danica

I didn't hear whining. Sounds like frank talk from someone frustrated for not finishing as well as they would have liked (which is generally all but the first person in the field). Stick a microphone in their face while those emotions are fresh, and everyone will be frustrated about the one or two things they would have liked to have gone more their way in the race.

I think the author got a bit on her case for "having no confidence in her fellow drivers". Umm... I'd say you need a fair bit of confidence just to be out there with them. Maybe not enough confidence to take a risk that paid off for another driver, but that's hardly "no confidence". And trust is a two-way street on the track. She's a rookie. Other drivers need to be confident in her too.

cwaters wrote: I'd honestly like to hear more about the woman who was in the race in '80(?). THAT must have taken some doing.

Here ya go:
http://espn.go.com/espnw/more-sports/8963949/espnw-janet-guthrie-outraced-insults-make-auto-racing-history

I'm kind of with the folks saying it's not really a whine. Folks (especially newbies) get freight trained all the time at plate tracks. The media's only dogpiling because it's her.

Yeah, it's kind of like a politician. Shove a mike in someone's face often enough and they'll say stuff they wish that they hadn't. Some more than others.

I would go as far saying she got the best finish she could. If she got out of line, she was headed to the back. In my opinion, she did pretty well. I've not always been the biggest Danica fan, but she did prove she can have patience when it counts. And that's all Daytona and Taladega are about. She didn't do anything stupid, stayed out of trouble, and got a good finish out of it.

However, none of the guys or girls at that level would have been happy about getting drop kicked 5 positions on the last lap. And to not be able to control it inside the car makes it even worse. If she had dropped down to Dale Jr., she would have taken her and many other people out. Her only hope was to see Dale dropping back and done the same thing, but even then, they could have sent her packing towards the rear.

It's a different world than heading down the backstretch at Road Atlanta.

Sooooo many complain about Danica, but I hear from the people who meet her, that she's a nice person with a great personality.

Honestly, she complains about as much as any other driver.

Keith Tanner wrote: I'm sure we'd all say the perfect things when we're all full of adrenaline and pumped up from a very eventful last couple of laps capping off a long race

I once said "berkeley yea mother berkeleyers" while being interviewed. That didn't make it past the editor. I was pretty stoked at the time

I totally wish she'd said that instead. Especially if she'd then punched the interviewer in the face, jumped on her car and flashed the crowd.

Klayfish wrote: She's a whiner and complainer...always has been. Get used to it. She ain't the first to be hung out to dry in the draft, and she won't be the last.

Let's see - she drives for Tony's team. And Tony's hero is A.J. Likely the two biggest whiners in the history of motorsports -- ok, we can throw Paul Tracy in there too. If she's whining - she's learning from the best!

Keith Tanner wrote: I totally wish she'd said that instead. Especially if she'd then punched the interviewer in the face, jumped on her car and flashed the crowd.

That'd be enough to convert me to NASCAR!

Not that I care about NASCAR, but I did watch a good bit of the race, specifically to see if Danica would do well. And I was rooting for her to win just so everyone would STFU. If she wasn't in the race, I wouldn't have watched one minute of it....I think NASCAR is hellaciously boring. But I watched for the personality stories (hers in particular). So by her being there, NASCAR got one (and probably a lot more) more viewer. The other drivers and fans should appreciate the fact that she's getting people interested in watching a NASCAR race who wouldn't otherwise be.

Was she whining or not? I care not. How many NASCAR drivers get in scuffles or throw their helmets or whine after races? Plenty of them. Plenty of racers in any series, actually. Plenty of us here can come up with an excuse when we lose at an autocross or rallycross or whatever (myself included). Chose the wrong tires.....course conditions were bad......grid position sucked....whatever. Some say it out loud, some don't. Elite drivers have to believe that they are the BEST or FASTEST and that losing isn't because "some other guy is better." Just the way it is. Drivers always say "well....xxx(guy who won) had a great set-up car, there was nothing I could do about it"....blame shift to your mechanics and crew?

As for me, I'd rather see Danica whine (or not) than to Mark Martin or Ricky Bobby or Dick Trickle or Cole Trickle whine. At least she looks good when she whines.

What that guy right there said? That was good.

