- iRacing.com Announces iRacing 2.020,224
- Dave Kaemmer Comes Clean on Dirt13,094
- iRacing.com to create virtual McLaren MP4-12C GT312,075
- Release Notes for 2012 Season 311,415
- Scanning What’s in Store for iRacing with Tony Gardner10,555
- The iRacing.com Protest System – May, 201210,347
- Building the iRacing System 1019,031
- Improving the Sound of iRacing7,625
- iRacing.com to Build Digital Honda for New Super GT Series7,392
- Two New Cars and Two New Tracks Coming to iRacing Soon6,758
- Towler, Wood Suspended from Upcoming iWCRR Events 67
- Dave Kaemmer Comes Clean on Dirt 44
- Coming Soon, the iRacing Driving School 41
- iRacing.com Announces iRacing 2.0 41
- iRacing.com Announces 2010 World Tour 40
- The iRacing.com Protest System - May, 2012 33
- Bathurst Coming to iRacing! 30
- FW31 Envy 27
- iRacing Announces Added Features, Lower Prices 24
- iRacing's Corvette: Good Enough is Not Good Enough 23
-
iRacing.com
3076
-
Motorcycles
2473
-
NASCAR
2300
-
Formula Cars
2083
-
WRC
1831
-
IndyCar
1602
-
Touring Cars
1214
-
Other Racing
501
-
Sports Cars
310
Patrick: I created false expectations
March 10th, 2012
Danica Patrick believes she probably set herself too high a target for her first full NASCAR Nationwide Series season, following poor results in the opening two races.
Although the former IndyCar star has already contested 27 Nationwide events since 2010, this is the first time she has embarked on a full-season assualt.
JR Motorsports driver Patrick was involved in an incident early in the season-opening race at Daytona and last week she was only 21st at Phoenix, where she had competed in NASCAR three times previously.
“I think I gave myself maybe a little bit of false expectation about running this year for the championship and using those words ‘for the championship’,” said Patrick.
“It really is still my first-ever full year and what I’ve done still doesn’t add up to one year and I didn’t have anything before that in stock cars.”
Patrick admitted the hype she was surrounded by at the start of the season may have affected her as she tried to live up to expectations. The female racer received substantially more media coverage than anyone else in the American press during the build up to this year’s season start.
“I can’t let all of the exposure and hype and hope – and I’m serious when I say ‘hope’ – to do well, I can’t let that be something that makes me feel like I have to do well,” said Patrick.
“That got to me a little bit, especially coming from Daytona having such disappointing results. I need to remember that there are so many of these darn races and you just need to move on.”
2010 Nationwide champion Brad Keselowski, who also drove for JR Motorsports in the past, believes the current testing regulations will make Patrick’s transition even harder than it has been for other open-wheel racers who moved to NASCAR before her.
“I think the biggest challenge she has is finding a way around that testing ban and getting experience,” said the Penske driver. “Everyone will tell you that race experience is the best experience. It is and it isn’t because you don’t really get a chance to learn on what you need to do to get more speed.
“You can learn on what you need to do to survive the race, that’s great, but that’s only 50 per cent of it. You’ve got to be fast and talented as well. And so she’s obviously behind before the weekend ever starts, as is every Nationwide rookie and there’s challenges ahead for her.
“I guess at the end of the day, if she can overcome those challenges and find a way to be successful, then she will have really earned a spot in this sport. But the odds are very much stacked against her.”
Patrick competes this weekend at Las Vegas, where she claimed a career-high fourth place a year ago.









David Phillips
Chris Hall
Jameson Spies
Jason Lofing
David Ifeguni
Katier Scott
Dylan Sharman
Nathan Aljoe
Austin Hartenfels
Jordan Hightower
Scott Kelly
Kenneth O'Keefe
Chris Owens
George Wood