Filed under: Tony Stewart, Nationwide Series, FanHouse Exclusive, IRL, Danica Patrick
More so than her win in Japan two years ago; more so than a half-dozen dazzling showings in the Indianapolis 500, the last 20 laps of Saturday night's IZOD IndyCar Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway may have been the most game-changing miles Danica Patrick has ever raced.Her runner-up finish -- courtesy of an aggressive last-lap pass -- is not only a significant statement about her as a legitimately competitive IndyCar driver, but speaks to her prospects in NASCAR, where she begins a six-race run in the Nationwide Series Saturday at California Speedway.
What stands out isn't so much Patrick's finish Saturday night but the dogged pursuit to get there -- a tenacious 220-mph wheel-to-wheel, guts-for-glory duel with former champion and surly teammate Tony Kanaan, in which she prevailed.
Her much-publicized Indy 500 success may have landed Patrick on the Hollywood red carpet and into the hearts of race fans, but her much-less-publicized effort Saturday impressed her fellow racers.
It most certainly earned her some respect and gave her the dose of confidence and Chutzpah she'll need as she transitions to NASCAR to close out the season. It was exactly the kind of sendoff she needed.
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