Danica Sue Patrick
Nickname: Danny
Height: 5'2
Weight: 100 Lbs.
Residence: Phoenix, AZ
Hometown: Roscoe, IL
Place of Birth: Beloit, WI
Birthdate: March 25, 1982
Marital Status: Married
Husband: Paul Edward Hospenthal
Paul and Danica were married on November 19th, 2005 in Scottsdale, Arizona
Paul's Birthdate: March 25, 1982
Parents: T.J. and Bev Patrick
Sister: Brooke
Pets: Miniature Schnauzer named William Robert who has a nickname of Billy.
Philosophy: Life is what you make it.
Physical Conditioning: Workout includes exercise, running, wieght training and yoga.
Recreation/Hobbies: Working out, traveling, shopping, movies, nice dinners, laughing and spending time with her family and friends. Loves to cook, especially breakfast.
Interests: Fashion and design.
Favorite Vehicles: Anything fast and black.
Favorite Music: Anything but country and classical.
Favorite Actors:
Will Ferrel, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey
Favorite Actresses:
Julia Stiles, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman
Favorite TV Shows:
Food Network, Late Show with David Letterman, Desperate Housewives
Favorite Movie Genre: Comedies, including Tommy Boy, Dumb and Dumber, Napolean Dynamite. Also likes westerns or anything in black and white.
Favorite Musicians: Alanis Morrissette, Norah Jones, Queen, Nelly
Favorite Food: Anything healthy, fish, veggies, fruit and oatmeal.
Favorite Drinks: H2O and Coffee.
Favorite Day of the Year: First day of summer.
Weakness: Procrastination
Greatest Aggrevation: When people ask her about racing trying to be social. Only ask if you really want to know something.
Notables: In High School she sang and played the flute, she was also a cheerleader.
Danica became interested in racing at age 10 after her younger sister Brooke wanted to race, Brooke later lost interest but Danica had a desire and devotion to continue in the sport of autoracing.
Danica Patrick became the fourth woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500, following Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James and Sarah Fisher.
Official Site: DanicaRacing.com
Twitter: Danica Patrick
Myspace.com: Danica Patrick
Danica and husband Paul
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Danica Sue Patrick
Danica Sue Patrick was born on March 25th, 1982 in Beloit, Wisconsin. Her parents are named Bev and TJ, TJ was a championship-winning driver, and Bev was a mechanic for a female racer. They were married and had two children, Danica and her younger sister, Brooke. The family lived in the Illinois town of Roscoe, TJ owned a plate glass company and a coffee shop.
Danica and Brooke remember watching thier father race his snowmobile around the track. It was Brooke who first asked her parents if she could try racing, after a few months Brooke lost interest in the sport, but Danica was hooked. Danica continued racing go-karts at Sugar River Raceway outside of Brodhead, Wisconsin, where she won several World Karting Association Championships from 1994 to 1996, in 1997 she won the Grand National Championship in both the Yamaha Lite and HPV classes. Danica had a tremendous amount of desire to win and a true love for the sport of auto racing.
Bev and TJ felt their daughter's future lay in something more advanced than go-karts, it was during discussions with racing officials that the Patricks learned about a developmental league in the United Kingdom. With the support of her parents, the ambitious sixteen-year old driver took full advantage of the racing opportunities available to her. During 1998 Danica traveled to England, where she ran in the Formula Vauxhall Winter Series. She also ran a limited karting schedule during the same year while she attended the Formula Ford racing school in Canada, fine-tuning her driving techniques.
In 1999 Danica Patrick made her first full season British racing debut, she finished ninth in the Formula Vauxhall Championship.
She earned a second-place in the 2000 British Zetek Formula Ford Festival Series, the highest finish ever for an American driver.
Danica drove for Andy Welch in the British Zetek Formula Ford Championship and for Haywood Racing in the European Formula Ford Series.
2001 was Danica's last year in England, Danica Patrick made a name back home in the U.S. She won the Gorsline Scholarship Award for 'top upcoming road racing driver,' and competed in the tough British Zetek Formula Ford Championship. On the heels of these feats, Danica Patrick was touted as the top female open-wheel driver with international experience.
2002
Danica started to impress quite a few team owners and professional racers, in 2002 at the age of 20, she signed a multi year contract with the racing team Rahal Letterman (the famous Letterman from the late night David Letterman talk show). As preparation for her full-season effort she ran a limited Barber-Dodge Pro Series schedule of five races, she collected her highest finish of the series with a fourth place finish at Vancouver. She entered the 2002 Long Beach Grand Prix Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, captured the pole and went on to win the pro division, topping former Trans Am champion Tommy Kendall and IRL driver Sarah Fisher. In June she tested a Busch Grand National car with PPC Racing.
