, Danica, let's use this Japan 300 win and parlay that into a win at Indy, Miami, or one of the big races. ;D