Quote:
Originally Posted by spazlabz
Cool about working crew I am truly jealous and yeah, the bristol races are the two biggest races of the year for me, I anticipate them all year and cant wait for them next season when they are done... Danika spun yesterday in practice, still managed to secure I think 35th fastest even with it... but here is the thing that bothers me about her and the treatment she is getting.
First: too much pressure on her
Second: She is a fantastic driver in open wheel
Third: she has yet to prove herself. I know you will bring up leading a lap or finishing forth... shit man Boris Said could probably do both of those, her gender does not give her anything special to me
Fourth: She is a celebrity, the only driver I see getting more head from the announcers is Jimmy Johnson and she is not even close to the sprint cup level
the only surprising thing since she first started teasing about switching to NASCAR was DW's initial adversion to her doing it. He thought it was just a stunt to get a better contract. I doubt that, but it was nice to see DW get off his knees, wipe the cream from his lips to actually be critical of someone  |
(First): Pressure from what?
She's been racing all her life. She's raced in the Indy 500 and at Daytona. Racing is what she does. All she really needs to do is fulfill her contract obligations and continue to try and achieve her personal goals whatever they may be like winning the Indy 500. For most drivers she is in an enviable position and doing quite well. Pressure is something we might imagine on others but only they can tell us if they feel pressured. It's very possible she felt more pressure planning her wedding day than she does when she's racing. What's more important is how comfortable she is behind the wheel. The more she is comfortable the more she can push the limit and become better.
(Second): That's a good thing and it's deserved
(Third): What does she have to prove, who does she have to prove it to and why?
Again, other than fulfilling her contract and performing well enough to gain interest in herself for a new contract, she doesn't have to prove anything. I think she initially thought it would be easier in NASCAR than it turned out to be but I don't think she ever said she was going to come in and kick NASCAR's ass. She didn't come in boasting and now can't back it up so she has nothing to prove. If the media wants to build her up as something extra special so be it but if she didn't make the claim she doesn't have to prove anything.
(Fourth): She's a race car driver not a celebrity.
There is a difference. However she is famous for what she does and it's been a big boost to NASCAR and that's why the media shows so much interest. The bottom line is NASCAR is a billion dollar industry. When Danica came over to NASCAR she brought open wheel fans and more women with her and that increased the NASCAR fan base and generated publicity. NASCAR knew how valuable her participation would be and were very happy to have her. That's why she gets all the love.
I remember when DW wasn't giving her a chance in Hell but he along with all the others have seen her now and have changed their opinions. They now know she is for real and doing a fantastic job with her progression. In other words, she made believers out of them and myself as well.
She's going to have her hands full today
Here's a shot I took from the cheap seats of Danica ( green car ) just after she crossed the start finish line to become the first woman to ever lead a NASCAR race at Daytona.
