Danica Patrick continues a dubious streak this weekend - once again she loses her temper and throws a temper tantrum.
This time, the "victim" was Indy Car's only other female: Milka Duno.
Danica became upset during practice when she perceived Duno did not let faster cars pass her car. Notably, no other driver went to Duno's pit and confront her.
Danica, however, stormed down to Duno's pit and began yelling at Duno. Duno yelled back to "Go away" and eventually threw a towel at Danica. The argument then escalated to foul language, but only lasted a minute. Reportedly, there is a video of the incident.
My question is this: How many times will Danica get to throw these temper tantrums without punishment?
Let's review: She stormed down toward Ryan Briscoe's pit earlier this year and had to be stopped by a steward from entering Briscoe's pit. She confronted and shoved Dan Wheldon last year. In 2005, Danica allegedly poked Jacques Lazier during a confrontation.
In all these situations, an argument can be made that they were either racing incidents and/or Patrick was at some fault for each incident. However, the view from her seat seems to be that she is always right, and she's not afraid to get physical.
Remember that this confrontation began because Danica walked over to Duno's pit. But for that, this incident would not have happened. Duno apparently wasn't afraid to dish back what Danica was serving, but what option does this leave their male counterparts when Danica physically assaults them? Can they shove her back? Can they slap her? The PR nightmare that would ensue from a male driver doing this to Danica would probably end the guy's career.
Danica is allegely a role model for young women. But violence when things don't go your way is not cool and not a responsible way to act. And she shouldn't get by with behaving this way - if nothing else, the lesson young people should learn is that there are consequences for losing your temper.
Enough is enough. Danica needs to know that these little power plays and physical aggressions will cost her. First, a stiff financial penalty for both her and her team. Next, park her for a race, during which time she can work on her 100 hours of community service at a battered women's shelter. My guess is that she'll get a whole new view of how fortunate she is. And Finally, sign her up for an anger management course with the requirement that when she is done she will do Public Service Announcements about how losing your temper and having physical confrontations isn't the right thing to do.
I love how Danica seems to think that she is the god of Indy car when she's won one race in her entire career, on fuel strategy, and otherwise has been mediocre. I think she just tries to find other people to blame for her lack of performance... just me...
And, if you ask me, she wouldn't have gotten away with this for this long if she were drawing the attention to Indycar, otherwise I don't see why they would put up with her tantrums.
Tyler - I think the publicity is why the IRL hasn't done anything. I hope they have warned her. But it has gotten to the point where they have to punish her. Danica has demonstrated she isn't going to stop until they do something to her.
Danica made an arse of herself. She is nothing above average, IMHO. I can hardly wait until a driver's wife smacks her silly. I'll pay to see that. What she did was unnecessary and unprofessional. I saw the video. Danica was way out of line. Thanks for your blog.
Thanks Hanahan for posting that - I hadn't found it yet!
Danica knows better than to go to someone's pit and start something. It's like showing up at their house and wondering why they get mad because you're there!
Volt - I agree. And I think they need to punish her for it. You don't storm into someone's pit at start something by slamming their driving abilities. At that point, you have no right to be there.
KLV - Maybe you do need to open that motorsports consulting business. I think we could come up with at least 5-10 potential customers without trying very hard!
Why I don't agree with Danica going into Milka's pit area. She at least went to speak to her calmly. It was Milka who was angry.
But Danica needs to realize that her antics are not winning over the other drivers and their teams. And it probably does not sit well with IRL fans either.
If that would had been Tony Stewart during his days at the IRL, could you imagine the ruckus that it would have caused?
Something needs to be done. She has done this on a few occasions. One of these days like my dad used to tell me. Someone is gonna pop you right in the mouth. And its gonna be your fault. I cant wait for the day when someone puts her in check and knocks the c r a p out of her.
Iowa Girl
Much was made of Patrick's accident some months back when she hit a pit crewman. Not much was said but the signs were there that Patrick feels that she's above the rules of the IRL.
But it's the idi*otic part by the hierarchy of the IRL has remained silent. Inspite of what has been happening.
It's appear because of her apparent popularity in their eyes she can do no wrong in their eyes.
justan' aka tophatal ........
Last edited by justanotherfan on July 20th at 4:50 PM.
TS - Drivers say over and over, don't come to my pit stall and start something. I've heard sprint car drivers say it, Nascar drivers say it, and the local guys say it.
Danica didn't go to have a nice quiet discussion. She went to throw her weight around.
And, yes, Tony would have rightfully been run out on a rail for it.
Frevr- Exactly. Now the IRL needs to do something about it. She's done this too many times for them to just sit around and do nothing. And, what if it is a male driver who does something to her when she barges into the pit stall? Will people say he's defending himself or will his career be over for hitting a woman?
Both women involved acted like lil spoiled brats. Duno was the one in the wrong,on the track, and when Danica confronted her, but Danica should have done a Warren Wallace long before it ever got to that point.
Neither of them deserve any publicity when they do more off the track than they do on it.
