Danica Patrick crashes out of Indy 500 in final professional race
INDIANAPOLIS — Danica Patrick trudged out of the infield care center with her head down, mirrored sunglasses covering the disappointment in her eyes. There was no hiding it in her voice.
“It was definitely not the way that I wanted it to end,” she said softly.
The 36-year-old Patrick crashed out of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, ending her racing career at the track that made her famous. She lost traction on a slippery surface, spun as she exited Turn 2 and then slammed into two walls before coming to a stop.
She finished 30th, her lowest spot in eight starts at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
“Definitely not a great ending,” she said. “But I kind of said before I came here that I feel like if it's a complete disaster — complete like as if not in the ballpark at all, look silly — then people might remember that. If I win, people will remember that.
“But probably anything in between might just be a little part of a big story, so I kind of feel like that's how it is, you know.”
The big story, of course, is her place in racing history. The former NASCAR star is the only female driver to lead laps in the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500, creating a strong brand and becoming a role model for little girls everywhere.
She decided last season to end her racing career and start the next chapter of her life. She created the “Danica Double” as a farewell tour, running one final time in the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500.
She also crashed at Daytona in February and finished 35th. She spent the last few months getting re-acclimated to an Indy car after a seven-year hiatus and looked like a contender while qualifying seventh.
The final stop was a celebratory send-off that included dozens of family, friends and photographers following her every move before the finale.
Patrick dropped several spots shortly after the green flag, battling an ill-handling Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing. She was the first driver to make a pit stop in hopes of making a few changes.
She was running in the middle of the field on Lap 68 when she spun sideways, hit the outside wall and then caromed across the track and into an inside barrier. She was evaluated at the care center and released.
She answered a few questions outside the building and then got a golf cart ride for another media session. The final news conference of her racing career came with a hiccup. The television broadcast got piped over loudspeakers as she was trying to talk.
“Take my mic away,” she said, only half-joking. “I'll leave. I don't even want to be here because I'm pretty sad. I'm very grateful for everybody and for being able to finish it up like I wanted to. It still was a lot of great memories this month, a lot of great moments this year.”
