Danica stories

[blackhaus7]

(So I guess Gordon is just one blustering loud-mouth tainting the field.)

So what else is new?

And, just because you live in a cooler part of the state tham me.....

 

[Guest]

So what else is new?

And, just because you live in a cooler part of the state tham me.....

Kansas is good - nice to have another Author's Hangout person from Kansas!

(who cares Manhattan vs Lawrence?)

 

[blackhaus7]

Kansas is good - nice to have another Author's Hangout person from Kansas!

(who cares Manhattan vs Lawrence?)

Oh, I'm not in Manhattan, Lisa is. I lived in Topeka once, though and will be there this weekend for an SCCA race. I live north of Wichita (Fool Country ) I've partied in your fair city several times.

 

[AppleBiter]

Kansas is good - nice to have another Author's Hangout person from Kansas!

(who cares Manhattan vs Lawrence?)

I could give a shit about KU vs K-State, but Lawrence vs. Manhattan as towns, there is no contest. Lawrence is the BOMB!

 

[blackhaus7]

I could give a shit about KU vs K-State, but Lawrence vs. Manhattan as towns, there is no contest. Lawrence is the BOMB!

No argument from me on that one.

 

[Guest]

No argument from me on that one.

Well, I must admit to a certain bias about KU.

Oh - and The Fool, also in the AH, hails from Kansas as well.

 

[blackhaus7]

Well, I must admit to a certain bias about KU.

Oh - and The Fool, also in the AH, hails from Kansas as well.

I know. Read post 28 above you.

 

[Guest]

I know. Read post 28 above you.

LOL!

Now don't start that!

I can barely handle one handle for most people!!

 

[blackhaus7]

LOL!

Now don't start that!

I can barely handle one handle for most people!!

I'm only me. (That is the handle you meant, right?) By my count, four Kansans are regular here. (Aren't we a perverse lot?)

 

[Guest]

I'm only me. (That is the handle you meant, right?) By my count, four Kansans are regular here. (Aren't we a perverse lot?)

Ah, now I understand.

(Please forgive my early morning typing without coffee.) http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/trinken/trinken003.gif

Four of us from Kansas, hmm? What are the odds of that?

I suppose quite a few Bible Belt recipients have managed to lose their Bibles.

 

[Guest]

So Dran -

You seem to be more of an expert on racing than many here (well, I could ask my brother-in-law, but he can be a pompous windbag about things - groan) so may I phrase this question to you?

Do you feel this situation is more of a sexist response than a true racing problem? And if she had won, would all of her accomplishments have an *asterisk* by them in the record books (or at least in the minds of the other racers) because of it?

It certainly seems sexist to me. It is almost disquieting to come smack in the face of that, listening to everyone attempt to explain it away over and over again on Headline News. Come on!

I find her entire proffessional career is being made into a sexist response against her will. The press is quick and dying to taut her as a woman racecar driver, stressing "Woman". Danica sees herself, as I do, as a racecar driver who happens to be a woman.

Robby Gordon will find a reason to bitch about her because he sees her, as I do, as a superior driver. And his male ego, unlike mine, cannot accept that. But then Robby is the first to point his finger men when they consitantly beat him, accusing them of having an unfair advantage.

His accusations do stem from sexism, though. If Danica was taller and weighed as much as some of the other drivers I have no doubt that he would find another reason to bitch. But, he would never admit his problem is with her being a woman. He's merely suffering from that classic male ego crusher, "Ha Ha! You got beat by a GIRL."

Understand, During the era that Gordon and I grew up in it was very different in racing. Not just for the social more' aspect. In the sixties and early 70's women didn't drive race cars because the cars were heavy, and had no power steering. In those days it took a hell of a strong man to drive those cars. And I'm not being sexist there either. Most of the men who race today would not have made 500 miles in those cars. And a woman who was strong enough would have been ostracized as a freak. That's just the way things were then. Not my view.

By the mid 70s the cars were much lighter and didn't take as much strenth to control. Enter Janet Guthrie. Larger than the average woman, and by looks, almost as much man as she was woman. However Janet Guthrie was more of a feminist driving race cars to prove she was better than men, than she was a race car driver trying to get people to look past the fact that she was a woman. And as an outspoken feminist in that time it became increasingly difficult to find finacial backing and eventually she gave it up claiming she had made her point. And to an extent she did. She got her foot in the door and kicked it open.

