"My parents led by example with hard work": When Danica Patrick reflected on her family's sacrifices that fueled her racing career

Former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick once spoke about her journey climbing the racing ranks. Patrick said in a 2019 interview that her parents taught her about hard work by example, which motivated her to move to Europe as a teenager.

Her venture to another country in the late 90s equipped her with skill sets for open-wheel racing. The Wisconsin native returned to the US in the mid-2000s to join the IndyCar Series. She later switched to stock car racing and drove for NASCAR teams like Stewart-Haas Racing and JR Motorsports.

Danica Patrick attributed her parents for helping her stay motivated at a young age, saying (via Katie Couric):

"My parents led by example with hard work, that’s for sure. I remember being a kid, and my parents would sometimes work until 2 a.m. at their shop, and my sister and I would sleep at the shop with them in sleeping bags. That’s the kind of hard work they put in. Not only to make money and be successful, but to be able to afford the life that they wanted for us."

She added:

"Their hard work paid for everything from my racing, to new clothes every year for school, to family trips. My parents were really hard workers. Their example has been ingrained in both my sister and me."

Danica Patrick drove the No. 10 car for Stewart-Haas Racing - Source: Imagn

Danica Patrick debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2012 after spending a few years with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Xfinity Series (formerly Nationwide Series) team. A year later, she made history by becoming the first female driver to earn the pole position in the prestigious Daytona 500.

The now 42-year-old drove the No. 10 car for the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing team from 2012 to 2017 before making her final NASCAR start in the "Great American Race" with Premium Motorsports in 2018.

After retiring from full-time competition, Patrick continued covering motorsports with Fox and Sky Sports.

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"It's just not the same game": Danica Patrick on men in women's sports

Danica Patrick, who made strides in a male-dominated sport, opposed men competing in women's sports. The former IndyCar Series driver argued men are generally stronger than women, thus competition won't be fair.

In an interview with Glenn Beck, Patrick called out fairness in such an issue.

"How about the fairness of it? I mean, a healthy male testosterone level is a thousand. A healthy woman's testosterone level, these are, like high, good [levels], is a hundred. That's ten times more testosterone. This is how they're able to be as big as they are, as strong as they are. It's just not the same game," Patrick said.

The 2013 Daytona 500 pole-sitter explained that driving a car made the size advantage of her rivals less relevant.

"In racing, I had the car, but if I didn't have the car, I wouldn't be able to compete in basketball, football. I'm just not the size for it," she added.

During her racing days, Patrick achieved several milestones as a female driver. Some include earning the most top-10 finishes in the Cup Series (7) and becoming the first to compete in the full 36-race Cup Series schedule.