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Danica Patrick, one of the few women in the NASCAR Cup Series history, was welcomed with open arms by the Stewart-Haas Racing crew when she debuted in 2012. She had made herself popular in the IndyCar Series at the time, with her victory in Japan, 2008, mounting a historical achievement.
In 2010, Patrick debuted in the Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series) with JR Motorsports on a part-time schedule. Her second season in the series was far better, with three top-10 finishes in the 12 races she participated in. Her performance earned her a seat with Stewart-Haas Racing. Jeff Gordon saw it as a positive to add her to the Cup Series, stating that it was a good move for the sport.
"It’s great for the sport," Jeff Gordon stated about Danica Patrick via CNN in February 2012. "Who doesn’t want to see a female driver come in here and be able to race with the guys and do well and be marketable? It’s great for the sport."
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Moreover, Tony Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, also appreciated Danica Patrick's skill set, which he said he had noticed in the Nationwide Series during her stint with JR Motorsports.
"Anything can happen here; it is anybody’s ballgame," Stewart said via the same source. "She did a really good job in July last year in the Nationwide race when I ran with her. I was really impressed at how smooth she was and how good a job she did. … There is no doubt in my mind she has the talent to do it."
A glance at Danica Patrick's NASCAR Cup Series career
Danica Patrick raced in the Cup Series between 2012 and 2018, spending most of her career with Stewart-Haas Racing. However, she wasn't able to replicate her success from open-wheel racing and mostly made up for the back of the field or stayed in the middle. She also had occasional top-10 finishes but never a victory. A pole position at the 2013 Daytona 500 was her best qualifying position.
Patrick also raced full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2012 and was much more consistent in the series but never managed to win a race.
She participated in her final race at the 2018 season-opening Daytona 500 with Premium Motorsports but crashed out in stage 2. Although she retired from racing a while back, Patrick's work still revolves around motorsports. She is a Formula 1 presenter with Sky Sports, a role in which she first appeared in 2021. Moreover, she also appears on several podcasts, moving towards the broadcasting side of motorsports.
