History of Danica Patrick in Timeline

Danica Patrick is a retired American professional racing driver and model, recognized as the most successful woman in American open-wheel car racing history. Her landmark achievement includes a victory at the 2008 Indy Japan 300, marking the only IndyCar Series race win by a female driver. Beyond racing, she has also pursued modeling.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1974: First Woman to Race in Championship

In 2003, Danica Patrick was the first woman to race in the Toyota Atlantic championship since 1974.

1978: Record Broken

In 2014, Danica Patrick clinched her best finish in the Sprint Cup Series, making her the second woman to take a top ten at the circuit; this beat the record of Janet Guthrie's tenth-place finish in 1978.

March 25, 1982: Danica Patrick's Birth

On March 25, 1982, Danica Sue Patrick was born. She later became a professional racing driver and model.

Others born on this day/year

1994: WKA Grand National Championship

In 1994, Danica Patrick won the World Karting Association Grand National Championship in the Yamaha Sportsman class.

1994: Second Woman to Achieve Pole Position

In 2012, Danica Patrick qualified on the pole for the DRIVE4COPD 300, making her the second woman to achieve this feat in national NASCAR after Shawna Robinson in 1994.

1994: Second Woman to Clinch Nationwide Series Pole Position

In 2012, Danica Patrick was the second woman to clinch a pole position in the Nationwide Series, after Shawna Robinson in 1994.

1996: Cheerleader at Hononegah Community High School

In 1996, Danica Patrick was a cheerleader at Hononegah Community High School in Rockton.

1996: Accepted into Lyn St. James Foundation

In 1996, Danica Patrick was accepted into the Indianapolis-based Lyn St. James Foundation Driver Development Program.

1996: Regional Karting Titles

In 1996, Danica Patrick won regional karting titles.

1997: Television Segments on Danica Patrick

In 1997, ABC and MTV ran television segments on Danica Patrick.

1997: WKA Grand National Championship

In 1997, Danica Patrick won the World Karting Association Grand National Championship in the HPV class.

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: Move to the United Kingdom

In 1998, Danica Patrick dropped out of high school with her parents' permission to move to the United Kingdom to further her racing career.

1998: Dropping Out of High School

In 1998, Danica Patrick's parents consented to her dropping out of high school to advance her racing career in England.

1999: British Formula Vauxhall Championship

In 1999, Danica Patrick competed in the British Formula Vauxhall Championship, finishing ninth in points.

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: Formula Three Test

In 2001, Danica Patrick received a Formula Three test with Carlin, and later a second test was cancelled.

2001: Return to the United States

In 2001, Danica Patrick returned to the United States due to a lack of funding after competing in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford in the United Kingdom.

2002: Barber Dodge Pro Series

In 2002, Danica Patrick competed in five Barber Dodge Pro Series races for Rahal Letterman Racing.

2002: Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race Win

In 2002, Danica Patrick won the professional class at the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race and placed third overall.

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 in 2002.

2003: Toyota Atlantic Series and Sports Car Debut

In 2003, Danica Patrick switched to the Toyota Atlantic Series and secured the first podium for a woman in the series' history. She also made her sports car debut at the Grand Prix of Atlanta.

December 2004: Named to IndyCar Series Roster

In December 2004, Rahal Letterman Racing named Danica Patrick to their IndyCar Series roster for the 2005 season.

2004: Toyota Atlantic Series Pole Position

In 2004, Danica Patrick achieved her best effort as third in the championship standings for the season, becoming the first woman to win a pole position in the Toyota Atlantic Series.

2004: Toyota Atlantic Series Pole Position and Points Lead

In 2004, Danica Patrick became the first woman to win a pole position in the Toyota Atlantic Series and took the points lead, finishing the season third overall.

2005: IndyCar Series Debut and Rookie of the Year

In 2005, Danica Patrick debuted in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Racing and took three pole positions. She was named the Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series.

2006: Continued Racing with Rahal Letterman Racing

In 2006, Danica Patrick continued racing with Rahal Letterman Racing, improving over the previous year.

2006: 24 Hours of Daytona and IndyCar Season

In 2006, Danica Patrick made her endurance racing debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona and continued her IndyCar campaign with Rahal Letterman Racing, finishing ninth in the final standings. She was also awarded Sportswoman of the Year by the March of Dimes.

2007: Move to Andretti Green Racing and Season Performance

In 2007, Danica Patrick moved to Andretti Green Racing, achieved multiple top-ten finishes, and clinched her then best career finish with a third at the Bombardier Learjet 550, ultimately placing seventh in the drivers' standings.

2007: Move to Andretti Green Racing

In 2007, Danica Patrick moved to Andretti Green Racing, continuing her IndyCar Series career.

April 24, 2008: Guest on Late Show with David Letterman

On April 24, 2008, Danica Patrick appeared as a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman after winning her first IndyCar race.

2008: Victory at Indy Japan 300

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 to date.

2008: Sixth Overall in Drivers' Standings

In 2008, Danica Patrick followed up her Japan victory to place sixth overall in the drivers' standings.

2008: Maiden IndyCar Victory

In 2008, Danica Patrick secured her maiden IndyCar victory at the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi on April 20th. She moved to the front with three laps remaining after previous leaders pitted for fuel, holding the lead to win and becoming the first woman to win a top-level sanctioned open wheel car racing event.

