Danica Patrick puts reporter in his place at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 24: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 GoDaddy Breast Cancer Awareness Chevrolet, walks through the garage area prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 24, 2014 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 24:  Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 GoDaddy Breast Cancer Awareness Chevrolet, walks through the garage area prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 24, 2014 in Martinsville, Virginia.  (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 24: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 GoDaddy Breast Cancer Awareness Chevrolet, walks through the garage area prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 24, 2014 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Danica Patrick didn’t need a diversity program to get into racing. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series has always tried to be more of racecar driver who happens to be a woman, than a woman who wants to be a racecar driver. Many people who work around NASCAR or are fans of Patrick are quite aware of this fact. Unfortunately, not all are.

Friday at Martinsville Speedway during a media availability, a local reporter learned first hand the view Patrick has on whether a diversity program helped her to get into racing. The reporter pointed out that the track was presenting a Grandfather clock for the 50th time and Wendell Scott, a driver credited with being the first African-American to win a NASCAR race was being honored. He then added that it also “brings to light sort of the discussion of the diversity in NASCAR and with you…”

“I have never benefited from the Diversity Program,” Patrick said. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.