HORSEPOWER & HEELS

Danica Patrick won the 2008 Indy 300 in Japan.

There are two types of people right now... some who are not at all surprised that Danica Patrick became the first woman to win an IRL race, and others who are eating a lot of crow with their critical remarks that she'd never be more than a domestic appliance in the sport.

Its a tough line to walk... Danica has appeared in some pretty racy PR campaigns and some questioned her validity as a racecar driver based solely on her images in FHM, Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition, and her rather risque GoDaddy commercials. She has landed some great endorsement deals with Tissot, Peak, and many other brands. Clearly, she is using her feminine marketing edge to her advantage... I am glad that she's now validated her worth with a win as well. Now the neigh-sayers will need to seek a different argument on why she doesn't belong.

Its not easy to walk the line of using your few marketability advantages as a woman and still being respected as a serious and dedicated racer. Case in point.... people are exclaiming "FINALLY!" about Danica's win, as if she has gone decades upon decades without an inkling towards any success. But how many respected drivers on the circuit had their first win by age 27, and in their 3rd professional season? I'm sure you see that she's not out of line with many drivers that enter the league, yet expectations for her to "prove herself" have been hastened, with hype remarks and winless taunts starting just after her rookie season. That's some tough criticism for someone early in their career. (more on that subject to follow in an upcoming blog post)

Now, Danica joins other women such as Shirley Muldowney, Angelle Sampey, Melanie Troxel, and several other women who have won, against the odds, major automotive races. The barriers continue to open as time goes on, with more and more ladies taking aim at the top of auto racing (especially in NHRA Drag Racing).

So, congratulations Danica! Keep kickin' butt!