February 1, 2009: Appearance in GoDaddy commercials during Super Bowl XLIII

On February 1, 2009, Danica Patrick appeared in two GoDaddy commercials aired during Super Bowl XLIII, including the most watched Super Bowl commercial of 2009, her "Enhancement" ad for GoDaddy.com.

2009: Indianapolis 500 Record Finish

In 2009, Danica Patrick achieved her best finish at the Indianapolis 500, placing third. This set a new record for the highest-placed finish for a woman in Indianapolis 500 history.

February 10, 2010: Acting debut in CSI: NY

On February 10, 2010, Danica Patrick made her acting debut in an episode of CSI: NY, playing a race car driver suspected of murder.

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2010: Two Second-Place Finishes

During 2010, Danica Patrick's overall form declined, but she still managed two second places at oval tracks.

2010: Start in NASCAR Nationwide Series

In 2010, Danica Patrick began racing stock cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series).

2010: Career High at Texas Motor Speedway

In 2010, Danica Patrick had her best performance of the season at the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway, leading one lap and finishing in second place.

January 2011: Departure Announcement

In January 2011, Danica Patrick informed Andretti team owner Michael Andretti of her intention to leave at the end of the 2011 season.

August 2011: NASCAR Focus Announcement

In August 2011, Danica Patrick announced her plans to focus full-time on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series starting in 2012.

2011: Leaving IndyCar for Stock Car Racing

After the 2011 season, Danica Patrick left IndyCar to focus on stock car racing full-time.

2011: Fourth-Place Finish at Las Vegas

In 2011, Danica Patrick achieved her best result in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with a fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

2011: Highest-Finishing Woman in NASCAR History

In 2011, Danica Patrick became the highest-finishing woman in national NASCAR history at Las Vegas when she placed fourth in the Sam's Town 300 race, surpassing Sara Christian's 62-year record.

2012: Full-Time Nationwide Series and Limited Sprint Cup Series

In 2012, Danica Patrick raced full-time in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports and began competing a limited schedule with ten races in the Sprint Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing in an alliance with Tommy Baldwin Racing, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Impala.

2012: NASCAR Focus

In August 2011, Danica Patrick announced her plans to focus full-time on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series starting in 2012.

2012: Contract Option

In December 2009, Danica Patrick signed a contract extension through the next two seasons, with an option for a third in 2012.

2012: Career-High Tenth in Season Standings

In the 2012 season, Danica Patrick placed a career-high tenth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings.

2013: First Woman to Clinch Daytona 500 Pole

In 2013, Danica Patrick became the first woman to clinch the pole position for the Daytona 500 and the first female to achieve the feat in the Sprint Cup Series.

2013: Daytona 500 Pole Position and Eighth-Place Finish

In 2013, Danica Patrick became the first woman to win a Cup Series pole position by setting the fastest qualifying lap for the 2013 Daytona 500, where she finished eighth.

2013: Daytona 500 Pole

In 2014, Danica Patrick was eligible for the Sprint Unlimited because she won the pole position for the 2013 Daytona 500.

2014: Daytona 500 Crash and Records

In 2014, during the Daytona 500, Aric Almirola clipped Danica Patrick, sending her car into a wall. She also set three records during the season: the first came at the Aaron's 499 where she was the first female to lead at the track, and her finishing position of 22nd was the best for any woman at the circuit. Patrick had the best qualifying performance for any woman at a non-restrictor plate track when she put her car fourth on the grid for the Coca-Cola 600.

February 21, 2015: Booth analyst for Xfinity Series races

On February 21, 2015, NASCAR on Fox hired Danica Patrick as a booth analyst for Xfinity Series races, providing commentary for the race at Michigan.

2015: Crew Chief Assignment

In 2014, Danica Patrick was assigned teammate Kurt Busch's crew chief Daniel Knost and his pit crew for the season's final three races, and was later appointed her full-time crew chief for 2015.

2015: Most Top Tens by a Woman

In 2015, Danica Patrick scored two top-ten finishes (seventh at the STP 500 and ninth at the Food City 500), surpassing Janet Guthrie for the most top tens by a woman in Sprint Cup Series history. She also became the first woman to start a hundred Cup Series races at the Quaker State 400.

2015: Most Top-Ten Finishes by a Woman in Sprint Cup Series

In 2015, Danica Patrick surpassed Janet Guthrie's record for the most top-ten finishes by a woman in the Sprint Cup Series.

2016: Fined for Gesturing

In 2016, Danica Patrick was fined $20,000 for gesturing to Kasey Kahne after he wrecked her car at the Auto Club 400.

June 2017: Joined 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

After the 2017 season, Danica Patrick stopped racing full-time.

July 18, 2018: Hosted 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 2018 Daytona 500 and the 2018 Indianapolis 500 before officially retiring.

2018: Final Race at Indianapolis 500

In 2018, Danica Patrick's final race was the Indianapolis 500. On Lap 68, she lost control going into turn two and crashed into the outside wall, ending her race.

June 2023: Criticism for podcast discussion on alien involvement in human DNA

In June 2023, Danica Patrick was criticised for engaging a discussion about alien involvement in human DNA during her podcast.

October 2024: Voted for the first time

In October 2024, Danica Patrick shared via Instagram that she had voted for the first time in her life at the age of 42, and had voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 United States presidential election.