Danica

Danica Sue Patrick, an American ex-professional racing driver. Danica Sue Patrick is among the top-performing American woman open-wheel racing driver. Her win in Indy Japan 300 in 2008 was her first victory. With the approval of her parents, she dropped out of high school and emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1998 to pursue a career. Patrick was a racer in Formula Vauxhall, Formula Ford prior to returning to the United States in 2001. In 2002, she competed in five Barber Dodge Pro Series races with Rahal Letterman racing. Patrick participated in the Toyota Atlantic Series the following two years. Her best effort was when she finished third in championship standings during the 2004 season, where she became the first female to take a pole in the series.She began racing in the IndyCar Series with Rahal Letterman Racing in 2005. She earned three pole positions, equaling Tomas's record of poles in a rookie season. She was named the Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series. She made progress during the next two seasons, racing with Rahal Letterman Racing 2006, and later Andretti Green Racing 2007. Patrick placed sixth overall in the drivers' standings in 2008 after her Japan win. She improved her position to finish fifth in the drivers' standings following the season. This was her most impressive result at the Indianapolis 500 and a career-high for Patrick. Patrick's overall performance was bad in 2010, however, she did manage two second-place finishes on oval tracks prior to her departure from IndyCar to focus solely on racing stock cars.