Danica Patrick wrecked both Landon Cassill and herself Sunday at Kansas Speedway. Her subsequent comments, however, made it clear that the incident was much more than a simple racing accident.
Speaking to Motor Racing
Network after being released from the track’s Infield Care Center, Patrick
said she intentionally wrecked Cassill in retaliation for contact between the
two on a restart moments earlier.
"He got into me on the front straight and said I was just in
the way," said Patrick. "That's really no good reason to hit me. If
it (happens) one time, I can imagine it's frustration. But it's been quite a
few times with him. At some point I have to stand up for myself, so this
doesn't happen with other people. I chose today."
Television replays showed contact between the two
prior to the crash, sufficient to leave only a faint rubber donut on the side of Patrick's Chevrolet. Cassill told SB Nation reporter Jeff Gluck he simply “moved” Patrick because she was
"driving like a maniac. I didn't hit her because she was in my way and I
wanted to pick on her,” he said. “I hit her because she was driving like an
idiot for 30th (place).
 |
| Patrick: "I have to stand up for myself." |
“I didn't do anything different with her today than I did
with some other guys,” he added. “There was a lot of hard racing out there today.
It was a great racetrack, but it provided for hard racing. That's racing.
That's how it goes."
He accused Patrick of
making “some aggressive moves that in my opinion were unnecessary. She holds up
the field and holds up the other cars by crowding. I needed to get by her – so
I laid some sheet metal to her," he said. "I don't have anything
against her. We're all working our asses off to make it here; I am (and) she
is. It's a competitive sport, and events like this happen.”
Sunday was not the first overreaction
by Patrick to an incident of on-track contact. During her Indy Car career, she
had an entertaining history of verbal confrontations with drivers she thought used
more than their fair share of the race track. Now, she apparently feels the
need to make a stronger statement, with her front bumper.
In-car video from Patrick’s
Chevrolet clearly showed her turning right in an attempt to wreck Cassill’s Burger
King-sponsored Toyota. Cassill spun as a result of that contact, but so did
Patrick, eventually impacting the outside wall and ending her day. Cassill
continued undamaged, eventually equaling his career-best Sprint Cup Series
finish with an 18th-place showing.
“I’m out of the race and he’s not,” said Patrick in a
post-race radio interview. "He's
still out there going, so I've got to work on how to do that.”
Better still, Patrick could accept the fact that
incidental contact is part of the game in stock car racing. This is not Indy
Car, where rubbing wheels is akin to attempted murder. This is NASCAR, where “moving
a driver over” with a well-placed bump is part of doing business.
Landon Cassill did not wreck Danica Patrick Sunday. He
moved her out of his way, using sufficient skill to allow her to continue her
race, with no damage done. Patrick responded with a ham-handed takeout bid; attempting
to stick Cassell’s Toyota in the fence at over 180 mph. In this particular
case, the punishment far exceeded the crime.
Danica Patrick is a talented racer who will almost certainly
enjoy a long and lucrative NASCAR career. Sunday’s race proved, however, that
she’s still got a lot to learn.
Video: ESPN Photo: AP
How much longer is it going to take for her to learn?
ReplyDeleteHasn't she had enough time already? Isn't it likely that she has learned about all she is ever going to learn?
When can we call this experiment a failure?
you can buy a ride, but you can't buy talent
ReplyDelete"life is tough... its tougher when you're stupid." - John Wayne
Barry, please be careful of the trash talking. You can make your point without being disrespectful.
DeleteI didn't think he was disrepectful at all;;;
DeleteReally u two (goat n barry) u both think she is talentless i bet she could beat both ur asses on the track. Danica out rubs a lot of the big names when she runs. Everyobe forgets all drivers have done the same (earnhardt, wallace, waltrip) she will wear her emotions on her sleeve. Do we all forget kyle last year n kurt this year. Hell even tony was brash n did things like this his rookie yr in 1999. Watch out next year fir her to battle for wins.
ReplyDeleteDanica has not competed for wins. in the nationwide series. how do you expect for her to contend against the best of the best. she has been sheltered her he career. she has talent but let's her emotions overshadow her talent.
