Danica revs up Hub-bub
NASCAR driver enjoys day on town
Danica Patrick spent yesterday as a tourist, pitchwoman and performer during a promotional tour of Boston.
The veteran NASCAR driver began her day at the Prescott School in Charlestown where selected students joined her for a trolley tour of the Hub’s historic sights. That was followed by a swan boat ride at the Public Garden.
Patrick then worked in a promotional video at Cheers on Beacon Street for next month’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.
Patrick will operate the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing in the New Hampshire 301 at the Magic Mile on Sunday, July 16.
“All of the times us drivers have to go into markets to help promote a race they can be a little predictable or boring,” Patrick said. “But this was a well thought out day that highlighted the area a lot more than a driver coming in and doing interviews.
“We were able to engage the city and the highlights of the area.”
Patrick is coming off her two best races of the season that included an 11th place run at Dover International Speedway on June 4 and a 16th place finish last Sunday at Pocono Raceway.
She said crew chief Billy Scott has the Ford in good midseason form and hopes to crack the top 10 on Sunday in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
“I probably am the best I’ve been since I started racing stock cars but I will be the best next weekend and the weekend after because you continue to learn,” Patrick said. “What is unique about racing from some other sport is you can’t run a play. You have to have a feel for the race and what’s coming next and what you need to be ready for.”
Patrick has been a fan favorite since leaving IndyCar racing five years ago to compete full time in NASCAR’s Monster Energy and Xfinity series tours. But she got into a verbal exchange with several fans last week when she refused to sign autographs following her run at Pocono.
She insisted she routinely gives autographs and tends to avoid unruly fans. Patrick said the whole sequence began when track security stopped a fan that approached her in the restricted garage area.
“I was walking back from the front side of pit road as I came around the corner a security guard was grabbing someone that was coming at me,” Patrick said. “I was caught offguard and felt bad because I could tell he was a fan.
“I was put in this awkward situation and as I walked on I was kind of distracted and I’m walking toward the garage area. Over far across the road were fans that started booing.
“In a perfect world I would never have walked over there and just kept going. Every now and again they catch you in a moment and I had a moment and that’s all.”
Patrick is signed with SHR through the 2018 season but she could be out at the end of this year. If so, she hopes her star power in the sport will attract a new team and sponsors.
“We are working on that now and I want to drive,” Patrick said. “Everybody in the cup field is talented and is a matter of putting the people together to make it happen and getting some really good cars on the track.”