Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Keeping her eyes on track

The media circus that followed Danica Patrick from racetrack to racetrack last season after her historic fourth-place finish in the Indianapolis 500 did not sour Patrick on her newfound celebrity.

In fact, Patrick said the opposite is true as she prepared for next weekend's Indy Racing League IndyCar Series opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"I'm conditioned, so let it grow," Patrick said with a laugh. "I'm not sure how much further there is to go but there is room, I'm sure. I'm OK with it; I hope that it gets bigger and better and it ... keeps growing the series and gets everybody's name out there. I can handle it.

"It always feels good to be in a big, hyped atmosphere. Helio Castroneves said it best in Indianapolis before we walked out to the starting grid and he said, 'I just wish every race was like this - it's so much fun.' I thought about it and it's so true; Indianapolis is such an event and so, therefore, I hope (the attention) keeps getting bigger and better and more people keep watching and more attention is on it."

Patrick, who posted seven top-10 finishes in 17 starts as a rookie last season, said she was careful not to let the expectations of others put undue pressure on her - and will continue to do so this season.

"It would be bad if I felt the pressure to perform along with it," she said. "But I promise you, I want to do well for myself. I'm the one that has to live with all of it at the end of the day.

"If I can walk away happy from (a race), then that's all that I ask for of myself. I don't worry about what other people say or what other people think; that would be the bad thing, if I felt more pressure as a result of the attention."

Back on track

Jimmy Vasser, a longtime Las Vegas resident and co-owner of PKV Racing in the Champ Car World Series, will pilot a third entry for the team in the season-opening Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach next month.

Vasser, 40, had been expected to concentrate on his role as team owner this season after Oriol Servia and rookie Katherine Legge were named as PKV's full-time drivers this season.

Vasser, the 1996 series champion, also left the door open to compete in other races this season.

"With an all-new driver lineup at PKV Racing for 2006, and the fact that Oriol does not have enough time to fully acclimate himself to the team, we felt it necessary for me to run this event and maybe some selected races in the future," Vasser said.

This way, I will be able to help Oriol with his transition to PKV Racing and help with the development of Katherine - especially during the early stages of the season."

Also noted:

6.2

The national rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, for the FOX telecast of Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway

72

The number of consecutive races Jimmie Johnson has ranked among the top 10 in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series points standings

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