Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick is an American former professional racing driver whose 18-year career across IndyCar Series and NASCAR Cup Series produced the April 2008 Indianapolis 300 win — making her the first and only woman to win an IndyCar Series race. She was born Danica Sue Patrick on March 25, 1982, in Beloit, Wisconsin, and raised in Roscoe, Illinois. She started karting at age ten and pursued competitive open-wheel racing through her teens, training in British Formula Ford and British Formula Vauxhall through her late teens.

Her American IndyCar Series career began in 2005 at age 23. The 2005 Indianapolis 500 — her first Indianapolis 500 race — produced one of the American motorsports moments of the 21st century. She led 19 laps of the 200-lap race and finished 4th — the best finish for a woman in Indianapolis 500 history at the time. The 2005 performance made her one of the American sports figures of the mid-2000s.

Her April 20, 2008 Indianapolis 300 (Twin Ring Motegi, Japan) win — at the Japanese IndyCar race — made her the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race in the 100+ year history of American open-wheel racing. The 2008 IndyCar season produced her Top 10 finish in the IndyCar Series points championship.

Her 2010 transition to NASCAR — particularly her 2012 entry into the NASCAR Cup Series — expanded her American mainstream visibility. The February 2013 Daytona 500 pole position — making her the first woman to win the Daytona 500 pole position — was followed by her Daytona 500 8th-place finish (the best Daytona 500 finish for a woman). Her NASCAR career through 2018 produced no Cup Series race wins. She retired from professional racing in 2018 after the 2018 Indianapolis 500. She has continued to be a American sports-broadcasting figure, business owner (her Somnium wine label), and lifestyle-business influencer.

Her name Danica is from the Slavic danica meaning "morning star" or "Venus." Danica has been continuously among the most-popular American girls' names for decades.