“A lot of things are the opposite”: When Danica Patrick highlighted the differences between IndyCar & NASCAR

Danica Patrick raced in the IndyCar series before moving to stock cars in NASCAR. Many upcoming female drivers look up to Patrick as an idol, as she was the first female to lead laps at the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. The American came out in 2017 and detailed the differences in the handling characteristics of IndyCar and NASCAR.

Danica Patrick took the route to discuss how the downforce works differently on an IndyCar and a NASCAR. She explained the concept of dirty air, where open-wheel racing cars prefer to run in clean air, while in NASCAR, it's the opposite where the following cars get the advantage of the slipstream (drafting).

“On track in an IndyCar, what’s in front of you changes the handling. You have these wings that work like upside-down airplanes. If somebody gets in front of you and takes the wind away that’s pressing down on those wings, it can make you loose,” said Danica Patrick (via Forbes).

“In stock cars, what’s weird is that what’s behind you makes the biggest difference. When one gets really close to your bodywork on the side, or behind you, it takes the downforce off the rear of the car and can make you loose. So a lot of things are the opposite,” she added.

NTT IndyCar Series GMR Grand Prix - Source: Getty

The key difference between an IndyCar and a stock car is the fact that open-wheel racing cars are specifically built to go racing, with the aerodynamics and other elements designed to serve the same goal. On the other hand, a stock car is a road-going car that is heavily modified to go racing.

The IndyCar produces a lot more downforce than a stock car does and requires a completely different skillset to drive fast. While IndyCar is all about pushing the machine, NASCAR cars are more about feeling the machine move underneath and making it go fast within the limited available grip.

Danica Patrick retired from motorsports at the end of the 2018 racing season, with the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 being her last NASCAR and IndyCar races, respectively.

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Danica Patrick attended Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony

After retiring from motorsports, Danica Patrick tried her hand at journalism and worked with Sky Sports for the F1 coverage. She then stepped into the world of politics and supported Donald Trump during the 2024 US Presidential election. Patrick spoke on behalf of the US President at multiple rallies and was recently spotted at Trump's inauguration ceremony and oath-taking ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC.

Danica Patrick uploaded a post from the same day on Instagram, which included a selfie with internet sensations Jake Paul and Logan Paul. The caption of the post read:

“What a crew for the inauguration! So much fun and so much laughing! Thanks @alexbruesewitz! However, I have learned there are a few things politics don't care much about.... Food, water, and sleep. We departed at 8am and returned at 2pm. Thank god I packed some water and was able to finally eat my breakfast. Also..... Melania was simply stunning and looked like the hottest mob boss.”

Danica Patrick is pretty vocal about her support for Donald Trump, as is evident through her social media posts and stances on various issues. Moreover, Patrick has over 965,000 followers on Instagram, which means she reaches out to a pretty wide fanbase with her views.