Danica Patrick ripped driver Michael McDowell after wrecking out of Saturday afternoon’s Nationwide Series race in Las Vegas.
On lap 83, McDowell had just brought his damaged car back out onto the track when Danica began closing on him at a high rate of speed.
McDowell said he tried to run the low line as a signal to Danica – in stock-car racing, he said, the faster car typically passes on the high side – but Danica dove inside as McDowell tried to come down the track.
The two cars collided, ending both of their days.
“I think the red [repair] tape on the left-rear bumper should have been a big signal for me,” Danica said. “It would have been nice to have a decent finish. … I’m not the type of person that crashes cars.”
McDowell agreed with Danica’s assessment of what happened, saying, “It was completely my fault.”
“It wasn’t the spotter’s fault, nobody’s fault – I’ll take blame for it,” he said. "I apologize. I hope Junior Nation and Danica Mania don’t attack me, because I am big fans [of theirs].
“For me, it was a tough day to go out there and blow a tire. The guys worked really hard to get the car fixed and in three-quarters of a lap, I ran over her pretty good.”
Prior to the wreck, Danica wasn’t running very well. She qualified 37th and had been hanging around 25th – though she said she was getting more and more comfortable.
At one point, leader Kevin Harvick lapped her and gestured – which she took as a signal to follow his line.
Danica said it was “so damn cool” of Harvick to attempt to help her out during the race. She didn’t take his gesture as the middle finger, she said.
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Brad called it right...
They were both responsible.
However, McDriver showed way more class than it appears Danica is capable of.
Would she have dared run her mouth like that if that had been say…Harvick…instead of McDriver?
by ChicknLil on Feb 27, 2010 8:17 PM EST reply actions
racin' deal
McDowell certainly handled his interview more professionally than Ms. Patrick.
Re: Harvick ‘gesture’ – were the guys in the booth kidding when they said Kevin was HELPING her? I’ll need to watch again.
Monte Carlo Resorts had a big promo with McDowell. I hope they realize their logo will be on MANY replays the next week or so.
As one of Kenny Schrader’s sponsors told me several years ago – either win or wreck. Wrecking with Danica is a bonus.
by Shirley Buttacavoli on Feb 27, 2010 8:26 PM EST reply actions
Danica's interview was a real let-down
As a female racing fan, I was excited to see Danica Patrick try her luck on the NASCAR scene. I really wanted to have new favorite driver to watch. But her wreck with McDowell yesterday and subsequent train wreck of an interview really let me down.
The accident clearly wasn’t all McDowell’s fault, she even said herself that she noticed he was “going way slow” aka off-pace. So why wouldn’t she even attempt to be prepared to change her line? Instead she bore right into him.
Of course in her interview she chose not to acknowledge that she could have had anything to do with the incident, instead using the air time to throw McDowell under the bus, give an overview of the things she did right in the race, and name-drop the race leader Harvick for choosing to take time out of the race to help her.
(Personally I think the gesture may have been a premonatory reminder—telling her that faster traffic generally passes on the high side—duh) ;)
Oh, and props to McDowell for being the bigger man.
by JNorr on Feb 28, 2010 7:16 PM EST reply actions
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