But to many devotedrace fans she simply made a fool of herself. Women included. She constantly shoved the fact that she had finished in the top 10 at Indy in everyones face to show she was as good as any man. But she left out the fact hat several large accidents that year cleared out most of the field and she inherited 9th place even though she was 10 LAPS (25 miles) behind the leaders. Not a finish to brag about, and it left a bad taste in the mouths of many teams and sponsors, evidenced by the next woman to make the attempt.

Desiree Wilson, a proven race driver, with a non-championship Grand Prix win could not get enough funding to get a decent car and attemted to qualify a car that was 5 years old and thoroughly worn out. She failed and never made another attempt.

It was almost 20 years before another woman even tried. Lynn St. James Came to Indy from a fairly successful sports car racing career. She also held numerous record for speed on closed circuits. With Secret deodorant as a sponsor she got relatively decent equipment but had to settle for crew of the relatively inexperienced in Indycar racing. She managed to qualify and did a fine job in the race though her best finsh was 11th a couple laps down.

Her biggest two obsticals though were her experience level and he age. She was a VERY experienced sports car driver, but had never raced open wheeled, open cockpit cars like that before. And, like Guthrie, had opted to only run the Indy 500, because the finacial backing wasn't there to run the entire season. So she spent only a few days out of the year driving those cars instead of the 10 months the regular drivers had. She was also nearly 50 years old when she dicided to make her run at Indy. She was starting at an age when most drivers are looking at retirement because the reflexes they needed to be competitive were slipping away. And she retired after a few attempts having never been in a position to mount a first class effort.

Enter Sarah Fisher. Daughter of a well respected race car driver and engine builder, Sarah started racing go-karts at 10 yrs old. SHe did well and moved up to quarter midgets by 14. At 16 years old her father decided to skip a step in her developement and instead of putting her into a full midget car, he shoved her directly into sprint cars. I was at Limaland Motor Speedway the night Sarah turned her first laps in a 360 sprint car. I admit I was impressed with her speed in qualifying that night. She finished fourth in the feature that night.

After a few weeks drivings sprints at the local level her father decided she was ready to challenge the Big Boys and fielded a car for her in the All Star series. She held her own but did not have what I would call a brilliant career. When she turned 18 her father skipped another wrung on the ladder. Instead of finding her a ride in the IRLs feeder series, Infinity Pro, he sold Walker Racing on the idea of fielding her at Indy and giving her a full season ride the next year. This was where her true colors began to show. Waker racing was one of the upper level teams in the IRL so Sarah had good equipment and a good team. But her results were not up to par. She often qualified well, but slowly fell back during the race. In my oppinion, she simply did not have the guts to drive at those speeds in traffic. A few more years of developement in lower series would have been a great help. But it's too late for that now.

5 years ago, while Bobby Rahal is in England running the Jaguar Formula 1 team, he's watching a formula ford race, a support and feeder series for British racing, he sees a driver who really impresses him with talent, determination, and just plain guts. He signed the driver to a conract to come back to the states and drive in the Barber Pro Dodge series. Danica did well in that series proving that she could indeed drive a race car. She was 17 years old. The next year he put her into a formula Atlantic ride, CART's feeder and support series. In two years she made several impressive runs and last year finished third in the champinship behind two former series champions. This year he moved her into his Indycar program and she has been steadily improving. Qualifying well and finishing better with each outing.

I will not be at all surprised to see Danica win a race before the end of this year. She is with a top team with good equipment and a strong team behind her. But more importantly, she is a talented RACE CAR DRIVER who happens to be a woman. Not a WOMAN who is trying to be a race car driver.

I think she will tear down the sexual barriers that exist in motersports. Not because that's what she wants to do, but by proving those barriers don't really exist.

 

[Guest]

Thank you, Dran. Excellent history lesson.

Exactly what I needed to hear.

So she is very good for racing, but bad for Gordon, who sounds like a weenie, anyway.

 

[blackhaus7]

A couple of asides:

Denise McCluggage might take exception to your description of racing in the 60's and 70's. She (a fellow Kansan, I might add) was competitive in sports car distance events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ran in the World Championship Rally (placing well at Monte Carlo), too. Late 50's and early 60's. Now an automotive journalist. I'm sure there were others, but she is the first to come to mind.

