Danica Patrick's narrow window of opportunity to win a race has now been painted shut. With the IRL---CHAMP merger she has next to no chance of winning a race. She didn't come close to getting it done while driving for the IRL's best team, and racing against only sixteen other cars. She will be walking up a sand dune in ski boots now. Going against full fields of cars, and even more of the best road racers from CHAMP.

The few road courses on IRL's schedule were her best hope for a win. With the merger, there will be more road courses, but a lot more road race aces. This should insure that Patrick still won't get it done against the men. Not that her being a female has anything to do with it. Her talent just isn't at the same level as her car and team deserve. She must realize this, as she is keeping her other options open by posing in the S.I. swimsuit issue and shilling for Go Daddy.com. Good idea Danica, get it while you can. No matter how good you look, if you don't win even that gimmick gets old.

She races in the IRL for the top team, Andretti-Green, and still hasn't finished higher than 7th in the points standings. That was last year racing against maybe 13 other full time drivers. In 2007 she racked up four top fives and eleven top tens. Keep in mind that most races there were only sixteen other cars starting. A top ten out of seventeen cars is not that great. In '06 she was 9th in points, and 12th in 2005. She has done less in the last three years than Dale Earnhardt Jr., while getting his level of press in the IRL.

Of course the new management at IRL---CHAMP might decide it's good for TV ratings to have a woman winning races. That could really separate them from NASCAR.  Of course I would never suggest that a major racing organization could help certain drivers and/or cars win races. No, I would never suggest that.