"I kept asking up above what was working": When Danica Patrick became first woman to lead laps in Daytona 500

Former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick became the first woman to lead laps in the Daytona 500, 12 years ago. She started racing in stock cars in 2010 and moved to the Cup Series in 2012.

During the 2013 Daytona 500, Patrick led five laps and finished eighth. Driving Steward Haas Racing's No. 10 Chevrolet, she also won the pole position and was the first woman to qualify for a NASCAR Cup Series race. Patrick reached a speed of 196.434 mph in 45.817 seconds during qualifying.

"You spend a lot of time thinking about what to do when the time comes. I kept asking up above what was working. You needed a hole, you needed people to help you out. I had a little bit of help today here and there, but I felt like if I was going to dive low, I had a feeling I was going to get freight-trained... At the end of the day, it was a solid day," Patrick said (via ESPN).

Patrick stayed in the top 10 throughout the 200-lap race and led laps 90 and 91, plus three more later on. She finished eighth behind race winner Jimmie Johnson and set a new record for the best finish by a female driver. Before her, Janet Guthrie held the record with an 11th-place finish in 1980.

The Wisconsin native made 191 starts in the Cup Series and had seven top-10 finishes. However, she failed to win a NASCAR race and had an average finish of 24.11.

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"Really cool experience" - Danica Patrick on NASCAR career

Danica Patrick competed in five full NASCAR Cup Series seasons before retiring in 2018. Her last race at the Daytona International Speedway came to an early end. She was part of a six-car accident on lap 102 involving Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski.

Patrick had announced the previous year about her plans for the 2018 Daytona 500 being her final race in the sport. Her final NASCAR full-time season also ended in a similar fashion. During the 2017 Ford EcoBoost 400 in Homestead, Miami, she hit the wall, which damaged her tire and led to another crash with Kasey Kahne.

"All in all, it's been a really, really cool experience. I made a lot of friends and a lot of great fans. This part is over now. I hope you remember me as a great driver, and I was a girl and it was cool to watch me," Patrick said (via ESPN).

Danica Patrick is also popular for being the only woman to win a race in the IndyCar Series.