ESPN’s Craven: Patrick is ‘getting long in the tooth’

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Former NASCAR driver Ricky Craven said Thursday that Danica Patrick is “getting long in the tooth” and her window to win a Cup race is starting to close. The two-time Monster Energy Cup series race winner and ESPN analyst said Patrick has been good at drawing interest and called himself a “big fan” and supporter. He wants her to win but said, “I feel like she’s stalled in terms of her progress” and noted sponsorship issues. “If that (sponsorship) becomes a challenge, then her story becomes a little more difficult,” he said. Craven explained that his comments were not meant to disrespect one of the sport’s most popular drivers, but he was simply stating the obvious in a sport in which sponsorship is predicated on results. And now is the time for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver to show them after 154 Cup starts. She turns 35 next month.