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Danica Patrick once opened up about what her campaign promise would be if she were to run for the office of NASCAR president. The former driver sat down for an interview where she shared her candid thoughts on several issues regarding the stock car racing series, as well as her personal life.
The 43-year-old, who boasts a career that largely saw her dominate the scene as a pioneering figure for women in the world of motorsports, detailed how she would ensure NASCAR drivers earn what she believes is a fair share from the sale of their merchandise. In a 2016 interview, Patrick expressed her frustration with how merchandise revenue sharing was being handled by teams and drivers.
Speaking to USA Today, Danica Patrick, responding to the question posed to her, said:
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“I would promise the drivers would be able to sell their merchandise and make the money they’re supposed to make off it.”
Pressed further about her thoughts on how the profit sharing from merchandise sales is handled, the Wisconsin-born racer added:
“Well, I’m pretty sure they’re not buying the shirt because it’s NASCAR; otherwise, they’d just buy a shirt that says ‘NASCAR’ on it. I feel pretty screwed in that department.”
The topic of profit splits from merchandise sales between drivers and their respective teams has long been a point of contention in NASCAR. In a 2017 article addressing this issue, motorsport expert Jeff Gluck revealed that drivers typically earn between one to three percent of the profit generated from the sale of their merchandise.
It may be noted that while Danica Patrick retired from racing in 2018, the issue of how merchandise profits are split between drivers and teams remains largely unresolved.
When Danica Patrick named a race she could do again
Danica Patrick previously named a race she would love to run again in her career. The former IndyCar driver shared that she would love to redo her Indy 500 debut.
The 43-year-old, who made her Indy 500 debut in 2005, finished the race in fourth place—a result that left her with a subtle sense of disappointment, especially considering she had the race victory in sight.
The former Andretti Autosport star, speaking to USA Today in 2016, explained that there were a few things she believed she could have done better during the race. She said:
“My first Indy 500 comes to mind a little bit, just because I don’t race Indy cars anymore and I don’t have any more chances. That was a tough one. There were some things about that first Indy 500 that could have been different—a little more fuel left than I thought.
"I probably would have just led no matter what, even if it meant running out of fuel, as opposed to just finishing. I mean, I still finished fourth.”
Danica Patrick’s debut at The Greatest Spectacle in Racing came with mixed emotions. While she etched her name into history by becoming the first woman to lead an Indy 500 race, she had to relinquish the lead with seven laps to go due to the need to conserve fuel.
Patrick would later enjoy an even better experience at the Indianapolis event, finishing in third place during the 2009 edition of the Indy 500.
