"People will remember Danica Patrick as someone that changed the sport" - When Josef Newgarden paid tribute to IndyCar's best female driver

Danica Patrick retired from IndyCar in 2018 as the most accomplished female driver the American series had ever seen. Two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden had only good things to say about her trailblazing career before she created more history at the ESPYS that year by becoming the first female to host the prestigious sports award show.

In an interview with TMZ Sports ahead of the 25th annual ESPYS in July 2018, Newgarden spoke about Patrick's impact on IndyCar and the female representation within the sport, saying:

"Danica has been great for our sport. I think to me, (she was) someone that really was a leader for not just female race car drivers, but female engineers, female fans of the sport. So she brought a lot to the female gender within motorsport. She's one of the best. Super nice girl. So yeah, proud of her career."

The two-time Indy 500 winner also elaborated on the impression that Danica Patrick left in the sport's 100+ year history.

"I think people will remember Danica as someone that changed the sport, as a positive. You know there's been females before her, Sarah Fisher was a great model in the sport, and I think Danica followed that up and was a good role model for young females that wanted to work in the sport. So she's gonna be remembered for that, and also she's the first female that's won an IndyCar race, which was a huge deal," Newgarden explained.

The announcement of Danica Patrick hosting that year's ESPYS was made a few days before the 102nd running of the Indy 500 on May 27, the last race of her racing career. Unfortunately, she had to depart the sport she dedicated her life to on a low. Patrick spun and crashed her No. 13 Ed Carpenter Racing GoDaddy Chevrolet on lap 68, ending her race prematurely.

Danica Patrick's rich history in IndyCar and her Indy 500 records

AUTO: MAY 19 IndyCar Series - Indianapolis 500 Qualifications Day - Source: Getty

Danica Patrick made her IndyCar debut in 2005 with Rahal Letterman Racing (now Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing). In the Indy 500 that year, she became the first woman to lead the race in 89 years since its inception. The then-23-year-old Patrick led 19 laps of the race and finished in fourth place, another record - the highest-ever finish for a woman at the "Greatest Spectacle of Racing".

Her raw talent made her an instant hit among IndyCar fans, which reflected in her becoming the IndyCar Series Most Popular Driver for six straight years, from 2005 to 2010. In 2008, Danica Patrick became the first female racer to win an IndyCar race - the Indy Japan 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi.

In 2009, she one-upped her Indy 500 debut result (fourth) by finishing third on the podium at the 93rd Indy 500 that year. It was a stellar drive, considering she started 10th on the grid.

Though Patrick couldn't replicate the same level of success when she jumped ship to NASCAR full-time in 2013, she impressed on her Daytona 500 debut by becoming the first woman to secure pole position for the 'Great American Race'.

Though her post-retirement career as an F1 and NASCAR analyst wasn't as well-received, with many of her comments causing controversies, Danica Patrick remains the most accomplished female racer who stepped foot in IndyCar.