Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Danica Patrick
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Danica Patrick made an impact.
Danica Patrick is a retired American professional racing driver and model, renowned as the most successful woman in American open-wheel car racing history. Her landmark victory at the 2008 Indy Japan 300 remains the only IndyCar Series race ever won by a female driver. Throughout her career, she broke barriers and achieved significant milestones in a male-dominated sport, becoming a recognizable figure both on and off the track.
1974: First woman to race in championship since 1974
In 2003, Danica Patrick became the first woman to race in the Toyota Atlantic Series championship since 1974.
1978: Janet Guthrie's Tenth-Place Finish
In 1978, Janet Guthrie achieved a tenth-place finish, which was the previous best for a woman at Atlanta Motor Speedway before Danica Patrick's achievement in 2014.
1994: World Karting Association Grand National Championship
In 1994, Danica Patrick won the World Karting Association Grand National Championship in the Yamaha Sportsman class.
1994: Shawna Robinson Achieves Pole Position
In 1994, Shawna Robinson became the first woman to achieve a pole position in national NASCAR.
1996: Accepted into Lyn St. James Foundation Driver Development Program
In 1996, Danica Patrick was accepted into the Indianapolis-based Lyn St. James Foundation Driver Development Program.
1996: Karting Title
In 1996, Danica Patrick won a regional karting title.
1997: Television Appearances
In 1997, Danica Patrick was featured in television segments on ABC and MTV, increasing her exposure.
1997: Karting Title
In 1997, Danica Patrick won a regional karting title.
May 1998: Sports Car Club of America Race
In May 1998, Danica Patrick competed in a Sports Car Club of America race at Daytona International Speedway.
1998: Dropped out of high school and move to England
In 1998, Danica Patrick's parents consented to her dropping out of high school to pursue her racing career in England.
1998: Move to the United Kingdom
In 1998, with her parents' permission, Danica Patrick dropped out of high school and moved to the United Kingdom to further pursue her racing career.
1999: British Formula Vauxhall Championship
In 1999, Danica Patrick came ninth in points in the British Formula Vauxhall Championship.
2000: Formula Ford Festival
In 2000, Danica Patrick came second in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, tying Danny Sullivan's best performance by an American in the event.
2001: Return to the United States
Due to a lack of funding, Danica Patrick returned to the United States in 2001 after competing in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford in the United Kingdom.
2001: Gorsline Scholarship Award
In 2001, Danica Patrick was awarded the Gorsline Scholarship Award as the most aspiring road course competitor and was recognized as the top female open wheel race car driver with experience on the international scene.
2002: Barber Dodge Pro Series
In 2002, Danica Patrick participated in five Barber Dodge Pro Series races for Rahal Letterman Racing.
2002: Sarah Fisher's pole position
In 2005, Danica Patrick became the second woman in IndyCar Series history to achieve a pole position after Sarah Fisher did so in 2002.
December 2004: Named to Rahal Letterman Racing's IndyCar Series Roster
In December 2004, Rahal Letterman Racing named Danica Patrick to their IndyCar Series roster for 2005 after the team found the resources to run a third car.
2004: First woman to win pole position
In 2004, Danica Patrick competed in the Toyota Atlantic Series for the second consecutive year, becoming the first woman to win a pole position in series' history at the Portland International Raceway race. She ended the season third in points.
2004: Toyota Atlantic Series Pole Position
In the 2004 season, Danica Patrick secured third place in the Toyota Atlantic Series championship standings and became the first woman to win a pole position in the series.
2005: IndyCar Series Debut and Rookie of the Year
In 2005, Danica Patrick began her IndyCar Series career with Rahal Letterman Racing, achieving three pole positions and earning the Rookie of the Year awards for both the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series.
2006: Continued Racing with Rahal Letterman Racing
In 2006, Danica Patrick continued racing with Rahal Letterman Racing, achieving a season-high placing of consecutive fourth-position finishes.
2006: Endurance Racing Debut and Season with Rahal Letterman Racing
In 2006, Danica Patrick made her endurance racing debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona, co-driving a Pontiac Crawford. She continued her IndyCar campaign with Rahal Letterman Racing, finishing ninth in the final standings. She also received the title of Sportswoman of the Year from the March of Dimes.