Keith Tanner wrote: I saw that interview live. She'd just managed to wiggle out of the car after crossing the finish line. I'm sure we'd all say the perfect things when we're all full of adrenaline and pumped up from a very eventful last couple of laps capping off a long race. Yup, I'd never say anything that could be twisted around. I'm not a NASCAR expert, but I couldn't see how she could have got in front. You really can't do anything on your own. She took a gamble on who to draft and, well, the guys down low got it right.

Really??

even my wife saw 3 missed chances she had to get to the front.... in the last 12 laps... and at least 1 in the last 5

She had a very good car, easily fast enough if she had grown a pair and decided to play with the bigboys...

she could have finished 1st

friedgreencorrado wrote:

cwaters wrote: I'd honestly like to hear more about the woman who was in the race in '80(?). THAT must have taken some doing.

Here ya go: http://espn.go.com/espnw/more-sports/8963949/espnw-janet-guthrie-outraced-insults-make-auto-racing-history I'm kind of with the folks saying it's not really a whine. Folks (especially newbies) get freight trained all the time at plate tracks. The media's only dogpiling because it's her.

Janet Guthrie was a sports car racer (Sebring, etc) and even ran a couple PA hillclimbs. She was an aeronautical engineer by trade. Met her at an auto show in Harrisburg PA (she liked my Super Vee race car) and she did NOT shake hands like a girl!

oldeskewltoy wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: I saw that interview live. She'd just managed to wiggle out of the car after crossing the finish line. I'm sure we'd all say the perfect things when we're all full of adrenaline and pumped up from a very eventful last couple of laps capping off a long race. Yup, I'd never say anything that could be twisted around. I'm not a NASCAR expert, but I couldn't see how she could have got in front. You really can't do anything on your own. She took a gamble on who to draft and, well, the guys down low got it right.

Really?? even my wife saw 3 missed chances she had to get to the front.... in the last 12 laps... and at least 1 in the last 5 She had a very good car, easily fast enough if she had grown a pair and decided to play with the bigboys... she could have finished 1st

So could I, but I was racing from the couch like your wife! I was thinking more of the last couple of laps. Everybody had a fast car in that group.

oldeskewltoy wrote: Really?? even my wife saw 3 missed chances she had to get to the front.... in the last 12 laps... and at least 1 in the last 5 She had a very good car, easily fast enough if she had grown a pair and decided to play with the bigboys... she could have finished 1st

And she could have finished 21st if the big boys didn't want to play with her.

A good car (and driver) by itself isn't enough to get to the front. Patrick hasn't raced much with the drivers at the pointy end of the field and they don't know her well enough to trust her with racing hard for a win.

If she performs similarly as well at the next few races, things may start to change for her.

It should go without saying that there was a lot of good advice coming over the radio to keep her up front and outta trouble in the 500. Danica made reference and credos to radio advice all along her learning curve. She might have wanted to go for it as any racer would but I'd think the coaching played a major factor in her outcome.

Having seen the interview live, I can only say this so-called writer is nothing but a hack.

And maybe someone with a DVR can confirm this, but didn't Jr pass her on the high side?

racerfink wrote: And maybe someone with a DVR can confirm this, but didn't Jr pass her on the high side?

On the last lap? No, he passed on the low side.

If Tony Stewart had been there at the end things would have been much different.

i think Danica did the smart thing by staying where she was and getting a good finish .
How many drivers, in their first 500 mile plate race have finished as well ?

for everyone that's giving her hell for not pulling out and trying to win ....

A: a lot of posters have pointed out that no one might have gone with her ...

B: if she had mistimed the move it could have caused the "big one" ...

C: but even more is she needed a good finish ( 8th ain't all that bad), all you have to do is look at what happened to Jeff Gordon ... he pulled out trying to win ... check out where he ended up ... which finishing position do you think that her sponsor would rather see ? 8th or 20th ?

She's a good racer, the longer she's there the better her tactics will be. I saw the interview and didn't think she was whining at all, she was stating fact. Of course she was disappointed that she didn't end up winning or having a podium finish, just like another of the other guys who didn't end up on the podium would've been.

In reply to wbjones:

And she was 3rd right up until close to the end when Jr. and Martin came along.

yes she was... ( and she ran in the top 3 for ... something like 113 laps ...) but I'm in agreement with many others, when they pointed out that they doubted that Jr would have helped her ... much more likely to have dropped her ... assuming she had timed the move correctly and not been flipped up into the crowd