Danica a light heavyweight
by Matthew
After finishing 4th in the Indy 500, Danica Patrick will surely be considered a contender from now on in the Indy Racing League. The 23-year old Rahal team driver became the most successful female driver at the historic race on the weekend. Despite all of the media hype and all of the attention paid to her, Patrick went out and performed admirably in the contest. In fact, she actually lead in the race, serving notice to the other drivers that her presence on the circuit isn’t a gimmick.
Personally, I’m not sure what all of the fuss is about. So what if she’s a woman? Big deal. We’re not talking about a sport in which you have to out-lift your opponent or beat him in a foot race. She’s sitting in a gas-powered car, driving against her opponents. Racecar drivers rely on their eye-hand coordination, their intelligence and their reflexes. Why shouldn’t women be able to compete with men? This isn’t a name-writing contest in the snow. We’re talking about steering a machine here.
One wonders just how many other women drivers missed out on the opportunity that Patrick is getting with Bobby Rahal’s racing team. It isn’t all gravy for her, but she seems to be enjoying the ride. Complainers like Jeff Gordon say Patrick has an unfair advantage because she weighs significantly less than he and some of her opponents. Gordon argues that being lighter is a major plus because you use less fuel and your car can pick up speed more easily. Note to Jeff: Stop drinking so much Pepsi and maybe you’ll lose a little weight yourself.