2007: Move to Andretti Green Racing and Career-Best Finishes
In 2007, Danica Patrick moved to Andretti Green Racing, achieving a third-place finish at the Bombardier Learjet 550 and improving to a second-place finish at the Detroit Indy Grand Prix. She finished seventh in the drivers' standings.
2007: Move to Andretti Green Racing
In 2007, Danica Patrick moved to Andretti Green Racing, securing a second-place finish at the Detroit Indy Grand Prix and finishing seventh in the drivers' standings.
November 2008: Scheduled Test for Formula One Team Honda
In November 2008, Danica Patrick was scheduled to test for Formula One team Honda, but this was called off when the Honda team pulled out of the sport.
2008: Indy Japan 300 Victory
In 2008, Danica Patrick achieved a historic victory at the Indy Japan 300, marking the only win by a woman in an IndyCar Series race.
2008: Maiden IndyCar Victory at Indy Japan 300
In 2008, Danica Patrick secured her maiden IndyCar victory at the Indy Japan 300 held at Twin Ring Motegi on April 20th. She moved to the front with three laps remaining after previous leaders pitted for fuel, becoming the first woman to win a top-level open-wheel racing event.
2008: Indy Japan 300 Victory and Sixth in Standings
In 2008, Danica Patrick won the Indy Japan 300 and placed sixth overall in the drivers' standings.
2009: 24 Hours of Daytona and IndyCar Season
In 2009, Danica Patrick participated in the 24 Hours of Daytona, finishing eighth in class. She also continued in the IndyCar Series, achieving her best career finish at the Indianapolis 500 with a third-place position, setting a new record for women in the race. She finished the season fifth overall, her highest to date.
2009: Consideration for Formula One Drive
In late 2009, the American Formula One team US F1 allegedly considered testing Danica Patrick for a potential drive in 2010. However, she said she was not contacted by anyone from the team.
2010: Two Second-Place Finishes
During 2010, Danica Patrick managed two second-place finishes at oval tracks, despite a decline in overall form.
2010: IndyCar and NASCAR Season
In 2010, Danica Patrick returned to Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar Series and also participated in a limited schedule with JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Her best IndyCar performance was second at the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway. She also set a series record for consecutive races running at the finish. She ended the season finishing tenth in the drivers' standings.
2010: Comments on Formula One
In 2010, Danica Patrick stated she had no plans to leave the IndyCar Series for Formula One at the time after allegedly being considered for a potential drive by the American Formula One team US F1 in 2009.
January 2011: Informs Andretti of Intention to Leave
In January 2011, Danica Patrick informed Andretti team owner Michael Andretti of her intention to leave at the end of the 2012 season.
August 2011: Focus on NASCAR
In August 2011, Danica Patrick announced her plans to focus on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series full-time starting in 2012.
2011: Leaving IndyCar
After the 2011 season, Danica Patrick left IndyCar to focus on stock car racing full-time.
2011: Fourth-Place Finish
In 2011, Danica Patrick achieved her best result in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with a fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
2011: Nationwide Series Season
In 2011, Danica Patrick participated in a part-time schedule consisting of twelve races in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports. She achieved her highest finish in national NASCAR history at Las Vegas, placing fourth in the Sam's Town 300 race. She finished 26th in points for the season.
2012: Formula One Chief Executive's Comments
After the announcement of the return of Formula One to the United States in 2012, Formula One chief executive Bernie Ecclestone said that "to have someone like Danica Patrick in F1 would be a perfect advert."
2012: Focus on NASCAR
From 2012, Danica Patrick focused on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series full-time.
2012: Full-Time Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series Debut
In 2012, Danica Patrick raced full-time in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports and began competing in a limited schedule in the Sprint Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing. She qualified on the pole for the DRIVE4COPD 300 and finished tenth in the Nationwide Series standings. Her first race in Sprint cup series was the Daytona 500, where she finished 38th due to an accident on lap 1.
2012: Contract Extension
In December 2009, Danica Patrick signed a contract extension through the 2012 season, with an option for a third year.
2012: Career-High Tenth Place
In the 2012 season, Danica Patrick placed a career-high tenth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings.
2013: Previous Daytona 500 Pole
As Danica Patrick won the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500, she was eligible for the Sprint Unlimited in 2014.