I had the opportunity to visit with Lyn St. James about 20+ years ago when she was the pace car driver at a race at Mid-America Raceway outside St. Louis. I was assigned to accompany her on pace laps to form up the field. Fascinating woman.
This was before her Indy attempts.

 

[Guest]

A couple of asides:

Denise McCluggage might take exception to your description of racing in the 60's and 70's. She (a fellow Kansan, I might add) was competitive in sports car distance events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ran in the World Championship Rally (placing well at Monte Carlo), too. Late 50's and early 60's. Now an automotive journalist. I'm sure there were others, but she is the first to come to mind.

I had the opportunity to visit with Lyn St. James about 20+ years ago when she was the pace car driver at a race at Mid-America Raceway outside St. Louis. I was assigned to accompany her on pace laps to form up the field. Fascinating woman.
This was before her Indy attempts.

I had forgotten About Denise Mcluggage. Thank you for the correctin.

However, Sports cars are a far cry from the roadsters at indy in the sixties, much easier to handle especially in a corvette with power steering. And even during that era no one was running endurance events solo. I have no doubts she had at least one co-driver for those events.

None-the-less, quite an accomplishment for the time.

EDIT: Just remembered, she was one of the "Think Pink" Team with Janet Guthrie and Sue Mims. Made a big stir but if I remember they didn't finish at either Daytona or Sebring. I could be wrong on that though. Have to go look it up I suppose.

 

[blackhaus7]

I had forgotten About Denise Mcluggage. Thank you for the correctin.

However, Sports cars are a far cry from the roadsters at indy in the sixties, much easier to handle especially in a corvette with power steering. And even during that era no one was running endurance events solo. I have no doubts she had at least one co-driver for those events.

None-the-less, quite an accomplishment for the time.

If I remember right, she drove a pig of a Ford Falcon in the Monte Carlo Rally and placed well. Maybe not as demanding as the old front engine roadsters, but a good push anyway.

By the way, it's great to have a fellow motorhead around.

 

[Guest]

By the way, it's great to have a fellow motorhead around.

Indeed. I was beginning to think I was alone in my passion for motorsparts.

Ao what's YOUR poison? I'll watch anything with an engine race, but I prefer F1, Grand Am and ALMS. Though, seeing people I know in the indycar series keeps drawing me back and they do have some damned good races. I just get irked everytime I see Tony George because it reminds me what a liar he is and how he scammed American Open Wheel racing and the fans.

 

[amicus]

Fascinating stuff! Thanks to all. Go Danica!


amicus...

 

[Weird Harold]

I also wanted to see if any other authors who write celebrity stories would be interested in writing one. I can't get enough of this girl.

If anyone needs some inspiration:

http://www.indymotorspeedway.com/danica.htm

http://www.indymotorspeedway.com/05pics/danica110.jpg

http://www.indymotorspeedway.com/05pics/danica206.jpg

http://www.kobiety.website.pl/images/Danica%20Patrick.jpg

 

[blackhaus7]

Indeed. I was beginning to think I was alone in my passion for motorsparts.

Ao what's YOUR poison? I'll watch anything with an engine race, but I prefer F1, Grand Am and ALMS. Though, seeing people I know in the indycar series keeps drawing me back and they do have some damned good races. I just get irked everytime I see Tony George because it reminds me what a liar he is and how he scammed American Open Wheel racing and the fans.

First love is live. I've started 30 SCCA amatuer races so far this year. Then, it could be anything. Motorcycle roadracing is almost better than auto. I've come to prefer Daytona Prototypes over ALMS only because of the competitive nature. Formula Atlantic because I know some of the drivers who moved up. F1 because it's F1 and interesting this year. CART and IndyCar have to get back together or they'll die alone. Back to DP, last year at the 24 of Daytona, Tony Stewart got my vote of his generations Mario Andretti - stick him in and he'll be fast. He lapped the course with two wheels in the air only 2 seconds slower that with all four. The in-car camera showed him as cool as anyone I've seen and I'm a Stewart fan.
Hell, he'd win in WRC. I love WRC, too. I'll even watch oval racing if I have to, but it's last in line.