DeleteHow come she screws up and they say she is still "learning" ? Darrell Wallace Jr has had 3 NWS starts & finished TOP 10 all 3 times...
ReplyDeleteHe's learning, too. Just ask him.
DeleteWith comments like her's it shows she has learned little in our sport. And as my Daddy would have said "She has a long row to hoe" if she is going to make it in NASCAR
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your comments. Danica's response was an overreaction. It is nice to see someone commenting on Landon's skill. He did a great job saving his race car, keeping his cool, and going on to obtain a top 20 finish.
ReplyDeleteSometimes Junior picks winners and sometimes he picks losers. Both chase drivers Martin Truex Jr and Brad Keselowski drove for Junior's Nationwide team, Truex won TWO Nationwide (Busch) championships at the Chance2 team he co-owned with Teresa. Landon Cassill also drove for Junior & produced squat & got turfed. 'Nuff said.
ReplyDeleteTurfed? The guy is racing full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series! You and I should be doing so badly!
DeleteJr did not pick Landon. Landon was a HMS Development driver while JR was still driving for DEI. he was in a lower level at the time. if I remember correctly Rick couldnt find the sponsorship to bring him up. was I need someone to drive will you help me out type he never drove for Jr fulltime it only did a few races for JRM. At the time he was driving for Phoenix already so it was not an evaluation drive. I drive. Landon is no Kurt Busch, but that is the only reason he is not with Pheonix this year If I remember correctly.
DeleteThat is partially true. Cassil was running Nationwide with Casey Mears in that #54 car with National Guard sponsorship. It's also true he was Hendrick's driver and not Jr's per say. He ran well though. He has always run well given his opportunities.
DeleteDanica really needs to calm herself a little also. She needs to realize that she got fast-tracked along. As a result of that she hasn't learned really how to "race" drivers in these cars. She's spent her whole life racing but very very few has been with full fenders. It really doesn't help her cause to admit she tried to wreck him too, especially when it cost her team a car to repair.
Can anyone explain why after supposedly having to start at the back due to an engine change she actually lined up in 35th position just before the green flag? I've seen this repeatedly in every CUP race she's run this year. Why is she allowed to start 6-8 positions higher than her qualifying position?
ReplyDeleteBecause drivers who plan to "start and park" routinely wave other drivers by prior to the start, to avoid messing them up. It has nothing to do with Danica.
DeleteThere was no difference in what Newman did (initially) with Busch and what Landon did to Danica. The difference is that even Busch in his post wreck interview admitted that it was racing and it was "fine." Danica has not been in the sport long enough and does not have nearly enough experience to make comments as she does and try to send statements on the track. It isn't that she can't drive, its that she is expecting everyone to treat her as though she is a four decade veteran like a Mark Martin. It may take an Ernie Ervin-esque intervention to help her get her head straight.
ReplyDeleteYou can throw as much money and talented crew guys at Danica as you want but it aint going to do any good. She just taking up a great ride to be a billboard
ReplyDeleteIsn't there a penalty involved for Danica admitting she wrecked Landon on purpose? Though she failed (miserably), I don't think it's good sportsman(woman)ship to race like that. Just recently, Jeff Gordon didn't chrome horn a driver for fear of taking himself out too.
ReplyDeleteHow long would a team owner put up with "still learning" if it wasn't Danica? Look at others out of a ride who have had better finishes. I think Danica needs to stay in the NW series for another year to continue learning.
johanna long needs that kind of money behind her . she is doing more with less
ReplyDelete"Mike S", if you are looking for your comment, you will not find it. Name calling does not fly on this blog, and we also do not travel the cheap insult route. If you are capable of making your point without the trash talk (and based on your first effort, I suspect you may not be capable), feel free to try again. Otherwise, don't waste your time submitting another comment that will never see the light of day.
ReplyDeleteOkay Dave, how's this: she has minimal talent at the NW level and non-existent talent at the Cup level. She gets inferior results with superior equipment. Is that better? You can trash me now if you want to. I can handle it. Btw, don't be so presumptuous; it's not a nice trait.
