Patrick "Not Overly Excited" By Martinsville Success

Patrick ran well at Martinsville

Danica Patrick said today that while she was pleased with her 12^th-place finish Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, she was not as excited as many observers.

“I don’t know if I necessarily get overly excited about much,” said Patrick. “I’m supposed to go fast and I’m supposed to have good results. It was a satisfying moment, but I think it’s a reminder that is what we work hard for.

“Even after Daytona -- qualifying on the pole and running basically in the Top-3 most of the day -- we didn’t come away too high, either. We know we are going to have those days, and we know that we are going to have days like (Las) Vegas, where it’s a very trying day. Being at Martinsville for the first time, we all expected to have a tough weekend. Nobody really knew exactly what to expect.

“When you go in open-minded and with a good attitude -- knowing that if you keep trying, take what comes and stay positive -- that good things can happen.”

Patrick called her Martinsville success, “a nice reminder that I can drive a race car. Sometimes you get a little down on yourself, and it’s (days like Martinsville) that help bring it back. It’s a nice reminder of what we work hard for, and why we need to have a good attitude.”

She said she has not spoken to Brian Vickers since their last-lap tangle at Martinsville, but has talked with Kevin Harvick, who bumped Vickers’ car after the race to express his unhappiness.

“I said `thanks,’ because it looked like he was giving me a hand with someone that was a little upset,” said Patrick. “He was a little upset with (Vickers), too. I think there were a lot of people upset with Vickers after Martinsville. I haven’t raced with him very much, so I’m getting on with my day. You saw what happened. I was told by a couple of people (that) I just got hit, and I did. At least I only lost one spot.”

This week, the Sprint Cup Series travels to Texas Motor Speedway, where Patrick has numerous starts in the Indy Car ranks. Despite that experience, however, she said she enjoys no advantage at the Lone Star oval.

“Other than being familiar with how to get to the track and (knowing) how to get to my bus at the track, that is really about it,” she said. “Every car you drive on tracks you have been (to) feels different. The tracks I drove in Indy Car (were) almost more confusing to drive in a stock car, because the line is different. You find different bumps out there. Sometimes, it’s nice to come in with a clean slate.

“I came here at the end of the year last year and raced the Cup race,” she recalled. “I have some notes and some things to remember. This is the first race Tony Gibson and I worked together, (so) we’ve got something to start with this weekend.”

She said her Texas set-up is comparable to that used at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and many other 1.5-mile ovals.

“Every track is a little bit unique, but mile and a half’s are mile and a half’s,” she said. “Usually, you can take set ups and move them across the board through a lot of them, (or) at least have a platform from one track to the next. Even at Fontana. We are using stuff we learned there, too.”