Danica Patrick Hints At Stewart-Haas Racing Wanted Her Gone

Now that her driving career has come to an end, Danica Patrick is revealing some of the details that led to her stepping out from behind the wheel. Watching this as a casual fan of both NASCAR and IndyCar, it’s not too hard to read between the lines and decipher what Patrick believes ended her driving days.

Patrick burst onto the NASCAR scene in 2010 after becoming the first, and to this day the only woman to win an IndyCar series race. With her came a seemingly lock-tight sponsorship agreement with domain registrar and web host GoDaddy. However, the company shifted its marketing toward other pursuits in 2016, leaving Patrick in search of reliable full-time funding.

Around this time seems to be when things started falling apart between Patrick and her Stewart-Haas team owners, who, according to Patrick, didn’t seem to be interested in helping secure funding. Instead, she asserts, they took the “easy way” and replaced her with a driver who came to the team with full funding.

While a decision like that may make sense financially for the team, it calls into question a matter of loyalty. While I understand the team can’t lose money to go racing, it seems as though they gave Patrick a bit of a “cold shoulder”, pushing her out the door despite her undeniable marketability. If you look at things strictly from a fiscal perspective, there is no greater asset in motorsports than a pretty face, regardless of on-track success. Fans flock to ladies in racing, and while many would turn up their noses at using one’s physical appearance to gain favor with the fans, Danica seemed to understand that was a necessary evil in the testosterone-driven world of motorsports, flaunting her figure regularly in GoDaddy TV spots.

While she may be done behind the wheel, don’t expect to forget the name Danica Patrick anytime soon. She’s still involved in the motorsports world and is dating NFL quarterback Aaron Rogers.