Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Patrick shrugs off unfair criticism, expectations

Friday, July 15, 2005 | 9:35 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Danica Patrick is eight races into her rookie season in the Indy Racing League and some casual observers of the sport already are pondering whether "another loss" might put her on the verge of a "slump" that could negate all the good publicity she has generated for the sport.

In truth, Patrick could go winless this season and still have one of the best rookie campaigns in the IRL since the league was formed in 1996. Only three IRL drivers have ever won a race in their rookie seasons and last year's top rookie, Kosuke Matsuura, had no wins and four top-10 finishes in 16 starts. Patrick already has four top 10s in eight outings, including an historic fourth-place effort in her sport's biggest race, the Indianapolis 500.

Fortunately for Patrick, she insists she doesn't listen to those who pile unrealistic expectations at her feet and then question why she hasn't won a race.

"I think that everyone is entitled to their own opinion," Patrick said this week during a national teleconference. "By all means, there's nothing that I want to do any more than win -- I promise you that. But I think for people to draw such conclusions that I have to win to make, I don't know, to do anything in particular ... it's like, hey, it's my first year; I'm learning a lot.

"I don't feel any more responsibility or any more obligation to do better because of it. My desire to be successful and to win has been the same forever. Just because there's more things written, I don't feel like it's justified in having to do better. I think every athlete at the top level tries as hard as they can all the time."

Besides, Patrick said, she never asked to become the poster girl for the IRL; all she wanted to do was race.

"I mean, I can understand how this sort of thing happens," Patrick said of the expectations other have for her. "When you get so much attention and everything, people seem to think this is what you have to do -- you have to win.

"I don't go out there and say, 'put me in as many newspapers and magazines as you can;' it's just what happened. It's just what people wanted to write."

So far, team co-owner Bobby Rahal said he has been pleased with the progress Patrick has made -- and the fact that she has been running at the end of all but one race this season.

"At the start of the season I told Danica I didn't care where she finished as long as she finished races this season," Rahal said. "On-track success has certainly come quicker than I thought it would and she has done a magnificent job balancing the demands in the race car and the demands on her outside of the car.

"It has been a long journey for her to get to this point but, in many ways, the journey is just beginning. I am very proud of what she has accomplished but I know the best is still yet to come."

The Indy Racing League will be in Tennessee this weekend for Saturday night's Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway.

ON THE CUSP: Kurt Busch will be looking to solidify his position in the NASCAR Nextel Cup points standings when the series visits New Hampshire International Speedway for Sunday's New England 300.

Busch, a Las Vegas native, swept both the July and September races at New Hampshire a year ago en route to the Nextel Cup championship. He currently is 10th in points with eight races remaining in NASCAR's "regular season."

"The setup that we've had here will definitely help us run well, but you always have to be adapting and changing to keep up with the current track conditions," Busch said. "Our second trip here in September marks the start of the 'Chase for the Nextel Cup,' so this is a track where our team feels it is vital to run well.

"We need a good run this weekend to help with the points. We're in contention right now, but not where we want to be to feel comfortable. But we're only 50 points or so out of fifth place, so the points are extremely competitive right now and Loudon would be a great place to gain some ground."

Last year, Busch was ninth in points going into the July race at New Hampshire and vaulted to sixth with his victory.

BACK ON TRACK: Atlanta Motor Speedway reopened for business Thursday, one week after the speedway suffered heavy damage as the result of a tornado.

Track general manager Ed Clark reiterated that repairs would be completed in time for the facility to host its second of two NASCAR Nextel Cup races Oct. 28-30.

IN WITH THE NEW: Ford Racing announced Thursday that the new Ford Fusion will replace the Taurus as the automaker's NASCAR racecar in the Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series beginning in 2006.

The Taurus, which made its NASCAR Cup debut in 1998, has won three Cup championships and scored 100 Cup race victories.

The Ford Fusion production car will hit showrooms this fall.

NO SANCTIONS: FIA, Formula One's governing body, said Thursday it would recommend that the seven teams that pulled out of last month's U.S. Grand Prix in Indianapolis not face sanctions.

The teams were advised by Michelin not to race because of safety concerns with its tires. FIA's World Motor Sports Council found the teams guilty of breaking two of the sport's rules when they elected not to compete in the race.

FIA acknowledged in a prepared statement that the teams were contractually obligated to heed Michelin's warnings not to race.

The seven teams were set to be penalized Sept. 14.

FOURTH FOR HAASE: Alex Haase of Las Vegas finished fourth in Tuesday night's Legends Car Pro feature during the fifth installment of the Hardee's Summer Shootout at Lowe's Motor Speedway. It was the second top-five finish for Haase, who is driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the 10-week summer series.