It’s not a bad year to be Danica Patrick.
The 27-year-old IndyCar driver appeared in the most-watched Super Bowl commercial for 2009, was featured in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue as a model and — oh, yes — came as close to winning the Indianapolis 500 as any woman ever has.
But Patrick isn’t done yet. She’s hoping to further her best season yet with a win Saturday at the Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet.
RedEye spoke with Illinois-raised Patrick on the phone about her career, her love of Chicago and the thing everyone’s been buzzing about: her possible switch to NASCAR.
You grew up in nearby Roscoe, Ill. Do you consider this area “home”?
Yeah, all my friends and family are still here, and my best friend lives downtown. I come to Chicago a lot, especially during the summer.
Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket in Illinois?
Oh, yeah, I got plenty of speeding tickets in Illinois when I was younger. I still speed though.
How would you sum up your IndyCar season so far?
It’s been a pretty good season, it started off really well, but we’ve struggled as a team on road races the last month and a half. But we’ve got Chicago coming up, and hopefully we can have a good finish.
Have you made any adjustments this season?
I think this year I’ve been trying to have more fun and trying to relax … just having a good time.
What’s been a high point for you this year?
The high point for the season definitely was the [Indianapolis 500] and maybe the low point just because I got so close and didn’t win the race. If that yellow flag wouldn’t have come out with 20 to 30 laps to go … but it did, so what can you say?
You’ve won one race so far in your IndyCar career. How bad do you want to win?
Of course, you want to win. That’s my job is to win races. All of the drivers are really good and really fast, though, and anyone can win a race, so the challenge is there every weekend with all of the competition out there.
How does this Chicago race and this track compare with some of the others? I know you haven’t had huge success here the last few years, do you think it could change this time?
It’s tough. Chicago is at the end of the season, so a lot of drivers just go all out. It’s good though, I like driving in Chicago, and there’s great action there for the fans.
It seems like you have a bit of a reputation for having a temper in the past and getting into “spats” with other drivers. Is that fair or do you think it’s overblown?
Really, I think it was last year. This year I’ve tried to be calm, happy and patient and trying to stay more even-keeled for myself. The races are better when I’m more calm and there’s less drama.
What’s the status of your decision to possibly make the move to NASCAR?
My agents are working hard and looking at my opportunities to see what’s the next step in my career. I drive for a good team, and with that in mind it makes it a very tough decision to decide what to do next.
There’s no way to really set a deadline, but I’d like to get it done by Christmas.
You once said this about Twitter: “I just don’t get it. I don’t want people to know where I am all the time. I don’t think it’s healthy or safe.” But it seems like now you use Twitter semi-regularly. Did you change your mind about it?
It started out because my sponsor really wanted me to Twitter, and at first I was like I don’t know. I’m not sure if I want everyone to know what I’m doing all the time. … But once I started doing it, I realized it’s pretty cool to be able to give my side of the story, and it shows a lot of my personality without me having to do a reality show or documentary.
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The Danica file
Deep dish or thin crust: Thin. “I like thin crust because you can eat more pieces that way.”
What’s on your iPod: The Black Eyed Peas. “My husband introduced me to ‘Ten’ by Pearl Jam, and I’ve been obsessed with that lately.”
Club or couch: Couch. “I’m not really a going out-and-clubbing type of person. I’m more of get-a-bottle-of-wine-and-hang-out-with-friends type, something more low-key.”
City street you’d like to cruise: “Lake Shore would probably be the best. Not only is it beautiful, but it’s got some curves. The Skyway, too, you could really cruise on that.” R.S.
