"She never got the credit she deserved" - When Tony Stewart paid a touching tribute to Danica Patrick

In 2018, Tony Stewart shared his thoughts on Danica Patrick inspiring female racecar drivers. Patrick, who raced for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2012 onwards, announced in September 2017 that she won't return to SHR for 2018, though she did appear behind the wheel for 2 races that year before retiring.

During her brief time in the NASCAR Cup Series, Patrick broke several grounds and achieved some notable firsts. The biggest of those was her winning the pole position for the 2013 Daytona 500. She also outdid Janet Guthrie in the list of most top 10 finishes by a woman in 2015 with her two top 10 finishes at Martinsville and Bristol.

Patrick switched to NASCAR following a successful stint in IndyCar. All her exploits behind the wheel of a racecar brought out a touching tribute from Tony Stewart.

Speaking about his #10 driver in February 2018, Stewart said:

"I think from Day 1 she never got the credit she deserved for what she had done. I mean, she had done something no other female had ever done in motor racing at this level. She has shown so many female racers that it can be done, and there's a ton of female racers out there[...] There's hundreds of females that are driving racecars now that are going out and winning races and showing that they can do the same things a guy can do.

"And I think that is what Danica really left behind, is hope that they can get to this level, that it can be done, that you can get here and compete with the best in the business, and she has given a lot of people that hope. And I'm proud that we have the opportunity to be a part of that with her."

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When Tony Stewart praised Danica Patrick after her retirement announcement

Following Danica Patrick's retirement announcement, Tony Stewart said he was always a believer in her ability as a racecar driver. Stewart also said Patrick was "one of the most fearless" people he had ever met.

In a statement released in September 2017, Stewart said,

"She has never backed down from a challenge. In fact, she's sought out new challenges throughout her career, and that's what brought her to NASCAR and Stewart-Haas Racing."

Tony Stewart said Patrick's switch from IndyCar to NASCAR was a difficult move for anyone and in doing so, she showed her "courage." The former SHR co-owner expressed his pride in Patrick's exploits at his team. Stewart added that his support for Patrick was "unwavering," and that they would hope to end the 2017 season, her final in NASCAR, on a strong note.

Danica Patrick finished her final season in NASCAR with one top-10 finish. Her best result behind the wheel of a racecar in the Cup Series was a 6th place finish at Atlanta in August 2014.

After her retirement, she ran in the 2018 Daytona 500 where she finished in 35th place.