Remembered best for her flashy green liveried cars on track, former NASCAR Cup Series driver Danica Patrick has been retired from the world of motorsports for over four years now. Having made her mark in the most prestigious form of American motor racing after competing in the NTT IndyCar Series as well as the highest echelon in stock car racing, Patrick is known to be an avid entrepreneur in her post-racing career.
The Beloit, Wisconsin native started out karting as a recreational activity and soon realized her ability behind the wheel of a car, be it of any kind. After winning multiple karting championships early in her career, Patrick decided to move to Europe to compete in the Formula Ford and Vauxhall Series, with varying levels of success. After realizing the cost of motorsport across the pond, she shifted back to America and her driving earned her a seat with Rahal Letterman Racing in 2005, when she made her IndyCar debut.
Danica Patrick's first win came at the 2008 Indy Japan 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit, where she held off Helio Castroneves to win on the 1.5-mile-long oval. She rewrote history as she became the first female driver to ever win an IndyCar race.
The now 40-year-old also had a 7-year-long career in the NASCAR Cup Series as she decided to race full-time after making occasional appearances in the Xfinity Series. She has seven top-10 finishes and one pole award to her name in the sport, driving a striking green liveried car sponsored by GoDaddy. The 2018 season marked her retirement from all forms of racing after competing in the 2018 Daytona 500 as well as the 2018 Indy 500 for one last chance at winning the illustrious races.
Danica Patrick's post-race career as an owner of a vineyard
Since her retirement, Danica Patrick has invested in launching her own rosé wine brand and vineyard by the name of Somnium. The development of the brand started back in 2011 with Cabernet Sauvignon being planted on the property. 2020 marked another milestone for the brand after they hired new head winemaker Julien Fayard to further raise the bar.
Danica Patrick named the vineyard Somnium, which means 'dream' in Latin because she thought owning her own brand was nothing more than a distant dream, which turned out to be reality. Her other business ventures include a thriving candle-making business as well as hosting her own podcast by the name Pretty Intense.