Danica Patrick may have left her motor racing career behind, but she’s returning to the track with an invitation from the Indianapolis 500.
Patrick was named the pace car driver for the 2022 Indy 500 on Thursday in an announcement from the track organization. They used their official Instagram account to make the news known to the world. Check it out.
Obviously, Danica Patrick has some history with the race at the Brickyard. She once held the lead at three different times during the 2005 Indy 500. Patrick did not win that event, though.
She competed in the IndyCar Series for six years. Danica Patrick put up a third-place finish at the 2010 race in Indianapolis, which is the highest finish for a female driver. But she shifted her focus on stock cars in NASCAR, where she raced in different series through 2017. Patrick drove in two more races, the 2018 Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500, then retired.
These days, Danica Patrick has shifted her focus toward being a podcast host and interviewer. She regularly posts pictures of herself working out or in different clothes on her Instagram account.
Her romantic life also has been in the public eye over the past few years. Patrick dated Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for a few years before they broke up.
Danica Patrick Never Really Liked Being A Part Of NASCAR Racing
As we mentioned earlier, Danica Patrick spent some time as part of the NASCAR racing family. But she didn’t have a lot of fun, apparently, turning left on those historic tracks.
Parick was a guest on “The Carlos Watson Show” and talked about her loves and passions in life. Watson asked Patrick if she loved being a part of the auto racing world, she said that no, “she never really loved it.”
“It’s a sad thing because I think that there are truly people who really really love racing,” Patrick said. “Like when they’re done they jump in other cars and they go watch it … sports are one of these things where there’s so much emotion in it even as a fan.”
She said that being behind the wheel of a stock car that could reach insanely high temperatures wasn’t always fun.
“My skin was on fire sometimes from the sun coming in and hitting my legs,” she said. “It’s so hot inside of the car … “
