The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Patrick’s racing career ends in Indy 500 crash

Trailblazi­ng driver spins and hits walls in disappoint­ing finale.

- By Mark Long

INDIANAPOL­IS — Danica Patrick trudged out of the infield care center with her head down, mirrored sunglasses covering the disappoint­ment in her eyes. There was no hiding it in her voice.

“It was definitely not the way that I wanted it to end,” she said softly.

The 36-year-old crashed out of the Indianapol­is 500 on Sunday, ending her racing career at the track that made her famous. She lost traction on a slippery surface, spun as she exited Turn 2 and then slammed into two walls before coming to a stop. She finished 30th, her lowest spot in eight starts at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

“Definitely not a great ending,” she said. “But I kind of said before I came here that I feel like if it’s a complete disaster — complete like as if not in the ballpark at all, look silly — then people might remember that. If I win, people will remember that.

“But probably anything in between might just be a little part of a big story, so I kind of feel like that’s how it is, you know.”

The big story, of course, is her place in racing history. The for-

mer NASCAR star is the only female driver to lead laps in the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500, creating a strong brand and becoming a role model for little girls everywhere. She decided last season to end her racing career and start the next chapter of her life, creating the “Danica Double” as a farewell tour, running one final time in the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500.

She also crashed at Daytona in February and finished 35th. She spent the last few months getting re-acclimated to an Indy car after a seven-year hiatus and looked like a contender while qualifying seventh.

The final stop was a celebrator­y send-off that included dozens of family, friends and photograph­ers following her every move before the finale.

Patrick dropped several spots shortly after the green flag, battling an ill-handling

Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing. She was the first driver to make a pit stop in hopes of making a few changes. She was running in the middle of the field on Lap 68 when she spun sideways, hit the outside wall and then caromed across the track and into an inside barrier. She was evaluated at the care center and released.

She answered a few questions outside the building and then got a golf cart ride for another media session. The final news conference of her racing career came with a hiccup. The television broadcast got piped over loudspeake­rs as she was trying to talk.

“Take my mic away,” she said, only half-joking. “I’ll leave. I don’t even want to be here because I’m pretty sad.”

‘Definitely not a great ending.’ Danica Patrick On crashing out of Indy 500

 ?? PATRICK SMITH / GETTY IMAGES ?? Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 13 GoDaddy Chevrolet, lost traction on Lap 68 and crashed Sunday. She finished 30th, her lowest spot in eight starts at the Indianapol­is 500.
PATRICK SMITH / GETTY IMAGES Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 13 GoDaddy Chevrolet, lost traction on Lap 68 and crashed Sunday. She finished 30th, her lowest spot in eight starts at the Indianapol­is 500.

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