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    From The Marbles

    Danica Patrick wins Nationwide pole at Daytona; gives naysayers something to chew on

    By Jay Busbee | From The Marbles – Fri, Feb 24, 2012 4:14 PM EST

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A moment of silence, if you please, for the "Danica Patrick gets gifts she doesn't deserve" argument. Cause of death: Patrick's triumphant capture of the pole for Saturday's Nationwide Series Drive4COPD 300.

    Here it is: You have to either accept that Patrick is a bona fide, legit stock car driver, or you have to buy a conspiracy that the entire Nationwide field, including Daytona 500 and Sprint Cup champions, laid down for her.

    "Anytime you show that you have a fast car, it's encouraging for people to want to help you," Patrick said. "That starts to earn you some respect and credibility."

    The pole comes just 24 hours after Danica PatrickPatrick walked away from a brutal crash in the Sprint Cup Series' Gatorade Duel 150, a qualifying race for Sunday's Daytona 500.

    Patrick posted a speed of 182.741 mph, besting Trevor Bayne by only seven one-thousandths of a second. As driver after driver tried and failed to match her time — the field includes Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski — Patrick fidgeted nervously in the garage, talking with Earnhardt and Stewart. Cameras swarmed her as the results became official.

    [Related: Why Danica Patrick can win the Daytona 500]

    "That's so cool for her to start her season that way," Bayne said. "They were looking for a boost, and that's a good kick in the butt."

    In and of itself, the pole won't mean much at Daytona other than a choice pit selection. As soon as the green flag drops, drivers will jockey for position, and everyone will take a turn at the front. Still, Patrick has demonstrated that she can wheel, and as much as the drivers appreciate the attention to the sport, they acknowledge that she belongs exactly where she is.

    "In the last 24 months," Elliott Sadler said, "she's by far the most improved driver we have across all three series."

    -Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook right here.-

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    Watch Full Count!
     
