“That was a total coincidence”: When Danica Patrick looked back on her on-track moment with Tony Stewart

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Danica Patrick once reflected on a shared moment with former IndyCar Series champion Tony Stewart. Patrick was referring to the 2011 NASCAR Xfinity Series' second race at the Daytona International Speedway.

One-time IndyCar race winner Danica Patrick remains one of the most eminent figures in the history of female motorsports. The 42-year-old, who hung up her helmet back in 2018, enjoyed her fair share of limelight on the race track, first in IndyCar, and then in NASCAR.

One such moment in Patrick's career occurred in 2011, during the season's NASCAR Xfinity Series' (then known as the Nationwide Series) second Daytona race of the campaign, the Wawa 250. During the race, Stewart's car made contact with Patrick's No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevy, and the four-time Cup Series champion drafted Patrick for a long time.

In an interview with Autoweek later that season, Danica was asked whether the fans should read anything into the on-track moment, given the ongoing rumors linking her with a move to Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). At the time, Stewart had been vocal about his desire to bring Patrick to SHR, fueling speculation that the drafting incident might have been more than just a racing coincidence.

However, Patrick was quick to dismiss any strategic planning behind the moment. She responded:

"That was daunting. But it was a total coincidence. I was behind Trevor Bayne and worked with him for a while, but he peeled off to go work with Ricky Stenhouse, his teammate, and I was left alone. And my spotter T. J. [Majors], who spots for Dale Jr., said on the radio, 'The 9 car's coming to you, coming to you, drag your brake and let him catch up, that's Tony Stewart, get going!' I think something happened to Clint Bowyer, Tony's drafting partner, and Tony was all alone, so it was a perfect scenario. But it was not planned."

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Taking a look at Danica Patrick's career with Tony Stewart's SHR

Despite her assurance that the moment was unplanned, the speculation surrounding Danica Patrick's NASCAR future continued. Just a year later, Stewart’s vision became a reality when Patrick joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2012, marking a significant milestone in her stock car career.

Patrick would go on to spend six full seasons in the Cup Series, racing exclusively for Stewart-Haas Racing. Over the course of her career, she broke multiple records, becoming one of the most successful female drivers in racing.

In 2013, Danica Patrick made history by becoming the first woman to win the pole for the Daytona 500. She finished eighth in the race, the highest finish for a woman in Daytona 500 history at the time.

Her career with SHR also saw her become the first woman to lead laps under green in both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500. While she never won a NASCAR Cup Series race, Patrick recorded seven top-10 finishes. Patrick’s tenure at SHR came to an end after the 2017 season, following which she announced her retirement from full-time racing.

Danica Patrick made her final NASCAR appearance in the 2018 Daytona 500 driving for Premium Motorsports. Her last race, the 2018 Indy 500, came later that year, after which the Beloit, Wisconsin native bid farewell from the sport.