Patrick returns to scene of fatal crash
Danica Patrick wore a sober expression as she walked Friday into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s media center, the driver anticipating the question on everyone’s mind:
How did she feel about returning to the track where Indycar driver Dan Wheldon was killed in a fiery multicar crash in October, one Patrick narrowly avoided?
“There won’t be a time that I come to Las Vegas that I won’t think about Dan,” she said.
Patrick is the only driver competing this weekend who drove in the fatal Indycar race last fall.
Wheldon’s crash occurred in the final race of the season, and thus marked a sorrowful end to Patrick’s career in the Izod Indycar Series. She has since turned her full attention to NASCAR stock-car racing, mainly in its second-tier Nationwide Series.
For two years, Patrick had dabbled in NASCAR while running full seasons in the Indycar series, and her best finish in NASCAR was fourth in the Nationwide race at Las Vegas a year ago. It was the highest finish ever for a woman in a NASCAR national series.
Before her second practice for Saturday’s Nationwide race here, in which she posted the seventh-fastest speed among 39 drivers, Patrick addressed her feelings about Wheldon and returning to the 1.5-mile Las Vegas oval.
She opened by saying that “obviously, the last time we were here was a big weekend, a sad weekend,” and that her “thoughts are still with [Wheldon’s widow] Susie and the kids.”
Wheldon, 33, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, died of head injuries suffered early in the Oct. 16 race — the rest of the race then was canceled.
While Patrick was practicing for Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide race, she was able to block out Wheldon’s death while in her car, but said that it was more difficult as she walked the grounds of the speedway. “I don’t think it completely escapes you, but for the most part you’re able to have something to focus on, one thing to focus on” in the car, she said.
“Our job is to drive the race car, and we need to be able to do that with our whole heart and mind, so I went out there and drove just like any other day,” Patrick said.
Other drivers empathized with Patrick.
“I’m sure it’s going to weigh a lot heavier on her when she gets out there on the track,” NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Greg Biffle said. “I thought about it when I drove through the tunnel [into the infield] last night.”
Patrick, 29, is off to a slow start in the Nationwide Series this year. She won the pole at Daytona but crashed in the race, finishing 38th, and she was 21st at last weekend’s Nationwide race in Phoenix, three laps behind the leaders. Cup series qualifying
Kasey Kahne won the pole position for Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 400 Cup race with a qualifying track record of 190.456 mph. That broke the record of 188.884 mph set a year ago by Matt Kenseth.
Kyle Busch will start alongside Kahne on the front row after qualifying second at 190.040 mph. Kevin Harvick will start third and Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified fourth.