Cuda - Agreed. However, Danica instigated this, she should face some punishment for it. If she thought Duno was behaving improperly on the track, she or her team could have asked officials to help them out. For that matter, there is no rule that a slower car HAS to pull over for you, even in practice. There is also no rule that you HAVE to be nice if you are the faster car and wait for them to get out of the way.
Mrrrowr!
Catfight! I love it.
"I just want to talk to you about it." --Danica
Shaddup and have your pit crew talk to the other pit crew.
This is female communication, get in someones face and then say, "I just want to talk to you..." Sorry kitten.
One of these days someone is going to take that little kitty Danica and put her over his knees.
Still this would have great as a girl on girl spanking. The ratings would skyrocket!
IowaGirl, I just wish Duno had ####-slapped her down pit lane. The ratings on YouTube would have been off the freaking charts! The right thing to do would be for Danica to ask her crew chief to talk to Duno's crew chief about this. If I were IRL, I'd seriously look into parking Danica for a race and if she keeps it up, park her for two races. Better yet, have Gene Simmons bend her over his knee and give her a spanking she won't soon forget.
SLS - I think it will get plenty of publicity without that. And the IRL could drag it out by penalizing her about Wednesday - most news outlets would publicize it again.
Jon - Somehow, I think Simmons would Volunteer for that! LOL.
Obviously I agree on parking her. This would be the perfect time too - she's done it before and it was the other woman so to speak. Plus, it should reign her in so that we don't get to the $64,000 question of what do they do i####uy justifiably belts her sometime.
Does she really think these temper tantrums (esp. when its practice) give her more credibility as a racer? Now she's just inviting other racers to make her mad for the fun of it.
byte - True. And it diminishes the time she may have some right to be mad. But since she blows up at every little thing, it will be harder to get sympathy when she has a legitimate issue.
byte makes a great point ... it was practice! Hissy fits like that will only turn more of us racing fans against Danica.
In the past, I've always sort of been indifferent towards Danica. She was just part of the IRL field, but the more I see and hear of her the more her attitude just plain annoys me. I mean seriously, this is a driver that's won one race and is blatantly expecting some sort of preferential treatment.
The media and their desperation to promote a female driver did this. Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with female drivers however, someone annointed Danica goddess of Indy Cars and I don't think it was me/us.
They (I didn't) focused on her looks and blew that way out of proportion. Danica has a pretty smile, the rest of her is average at best....but no.
The media had to keep telling us and apparently her how beautiful she is.
Danica walked out of her trailer(At PPIR/RIP) in Colorado Springs and walked right in front of me.AGAIN, average at best.
I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and leave the driving part as TBD.
I think her tantrums are just that and honestly, I think if they wouldn't have seperated her from Milka, I think Milka would have kicked her butt.
Find a female role model who is as good as a driver as she is a person. Don't rush it and overpromote the wrong person. Their are plenty of female drivers coming up the ranks, just be patient.
Last edited by sixfigurefan2 on July 20th at 8:53 PM.
IowaGirl, you know it! And I think that would be a huge turn-on to her! Just wait until she has to deal with ANOTHER woman coming through the ranks: Ana Beatriz of Brazil. She recently won an Indy Lights race and it's only a matter of time before she'll be in IRL. (Could you imagine what would happen if she were to win a couple of IRL races BEFORE Danica wins her second?)
I was never a big fan of Danica. I don't think she has what it takes to win races (that one race win this year notwithstanding), and the media is just way over the top with their fawning all over her. She will not win many more races (if any), and she'll probably be retiring soon. But you have to admit this time she was just trying to have a cool-headed discussion with this Brazilian hothead Milka Duno, and she ended up with a towel in her face. I thought the whole episode was hilarious, worthy of a comedy sketch on Saturday Night Live.
It's called 'RACING'; drivers are gonna get in your way, honey. Don't take it personally. Oh, I forgot. Your the racing goddess and no one should EVER get in your way, heaven forbid. You deserve rose petals strewn in your path. You're just "so popular," as you put it. How could us mere mortals forget?
I suppose you expect every racer you confront to pull you up a chair and make you a nice cup of chamomile tea while you lecture them on the finer points of staying out of your way, right?
Seriously, you suck, and I can't wait for someone to knock you off your high horse. GET OVER YOURSELF. Your 15 minutes are almost up, and I can't wait. In the mean time, quit acting like such a ####, you are truly an embarrassment to us women.
Milka Duno is about as good of a racer car drive as Jeff Andretti was.
I like Danica. She is the only reason I watch these races. Ever since Tony George decided he had to be the KING of Indy Cars, the series it has gone straight down the toilet. As long as Tony George is in control of the series and don't think he's isn't, he's the one pulling the strings with his ownership of the Brickyard which is the biggest race in the US, the series will continue it's downhill spiral. Thats my opinion and I am sure that I will be blasted about it.
