When Danica Patrick named her first Indy 500 experience as a race she'd run again

Motorsport legend Danica Patrick once picked her IndyCar debut run as a race she would love to do again. The retired American driver is a big personality in the world of racing. During her impactful career, she tried her hand at several top-class motorsports events, including the NASCAR Cup Series, and in line with this, back in 2016, she talked about her debut Indy 500 race.

Danica Patrick's first outing in the Indy 500 came in her debut IndyCar season in 2005. In 2016, she was asked to name a race that she would love to run again, and as a response, she named the 2005 Indy 500. Patrick said via USA Today:

"My first Indy 500 comes to mind a little bit, just because I don’t race Indy cars anymore and I don’t have any more chances. That was a tough one. There were some things about that first Indy 500 that could have been different – a little more fuel left than I thought. I probably would have just led no matter what (she gave up the lead with seven laps to go), even if it meant running out of fuel, as opposed to just finishing."

In the 2005 Indy 500, Danica Patrick managed a fourth-place finish driving for the Rahal Letterman Racing team. Moreover, she was even in the lead position for 19 of the 200-lap race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The top three positions were secured by Dan Wheldon (P1), Vitor Meira (P2), and Bryan Herta (P3).

Danica Patrick's take on her reputation in 2016

While Danica Patrick stressed a few specific things while talking about the 2005 Indy 500, via the same 2016 interview, she also talked about her reputation in the world of racing.

Interestingly, the 43-year-old came up with a fascinating response.

"I think a reputation is observed by others, so I don’t know exactly what that is. I’d also think if it was something negative, I wouldn’t be told that necessarily. I think that’s a good question for other people."

Danica Patrick is the most successful woman driver in the history of America's open-wheel racing. She hung up her racing boots in 2018, but despite this, to date, she is the only woman to score a Grand Prix win in IndyCar. She famously triumphed in the 2008 Indy Japan 300.

In her IndyCar career, she managed 116 appearances, during which she was able to amass a Grand Prix win, seven podiums, and three pole positions. Her best overall season finish came in 2009 when she ended up in fifth place in the drivers' championship.

Since her last competitive outing (2018 Indy 500), Patrick has gone into different fields. Along with running several businesses and being a motorsport pundit, she also has her own podcast called "Pretty Intense." She even made an appearance on Netflix in 2023 via the Formula 1 Drive to Survive (season 6) series.