“I can’t say” - When Danica Patrick addressed subject of cheating in IndyCar

Former NASCAR and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick once shared her thoughts on the topic of "cheating" in IndyCar. Her reaction came after former driver Tomas Scheckter's admission of "bending the rules" in 2013.

The drive to win in motorsports can be a double-edged sword. Athletes sometimes go as far as bending the rules to give themselves an advantage over their competitors. This was the case with former IndyCar driver Tomas Scheckter, who once admitted to bending the rules. Tomas admitted to cheating through his post on X (formerly Twitter in 2013.

"I cheated. I was in a sport where they took brakes away to get speed. And I pushed the team to do it because everyone was doing it," Scheckter wrote.

In an interview with Men's Health back in 2013, Danica Patrick was asked her opinion on the matter of cheating in motorsports. Referring to Scheckter's admission, she was asked if the South African was exaggerating about other drivers doing the same. Patrick responded:

"I can't say. I really don't know. As a driver you don't control the car and what happens to it."

Danica Patrick explained that teams and drivers always push their equipment and strategies to the absolute limit in pursuit of victory. She also emphasized that this behavior is common in racing, suggesting that some teams may exploit loopholes or gray areas in the rules to gain a competitive edge. Patrick further added:

"Of course nobody wants to be caught cheating, so you have to walk that line and decide where that line is and if necessary make it for yourself."

Tomas Scheckter left IndyCar racing in 2011 and never showed any intention to return to the sport in any capacity.

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How did Danica Patrick's family support her career early on?

In the same interview, Danica Patrick also opened up about how her racing career was shaped by her family’s deep connection to motorsports. She revealed an interesting detail about her mother, Beverly, who was a snowmobile mechanic. She revealed:

"My mom was a snowmobile mechanic. She had a friend who'd raced snowmobiles, and she'd go to the racetrack with her. That's actually where she met my dad. He was racing snowmobiles and she was there as a mechanic. They were set up on a blind date at a snowmobile race."

Patrick’s parents, Beverly and T.J. Patrick, both had a passion for racing, and they passed that love on to their children. Danica further added.

"My dad worked a lot and my mom stayed home with my sister and I. So it was a way to spend time together on the weekends and get to know my dad. Racing was just in our DNA. They just looked at racing as something that'd be fun to do as a family."

Danica Patrick retired from professional racing in 2018. Her last race was the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, where she finished 30th. She won the 2008 Indy Japan 300 and also registered 191 NASCAR Cup Series races.