Just off the wire. Tony George will start a new stock car series. Rumor has it that it will be called INDY STOCKCAR LEAGUE SERIES or ISLS
which equals I SLEEP LATE SUNDAYS
My problem was the tone of the reporting over the incident. You would have never had a headline or an article written like that for two male drivers getting into an argument. Seems to me that everything surrounding her is done to pander to male fantisies. Tiny little woman drving a big sports car, posing for pictures you'd never see most male drivers caught dead in and now cat fights. Why doesn't the IRL just go ahead and install the mud pit now? It's so obviously a ploy to boost the sagging ratings of the sport that is so overshadowed by NASCAR. Do you think Danica would survive the pits over on those tracks? She's not making it as a woman in a male dominated sport, she's only making it BECAUSE she is a woman. Let's not confuse talent with novelty.
WTF is Michael doing as his star driver continues to finish poorly and dredge up publicity like this?
Nothing that I can see. Happy to let her continue to draw good sponsorship money to his team, and publicity to IndyCar.
Also, Jeff Andretti was a very good driver until a wheel came off his car while driving through Turn Two at Indy. The head-on collision with the wall destroyed his lower legs, and he was never the same (quite understandibly).
Sixfigure - I agree that the media circus has played up the attractiveness angle. Danica is/can be a skilled driver. But not when she is believing her own hype.
Jerry - I don't think you barge into someone's pit area for a cool calm discussion. There are few rules that transcend series, but from what I know, entering someone else's pit box to argue/fight is one. In most series, fighting will get you some sort of punishment. The few local series that I've read the rules on involve fines and automatic race suspension.
Seriously, I thought the same thing - the point of racing is to figure out how to pass the slower cars without damaging your car and to use the track to your advantage (especially at a road course).
She really should watch Lewis Hamilton's performance at Hockenheim yesterday - he was spectacular passing cars that were both equal to his and slightly slower than his. Kimi was good to watch too.
356 - Of course George has much say in what goes on. Like Ecclestone, he's the one with $$$ involved.
Milka has had subpar equipment, and is a moving chicane most of the time. However, Danica had several other alternatives at her disposal to address the situation. Including: pit stopping and starting back up after Duno was on another part of the track, asking race control to intervene, asking her spotter/team to request that she be let go or how about setting up a pass in one of the corners like a professional race car driver should be able to do? Instead of using any of these options, she resorted to confrontation in Duno's pit. That was not the appropriate option.
Sportsmom - Good point. I think there have been some fans (mainly women) who abandon her once the risque photos came out. While they want her to do well, the nagging su####ion is exactly what you said - is she there because she's hot or because she's a good driver.
Danica is just being herself, competing and getting caught up in the moment!! If a male driver had done something similar, nothing would have been said about it, let alone such a big deal
would've been made!! She is competing in a mostly
all Male sport, so she needs to be just as agressive or even more so to show that she is their because of her driving ability, not only because she is a good looking young woman.
Give her a break, let her drive and stop talking about her like a bunch of old bitties with nothing better to do!!!! GO DANICA!!!!
Iowa Girl
I seriously doubt that'll happen as the idi*ots who run IRL haven't seen fit to do anything as of yet. It won't be until there's a physical altercation between her and someone before they'll actually do something. As it is in their eyes it makes for good television. As God knows their events barely register anything on the Nielsen's ratings when they're on.
Pity the both of 'em couldn't end up in a catfight wrestling in a bowl of jello. That way it could entice more viewers if that's what IRL is looking for in order to have some support amongst the fans of autosports. Well at least among the males anyway !
Ugotz - I disagree that a man would get by with this! I think if Dan Wheldon had shoved Sam Hornish, then Poked Helio Castroneves, and attempted to enter Darren Manning's pit, the IRL would have take action with the first shove! Danica gets by with it merely BECAUSE she is a woman!
Secondly, who controls whether Danica appears in lingerie, bikinis, hot pants or some other revealing outfit for every ad or magazine feature? That's right - Danica. If she really were concerned about being taken seriously in the racing world, she wouldn't do those things. She'd let her driving skill doing the talking and showing for her.
Danica has gotten enough breaks - it's time she paid for acting like a spoiled brat and assaulting people.
IG - unfortunately, the IRL needs all the publicity it can get right now. Don't think they see this as bad PR at all. They want their drivers to be talked about, whether it is racing related or not.
Would love to see Danica go after Paul Tracy this weekend at Edmonton. Think we might witness an International incident.
Iowa Girl
Well if you discount the incident where she ran over a pit crewman. One could say that she's got off lightly thus far. But it's the IRL hierarchy that we ought to be looking to , to do something. And at this juncture it'd appear that they'd rather not do anything to hurt their golden goose in the guise of Danica Patrick. Without her as such would anyone be even talking about the events that took place ? Less we forget that there was also a race also.
That's how banal and benign the sport of Open Wheel racing in North America has become. When there's more interest in a damn hissy fit between two female drivers than that of the events on the track. It lets you know that the interest in the sport isn't altogether there.
TopHat - I don't think the crewman was anything but an accident. I don't think she's intentionally driving over people.
Good points. But does this kind of publicity really draw in new fans? And isn't the risk that doing nothing will cause your current fans to throw in the towel?
