Don't hate the driver

There are a lot of Danica haters out there today and the demographic is what surprises me.

For the most part, its women, which surprises me. Fans of the sport or fans of the driver? My allegiance may be to Tony Stewart, but if someone makes a super save, or sweeps a weekend at Bristol like Kyle Busch, I’ll give that some props. Even 5-Time has my admiration for that feat.

“Wish it was someone more worthy.” “Not a fan.” I don’t get the hate. Up to now, stock car racing has been a good-old-boys network. Women fans of racing should be shouting!

Personally, I’m pretty proud of her for shattering another barrier. So, she’s not the first woman driver to make it, there are a few ahead of her.

We’re not discounting what women like Louise Smith did in 1946, being hand-picked by Big Bill to bring novelty to the newly-formed stock car series.

Nor are we forgetting Janet Guthrie who was the first woman to compete in the Indy 500 AND the Daytona 500. Janet was quite the star in NASCAR and the IRL.

The list of women drivers in NASCAR continues, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chrissy Wallace, Erin Crocker, Amber Cope, Angela Cope, Shawna Robinson, Johanna Long.

Then there’s Ashley Force in NHRA. Yeah. That’s fast. Not for very long, but that’s scary fast for those few seconds.

But Danica winning P1 for the Great American Race has people abuzz and some making some pretty disgusting jokes.

Is she good for the sport? Do sponsors like her? Does she attract attention for the sponsors?

Well, yes.

But it’s not all Danica. It’s Stewart-Haas Racing. Its Hendrick engines. She may drive, but the guys in the shop put it all together and give it giddy-up-go.

Remember, she’s not exactly new to racing. She has talent to go with the looks and being well-spoken. She started out in K&N and Nationwide and learned how to handle the super heavy stocks.

Until the last month, you never heard much about her private life, unlike other drivers whose off-track escapades are splashed all over the web, the Twitter-verse and gossip rags.

Will I live vicariously through Danica at next Sunday’s Daytona 500? You bet I will. Hers will be the in-car camera I want to watch. Although the gyro-cam was pretty amazing and I want to see more of that!

Bottom line is she had the fastest car on the track in qualifying and in practice. Therefore, she starts in the pole position. Plain and simple. It could have been Jeff Gordon. Or it could have been any one of 40 other drivers. But it’s Danica Patrick.

Live with it.

 So, now for the gratuitous photo of me at Daytona last year. I'd love to be there this week with the racing world. 

Here are the Race Peeps, Roberta Hunter, Laura Hepner and me at The Intimidator statue outside the speedway one of the sunny days before last year's rain-delayed race.