Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's safe to say that Menard has improved enough to be officially out of the conversation for "Worst Driver."
I'll take some flack for this... I'm not a fan at all, and find her highly overrated, but I don't think Danica is the absolute worst active right now either.
It's hard to really judge "worst." Over the last few years the "distinction" would be close between Ryan Truex, Travis Kvapil, and Timmy Hill at the Cup level.
You can't count drivers in underfunded teams as the worst drivers. You have to go with properly funded teams and driver who never win and rarely compete.
Top of that list right now would be DP with RS running a close second. Seperate those two rabbits and maybe they can get back to racing.
Wondered how long before her name would come up. She's far from the worst. Way far.
She's way close to being the worst. She was beaten in points by drivers who didn't run full schedules!! She's in top tier equipment and has shown little to no improvement. It's sad that at the end of the day money rules which is the only reason she has a seat.
I am not sure how an argument can be made for someone other than Danica Patrick. Hendrick powered equipment, top team, surrounded by plenty of support. Yet, finished 28th in points, average finish in the id 20's, and she has only 4 top ten finishes and 15 laps lead in 82 spring cup races.
There may be some start and parkers, or other drivers who are in the room with her. Yet, if she had an ability to compete at this level, she would have a LOT more to show for herself than these kind of results.
So it is hard to not single her out... and that has nothing to do with her popularity or gender.
Danica Patrick is EASILY, by far, far, far and away the Most Overrated. No contest.
She may not be the worst, but she is at-best a middle-of-the-packer. And this with a top-flight crew and budget & equipment.
She's one of the two or three worst by anyone'e measure. Even her biggest fan would have to admit that.
She is also dangerous. I don't have stats but she seems to wreck a lot, or cause wrecks. She is simply over-matched on the NASCAR circuit. A little girl among Big Boys. Those cars are bigger and heavier and take more muscle to wrestle around the track then do the super-light IRL cars she started-out with.
She should've stuck with open-wheel racing. I can see no possible way for her to ever win a NASCAR event.
She has won exactly 1 race in her dozen years as a pro racer, and that was an IRL race back in 2006 in Japan, after the leader wrecked!
And all that fame she has. Wow...just, Wow.
That whole "Go Daddy" sponsorship and marketing campaign was a stroke of pure genius, I gotta admit. I hope she thanks her lucky stars for it every night. Without it, she would be no more known than, say, an AJ Almendinger--or whatever his name is. LOL.
Last edited by Der Vogel; 03-05-2015 at 07:16 PM..
Just ask yourself, if DP wasn't as pretty as she was, if she was more like a 3, would she have ever gotten this far. That should clear up the discussion on her.
There is no doubt that Danica is not as good as the hype but i don't think any thought she would be. Regardless she is great for the sport. She may never win a race but she wont alone in that category. As long as she sells hats and Tshirts and I guess godaddy domain names, she will have a ride. I know that bugs a lot of us and it used to bug me but not anymore. Not since my youngest daughter finally went to a race with me so she could watch Danica... she wants to go again too...
Danica Patrick is EASILY, by far, far, far and away the Most Overrated. No contest.
... She is also dangerous. I don't have stats but she seems to wreck a lot, or cause wrecks. She is simply over-matched on the NASCAR circuit. A little girl among Big Boys. Those cars are bigger and heavier and take more muscle to wrestle around the track then do the super-light IRL cars she started-out with....
There is no doubt that Danica is not as good as the hype but i don't think any thought she would be. Regardless she is great for the sport. She may never win a race but she wont alone in that category. As long as she sells hats and Tshirts and I guess godaddy domain names, she will have a ride. I know that bugs a lot of us and it used to bug me but not anymore. Not since my youngest daughter finally went to a race with me so she could watch Danica... she wants to go again too...
^^That is why she has a ride and will continue to have a ride. I've never had an issue with her and mid-pack buy a ride folks. That's racing. They help keep cars in the field and sponsors in the sport. She's no worse than Menard and does better than Sam Hornish a lotta weeks. She's not bad on the eyes in a sport full of bad on the eyes guys and reporters.
I am not sure how an argument can be made for someone other than Danica Patrick. Hendrick powered equipment, top team, surrounded by plenty of support. Yet, finished 28th in points, average finish in the id 20's, and she has only 4 top ten finishes and 15 laps lead in 82 spring cup races.
There may be some start and parkers, or other drivers who are in the room with her. Yet, if she had an ability to compete at this level, she would have a LOT more to show for herself than these kind of results.
So it is hard to not single her out... and that has nothing to do with her popularity or gender.
Well said.
Since the early 90's when she went to Europe to race karts, Patrick has allways had the very best equipment and sponsors. Yet, her resume consists of one Indy Car win.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