Deletetheres no need to be a hypocrite dave, your talkin/insulting the commenter
Delete"Anonymous" (and I just love that all the name-callers post as "Anonymous"), it's my blog. If you don't like the way I run things, go start your own.
DeleteMy biggest concern with Danica and the way she is "standing up for herself" is that someone could eventually get hurt. I am hoping that somebody might have a chat with her to explain the differences between what she is doing, versus what she thinks other drivers are doing on the track.
ReplyDeleteDave, I'm sorry, but she is not talented. She has never shown ability to race, she's wrecked nearly half the time she races (I haven't seen ineptitude like that since Shawna Robinson), and the sex appeal angle wore out its welcome long ago. She didn't do anything for Indycars and she's not doing anything for NASCAR.
ReplyDeleteOkay Dave, I'll play it your way just to show you're wrong about me. Her talent is minimal at the NW level and non-existent at the Cup level. She gets inferior results with superior equipment. Okay, go ahead and bash me. I can take it.
ReplyDeleteNothing here to bash, Mike. I asked you to stop name-calling, and you did. Thank you.
DeleteI almost wrote something positively wonderful about Danica's race Saturday. Now I'm using it as a point.
ReplyDeleteThere are two forces at work in the world of Danica. There's the marketing machine that calls the shots, and Danica. Saturday was a great example of driving within her limits. She had a great showing at the front of the pack towards the end of the race. She was aggressive, and she didn't take anyone else -herself included- out, by driving over her head. Not a common occurrence.
There are a ton of lower tier races with fenders. That exposure to this type of racing would serve her well. If you take a great 10 year old basketball player, stick him in the NBA, he's going to say the refs aren't calling any traveling, and everyone but the coach has fouled me, and not one whistle has blown! Its a different game. This is where she finds herself. Out of her league in the Cup series. Flashes of greatness in Nationwide, but few and far between.
The money that drives the Danica brand, supersedes what is best for it. But isn't that the case with everything? Maybe her frustration is being uncomfortable knowing she isn't ready.
I know you can make the case by comparing her Nationwide year to Jimmy "Who?" Johnson in his Busch years. But at the same time, you can't. Nobody has ever done what he has done, in the history of the sport.
Its glaringly obvious that the rush to pad pockets, is far more important to the Danica Marketing Machine, than the duration those pockets could be lined by doing it right. She'll suffer as a competitor, and will be gone far sooner than she would like. A flash in the pan that wasn't even very bright.
Buh bye.
I highly doubt that Danica will have any success in Cup. Look at the recent drivers that have made the transition from open wheel to cup and they've had more than just one win. It's fine and dandy that she was the first woman to lead the Indy 500 but Danica has a long steep learning curve to be successful in NASCAR.
ReplyDeleteShe's only hurting herself by not being able to stay in the race and log in the important track time and laps that she needs. Danica is more worried about retaliating and gaining respect from her peers. The only way she can gain that respect is by finishing races and dealing with the on the track issues after the race. Instead she wrecked a new car and that just doesn't hurt her, but also the people back at the shop that have to rebuild and deal with torn sheet metal.
The only reason that she will have a "long" career is due to fact that Danica gets enough air time for constantly running bad. Hope her the best but I just don't see the success out of her like others that made the jump to cup.
I think her former crewchief drummed into her head that she should payback anyone who bumps her. It just doesn't make sense when a driver is riding in 30th position. I can't see why dangerous driving like what she did to Hornish isn't punished. Nascar and the racing media have crowned her Queen.
ReplyDeleteWith her Go Daddy money and racing connections she has it made UNTIL she gets in the way of a chase driver.
ReplyDeleteI hope someone smack the back of Danica's head and tell her rubbing and bumping is part of the NASCAR, this is contact sports, she better accept it. On the track, no one would care whether you are a female driver or a male driver; everyone is a "driver" and is "equal". No one picking on her when a car trying to move her out of the way, she needs to understand that she is "slow" and needs to "get out of the way" and not blocking. If she doesn't want anyone to touch her car, she better run "fast" and run first so no one can catch her yet, she still needs to negotiate "lap down" cars, isn't it? Try to understand NASCAR racing better, Danica.
ReplyDelete