Patrick’s legacy inspires more female drivers

Danica Patrick and Natalie Decker shared a hug and a little chit-chat as they crossed paths at Daytona International Speedway last week.

They wished each other luck in their respective races.

Decker probably could have tossed in a hearty “thank you.”

Although Patrick’s NASCAR success never matched the attention she received for standing out in a male-dominated sport, her sixyear stint in the Cup Series seemingly set the groundwork for other women to follow.

“There’s so many younger girls that are fast — they ’re like 10 years old, 12 years old — and they ’re racing everything and anything,” said the 19-year-old Decker, who started on the pole and finished fifth in the ARCA Series season opener at Daytona. “They’re coming up and they’re going to be here faster than you know it.”

Several female drivers believe Patrick played as prominent a role in NASCAR history as trailblazers Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson.

A lack of sponsorship cost Patrick, once among the most marketable drivers in motorsports, her ride at Stewart-Haas Racing last season.

Patrick, 35, is making her final NASCAR start at the Daytona 500 and will end her racing career altogether after returning to IndyCar and competing in the Indianapolis 500 in May.

“I think Danica being out there definitely has planted the seed in a lot of little girls across the country that are now thinking about becoming the next female NASCAR driver,” said 43-year-old Leilani Munter, a part-time driver in the ARCA Series since 2010.

There are no women in the second-tier Xfinity Series this season and 44-year-old Jennifer Jo Cobb is the only woman racing full time in the Truck Series.

Patrick’s legacy might be better measured years from now, long after people stop debating whether she belonged in the Cup Series.