2013: First Woman to Clinch Daytona 500 Pole Position
In 2013, Danica Patrick became the first woman to clinch the pole position for the Daytona 500 and the first female to achieve this in the Sprint Cup Series. She finished eighth in the race, becoming the highest-placing woman driver in Daytona 500 history. She also led 5 laps joining an elite club of only 14 drivers to have led both the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500.
2013: Daytona 500 Pole Position
In 2013, Danica Patrick became the first woman to win a Cup Series pole position by setting the fastest qualifying lap for the Daytona 500, finishing eighth in the race.
2014: Sprint Cup Series Season
In 2014, Danica Patrick continued in the Sprint Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing. She started twenty-seventh for the Daytona 500 and led briefly before an accident. She set records at the Aaron's 499 and the Coca-Cola 600.
2014: Joined The Players' Tribune
In 2014, Danica Patrick joined The Players' Tribune as a featured writer, attracted to the concept of athletes writing and controlling their own content.
2015: Crew Chief Appointment
For the 2015 season, Daniel Knost was appointed as Danica Patrick's full-time crew chief.
2015: Patrick's Decision on Formula One
In 2015, Danica Patrick asserted that she had no desire to move into Formula One, because she was too old to switch racing series; she said that she felt more comfortable being around her family and friends in NASCAR.
2015: Sprint Cup Series Season and Retaliatory Crash
In 2015, Danica Patrick continued with Stewart-Haas Racing, achieving two top-ten finishes and surpassing Janet Guthrie for the most top tens by a woman in Sprint Cup Series history. She was fined and put on probation for an intentional retaliatory crash against David Gilliland. Patrick finished 24th in the drivers' standings, the highest of her career.
2015: Most Top-Ten Finishes
In 2015, Danica Patrick surpassed Janet Guthrie's record for the most top-ten finishes by a woman in the Sprint Cup Series.
2016: Sprint Cup Series Season and Crew Chief Change
In 2016, Danica Patrick stayed with Stewart-Haas Racing and switched crew chiefs from Daniel Knost to Billy Scott. She retired early at the Daytona 500 after making contact with another car and was fined for gesturing to Kasey Kahne after a wreck at the Auto Club 400. She finished 24th in the final driver's standings.
June 2017: Fox's Cup Driver-Only Broadcast
In June 2017, Danica Patrick joined Fox's Cup driver-only broadcast of the Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway, working in the studio alongside Denny Hamlin.
2017: End of Full-Time Racing
Danica Patrick stopped racing full-time after the 2017 season.
2017: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
In 2017, Danica Patrick remained with Stewart-Haas Racing for the duration of the renamed Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. She achieved her best finish in any NASCAR Cup Series race with a fourth place at the Advance Auto Parts Clash exhibition race at Daytona, and she also took her first top-ten finish in seventy-seven races when she placed tenth at Dover on June 4th. Danica Patrick finished the 2017 season with one top-ten, eleven DNFs and an average finish of 23.8.
January 2018: Reunion with GoDaddy for Sponsorship
In January 2018, it was announced that Danica Patrick would be reunited with longtime partner GoDaddy for sponsorship of the "Danica Double" and assistance as she moved on to her life as a business woman and entrepreneur.
March 7, 2018: Final Indianapolis 500 Appearance
On March 7, 2018, it was announced that Danica Patrick's final Indianapolis 500 appearance would be in a third car for Ed Carpenter Racing.
July 18, 2018: Host of the ESPY Awards
On July 18, 2018, Danica Patrick became the first woman to host the ESPY Awards.
2018: Final Races and Retirement
In 2018, Danica Patrick competed at the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 before officially retiring from racing.
2018: Final Race at Indianapolis 500
In 2018, Danica Patrick's final race was the Indianapolis 500. On Lap 68, she crashed into the outside wall in turn two due to issues with the car setup, ending her racing career. She had started in seventh position.
August 2019: Launch of Pretty Intense Podcast
In August 2019, Danica Patrick launched a weekly podcast called Pretty Intense in which she discusses success, spirituality, and consciousness with guests.
2021: Sky Sports F1 Broadcast Team
In 2021, Danica Patrick joined the Sky Sports F1 broadcast team as a pundit for the United States Grand Prix.
2024: Pundit for Formula 1: Drive to Survive
In 2024, Danica Patrick became a pundit for the sixth season of the Netflix documentary series Formula 1: Drive to Survive.
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