| IndyCar racing is done on both road courses and oval | | | | Speaking to the Indianapolis Star following her |
| tracks throughout the season, and typically drivers | | | | disappointing Long Beach finish, No. 7 said, "What am |
| are stronger suited in one versus the other. For | | | | I going to do, be mad for a couple of months while |
| Danica Patrick, it's all about the oval course. The | | | | we're racing on road courses? There's a lot of really |
| Andretti Autosport driver has made it clear she's out | | | | great drivers out here, and (the tracks) are difficult." |
| to conquer the entire racing league – oval | | | | With upcoming oval track races at Kansas City (May |
| courses and otherwise – but so far this season | | | | 1), Indianapolis (May 30), Ft. Worth (June 5) and Iowa |
| she hasn't quite hit her mark. | | | | (June 20), Danica Patrick fans can hold their breaths |
| Patrick's foray into the wide world of NASCAR early | | | | for IndyCar's leading lady to gain traction in driver |
| this year hasn't yet yielded much success, and | | | | standings. Considering she has consistently placed |
| neither has the start of her 2010 IndyCar season. | | | | better at oval tracks than road courses, the IRL |
| Patrick hasn't placed better than seventh in any of | | | | especially shouldn't count her out of contention for |
| the IRL's first four races of the season this year, | | | | this year's Indy 500, one of the most thrilling oval |
| with her seventh place finish at St. Pete standing as | | | | tracks of the year on the racing circuit. |
| her only Top 10 finish so far. To blame Patrick's | | | | Since her IndyCar debut at the Indy 500 in 2005 |
| lukewarm season in the IRL on her juggling NASCAR | | | | (where she even led a lap and became the first |
| on the side may be naive, however. | | | | woman driver to do so), Patrick has been hot on the |
| Looking at her record of wins and top placements | | | | heels of a victory in Indianapolis. Her average finish at |
| over the last few years, it's clear that Danica Patrick | | | | the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is ninth, and last |
| is better at racing oval tracks than road courses. The | | | | year the speedster even placed third at the |
| GoDaddy spokeswoman won her first career | | | | Indianapolis 500, just behind winner Helio Castroneves |
| IndyCar race at the 2008 Indy Japan 300 at Twin | | | | and runner-up Dan Wheldon. |
| Ring Motegi – a road course – and became | | | | This year, Danica Patrick is out to take the gold at |
| the first woman to ever win an IRL race, and she's | | | | the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," and the Kansas |
| also been fairly consistent at the Indianapolis 500, the | | | | City race on May 1 will be her chance to gear up for |
| most prestigious oval course on the schedule, as well. | | | | the Indy 500 during Memorial Day weekend. Patrick is |
| So far this season, the IRL schedule has taken | | | | a lead seller of <a rel="nofollow" |
| drivers strictly through road courses at Sao Paulo, St. | | | | onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' |
| Pete, Birmingham and Long Beach, but the upcoming | | | | outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" 500 tickets< |
| stretch of oval tracks over the next two months | | | | a> and will continue to be a media magnet at this |
| should be enough to help Danica Patrick boost her | | | | year's big race, and perhaps she'll soon be sending |
| stock in the IRL. | | | | the following message resounding through the IRL |
| In 2010, Danica Patrick has posted four subpar | | | | with a mid-season shift from road to oval courses: |
| finishes, coming in 21st at both Sao Paulo and Long | | | | don't count out No. 7. |
| Beach, 19th at Birmingham and seventh at St. Pete. | | | | |