2003 to 2004
As part of the Rahal Letterman team, she raced in the Toyota Atlantic Series, she did not win, however she did break the barrier for being the first female driver to win a pole position and the first women on the winner's podium with a third-place finish. Danica continued to race in the Toyota Atlantic Series, she went on to place in the top-five in 10 races out of 12 and came in third in the season championship point standings in 2004. She was the only driver in the Toyota Atlantic Series 2004 season to complete every lap.
2005
The decision was made to move Danica up to the Indy Racing League in 2005, she would not start out on the best foot forward, in fact, her first race she crashed, in her second and third race she placed miserably 15th and 12th. Even with a bad start the season was a banner year for Patrick, she became the fourth woman to race in the Indianapolis 500, she started fourth and finished fourth at the 89th Indianapolis 500. Her fourth place finish was the highest ever for a female driver, besting the previous record of ninth set by Janet Guthrie in 1978. She led 19 laps of the race, becoming the first woman ever to lead the Indy 500.
In July Danica captured her first pole position at Kansas Speedway, becoming the second woman to accomplish this feat in the IndyCar Series. Patrick earned the Bombardier Rookie of the Year award at the end of the 2005 IRL Championship season, she finished 12th in the standings for Rahal Letterman Racing. She was voted 2005 Indy Series "Most Popular Driver" and was also named 2005 Female Athlete of the Year by the United States Sports Academy.
2006
During the 2006 season with IRL (Indy Racing League), tragedy struck as teammate Paul Dana was killed in a two-car collision in the warm-up for the Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Both Patrick and Budd Rice bowed out of the first race. Danica did well during the season, she once again qualified for the Indy 500, she started 10th and finshed in a respectable 8th place. Patrick ended 9th in the series standings and was once again voted Indy Series "Most Popular Driver" for 2006, her second consecutive award.
2007
Danica decided to race with Andretti Green Racing team and took over the number 7 car replacing Bryan Herta. While this season was filled with ups and downs, she did well in the Indy 500 placing 8th once again. However, she did have some bad luck and a few crashes that took her out of contention, she scored her personal high in championship points to finish with 424 points and overall the 7th place spot. For a third consecutive time she was voted Indy Series "Most Popular Driver" for 2007.
2008
Danica Patrick's greatest triumph to date occurred on April 19, 2008, during her 50th start, when she drove to victory in a major closed-course auto race at the Indy Japan 300 and became the first woman ever to win a race on the IndyCar circuit. "It's been a long time coming," a tearful Patrick said in victory lane. "Finally." Besides being the first women to ever win an Indy event, she was tops among all the American drivers for the 7th place spot in the final IRL season point standings.
2009
Danica finished third behind winner Helio Castroneves and second-place Dan Wheldon in the Indianapolis 500. It was her best finish in five attempts, one spot better than her 2005 finish, and a new record high finish for a female driver in the race. The following weekend in Milwaukee Patrick raced to 5th position at the flag. Overall for the year, she cam in 6th place and besides being the first women to ever win an Indy event, once again she was tops among all the American drivers for the season.
2010
Danica signed a multi-year deal to remain in the IZOD IndyCar Series driving for the Andretti Green Racing team and longtime sponsor GoDaddy.com. Patrick and Michael Andretti unveiled her No. 7 Go Daddy.com car on Good Morning America, saying only that it was a "multiyear" contract. It is believed to be at least three years.
Patrick will drive a part-time schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports and her sponsor GoDaddy.com. Her first competitive stock car experience will be driving the green and orange No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in an ARCA race on February 6th, 2010 at Daytona International Speedway. She is currently scheduled to enter the Feb. 20th, 2010 Nationwide Series race at California's Auto Club Speedway for her NASCAR debut.
Patrick has become one of the most recognizable female athletes in the United States, gracing the covers of publications such as Sports Illustrated, TV Guide and ESPN: The Magazine. After coming so close to winning the Indy 500, her popularity skyrocketed and she was on the radar of practically every racer, as well as many media publications. Born in Wisconsin, she currently resides in Arizona with her miniature schnauzer named Billy Bob, or "William Robert", she is happily married to physical therapist Paul Hospenthal. When she isn't racing around the track at speeds up to 229 mph, she enjoys traveling, yoga, and spending time with her family and friends.
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