    • Al
      Al  •  2 months ago
      NASCAR is about relationships if front runners dont like you will not win!
    • Shamrock
      Shamrock  •  Tampa, Florida  •  2 months ago
      The Kournikova of motor sport. Wake me up when she actually wins a race.
      • James
        James 2 months ago
        Kournikova at least had to earn her place to be in those tourneys, not just hand picked cuz she could sell tickets to horny men.
    • Bob
      Bob  •  Kennesaw, Georgia  •  2 months ago
      I watched her in car camera as she hit the wall HARD this week. I didnt realize till after someone pointed out why she put her hands up to her head. Its Not a very NASCAR move. But after it was poiinted out its what she learned while driving open wheel cars. It was a mean lick and she didnt loook startled much. Thats pretty tough. Has anyone noticed who NASCAR drivers hold the wheel in an emminant crash? She let go... Pretty smart move.
      • terrys
        terrys 2 months ago
        Most drivers have within the fast 10 years. Upon impact the steering wheel can turn left and/or right hard enough to break the drivers wrists! Now as for the hands over her face, that's an open wheel thing for sure. In a stock car, she is protected, in her open wheel car there is nothing infront of her face, causing the drivers to learn to react by putting their hands infront of their helmet visor!
      • 4meracer
        4meracer 2 months ago
        Ya, I agree, it is a smart move and great instincts. I have had my thumbs jammed by a spinning wheel that was pushed by a wall or another fender. I started to learn the way to hold the wheel with my thumbs on top of the wheel instead of inside. Once I had burns on my hands from trying to stop and control a spinning wheel. I never used gloves.
      • douglas
        douglas 2 months ago
        even in sprint cars you let go of the steering wheel and grab your helmet to keep your arms from flailing around, she did what whe was supposed to do
    • Robert V
      Robert V  •  San Diego, California  •  2 months ago
      Love her or hate her she has stuck around and keeps trying to compete. good for her.
      • rocky raccoon
        rocky raccoon 2 months ago
        FREAKING AWESOME POINT !
      • another day
        another day 2 months ago
        Danica Patrick will be a good fit with NASCAR, because she's not afraid to mix it up, she won't hesitate to call another driver out and ... oh yea, she hits like a girl too.
      • finneous
        finneous 2 months ago
        For me it's called proof of rigging operation.
    • David
      David  •  Scarborough, Maine  •  2 months ago
      She did awesome in the Nationwide race. She only finished 17 spots behind Johanna long. Looks to me like Nascars money boys and teams are backing the wrong woman....
    • buck toothed asian
      buck toothed asian  •  2 months ago
      I've never seen this much excitement over someone winning a pole at a restrictor plate track before....
      • Anthony
        Anthony 2 months ago
        Um......They run Fuel Injection Now !!!! Piece it together !!!
      • buck toothed asian
        buck toothed asian 2 months ago
        Ummm it's still a restictor plate genius.
      • Brian
        Brian 2 months ago
        They don't run fuel injection in the Nationwide Series part time NASCAR fans and they don't have restrictor plates in NNS either just a real small carb.
    • Willow Tree
      Willow Tree  •  2 months ago
      When is she just going to start doing porn?
      • Betty
        Betty 2 months ago
        Indeed! A sex toy company should sponsor her car.
      • Mark V
        Mark V 2 months ago
        "Sugar In My Gas Tank" starring Danica Patrick and Jeff Gordon.
      • Betty
        Betty 2 months ago
        ''Danica Does Daytona''
    • Make MY Day
      Make MY Day  •  2 months ago
      Danica was involved in her second crash in Daytona this week. Got a feeling she will have the same complaint as she did at Indy a few years back. She had a faster car and no one would move over so she could pass them.
    • Occupie DeezNutts
      Occupie DeezNutts  •  2 months ago
      Quite a comeback from a bad yesterday......rather impressive
    • Al
      Al  •  Beverly Hills, California  •  2 months ago
      Impressive
    • David
      David  •  Binghamton, New York  •  2 months ago
      I saw the video of the crash. The driver of car 43 clearly shoved her headlong towards the wall. Number 43 drove like he didn't see that she was there. If it were me getting knocked into the wall, I would have caught up with the driver of Car 43 and had a serious moment of Road Rage with that #$%$
    • Pete G
      Pete G  •  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  •  2 months ago
      good luck to her,but it takes more than a fast car to win a race
    • Cavalry Scout
      Cavalry Scout  •  2 months ago
      The woman won an Indianapolis series event, a 3rd in the May holiday race; and if she can win here, she may finally receive the respect she deserves. Unfortunately, those Go-Daddy advertisements cause some fans to see her as a commercial product rather than a true racing talent, but make no mistake: This girl has what it takes to compete. She's the real thing. I'm hoping for a good performance from her, and a safe race for all the drivers and crews.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  Fresno, California  •  2 months ago
      GOOOO DADDY!!!
    • pete
      pete  •  2 months ago
      She can win my pole
    • AlreadyGone
      AlreadyGone  •  2 months ago
      Yes, folks, she could pull this off .... it's Daytona.

      Hart said it well ... "In laymen’s terms, the Daytona 500 [plate racing] has become a high-speed game of musical chairs, with the winner being the one who happens to be in front when the music stops."

      It's also why Bayne earned so little respect (or credibility) last year by winning the Daytona 500.

      In the words of the later, great Earnhardt ..... "That ain't racin'.”

      But still, NASCAR and Yahoo are eatin' this up .............
    • Dave
      Dave  •  Timmins, Canada  •  2 months ago
      She's garbage in Nascar. A nutless monkey could get the pole in Daytona. When she spun today she could have easily turned left and spun into the grass, but she tried to save it and wrecked her car. Then she cried and swore about her teamate who got her loose. It's an embarassing time to be a nascar fan
    • rick
      rick  •  Monroe, Wisconsin  •  2 months ago
      really? gives naysayers something to talk about? let's talk about a couple other things you ignorant #$%$ 1.winning the pole for ANY race at daytona IS NOT that big of a deal-most drivers would rather start farther back to avoid the idiots up front(ie d#$%$ patrick) 2.how did that work out for her? oh that's right, her team mate gave her something to chew on-he's probably sick of the danica hype too. 3. because of media douchebags such as yourself, danica will be well hated- we are sick of you no talent idiots making a big deal over a no talent, spoiled rotten whiny #$%$!!
    • aron
      aron  •  2 months ago
      Wow, she actually won something? Before anyone says she won one time, no. When the person in front of you runs out of gas on the last lap, it doesn't count. Now, if she wins the race than you all can make a big deal out of it.
    • SCARFACE
      SCARFACE  •  Rockford, Illinois  •  2 months ago
      Move back to Roscoe, i wanna see your fast cars
     Post a comment

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