Danica Patrick to fans who booed her at Pocono: 'I'm a f------ person'
Danica Patrick had a discussion with some fans at Pocono who booed her as she was walking back from pit road at Pocono on Friday.
A man appeared to walk into a pass-through to get Patrick’s autograph as she walked from pit road to the garage. He was stopped by security, and Patrick acknowledged the man’s presence and — if he was asking for an autograph — refused to sign.
That elicited boos from people on the other side of the walkway. When Patrick heard those boos she went over to confront them about the booing. The incident was captured in a fan’s Facebook live video.
“Since I’m old, instead of taking the booing, I want to tell you guys … I do the best I can. I mean, if you’re a real fan you know that I’m not just — my job is not to sign autographs, right? My job is to drive a car and to tell the crew chief what’s going on.
“I don’t appreciate the booing. It hurts my feelings. I’m a f——— person, you know what I mean? I’m a person too. I have feelings.”
Patrick continued talking to fans for a few more seconds before walking away.
The 2017 season has been a struggle for Patrick. She lost her primary sponsor before the season because of a dispute about the contract between the company and team (and Danica’s role as a spokesperson) and she’s 31st in the points standings. Patrick has crashed out of four races and has just one top-10. That came Sunday at Dover where she finished 10th.
Her future in NASCAR will likely be the topic of speculation as the summer goes on. Patrick’s contract with Stewart-Haas Racing expires at the end of the 2018 season and according to Sports Business Journal, the two parties are “reviewing their options” about potentially ending the contract a year early.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
