Patrick crashes in final race as full-time driver
HOMESTEAD, FLA. » Danica Patrick climbed out of her burning, smoke-filled, wrecked race car and trudged toward pit road.
She pulled off her gloves and helmet in frustration before being taken to the infield care center. It was a much earlier exit than Patrick wanted in her final NASCAR race as a full-time driver.
“There’s still racing in my future,” she said. “I still have a thousand miles to go.” Indeed, the “Danica Double” awaits. But the thought of future endeavors did little to improve another disappointing day.
Patrick finished 37th in her final race with Stewart-Haas Racing. She bowed her head outside the care center before answering questions about her season finale and her future.
“It just seemed like every time things were going better, something would happen — my fault or sometimes not my fault,” she said. “This was just another case of that. It was fun for a little while there at the end. It was absolute misery for the first stint.”
Patrick started the weekend by announcing she plans to retire from full-time racing, holding an emotional news conference that began with a tearful goodbye. The season finale prompted more of the same.
“It was a little bit emotional, but I’ve been working through levels of that,” she said. “I was just kind of looking forward to getting in the car finally, actually.”