Another gender barrier shattered

patrickDanica Patrick has received lots of attention as a woman race-car driver in a male-dominated sport — but she’s been dogged by questions of whether she can win a big race. She put those questions to rest Sunday, crossing the finish line in the Japan 300 to become the first woman to win an Indy car race.

“This reaches outside racing,” Patrick said. “This is about finding something you love to do, and following through with it.”
That’s a message every young girl needs to hear.

26 Comments

  1. Regular
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 7:42 am | Permalink

    Sure, all you need is two hands, a lead foot and a set of brass ones.

    Well, two out of three ain’t bad.

  2. Mary_Caruso
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 8:31 am | Permalink

    It woun’t be long till we take over the world!!!
    Someone has to clean up the mess made by a million years of male dominance…it’s about damn time!

  3. Boxlock
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 8:49 am | Permalink

    Oh…good luck Mary. What a sexist women comment.

    Congrats to the lady though, good job!
    I don’t follow racing but she might be enough to make me watch. :twisted:

  4. Franklin
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 10:52 am | Permalink

    Global warming is a bad thing, say the liberals, but we can use lots of gasoline if it powers a WOMAN to win in a car race? LOL

    Anyway, I think women SHOULD be more prominent in auto racing. They are usually not as heavy as men, and would, therefore, tend to be less “payload” in a race car.

  5. Posted April 22, 2008 at 12:17 pm | Permalink

    Another gender barrier shattered

    What barrier? Was there some law that was abolished? Perhaps a gender discrimination case decided? There has been nothing extra-ordinary keeping women from competing in Indy Car races for quite some time.

    What a misleading title for a thread.

  6. lindainks55
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 12:39 pm | Permalink

    Maybe all the attention Danica Patrick is getting for her win will bring more fans to open wheel racing.

    The two “factions” have (once again) merged so there should be enough cars at the Indy500 to actually “bump.” Should mean the least talented and financed don’t make the field of 33.

    There’s also a chance there will be enough cars on the track that there will actually be some racing vs follow the leader.

  7. darkanonm
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 1:00 pm | Permalink

    Actually, Indy cars are powered by your buddy, Ethanol. Cubic money helps to win, and she has a lot of that behind her, also. Probably not gonna happen in Nascar anytime soon.

  8. WichiWomn
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 3:22 pm | Permalink

    I’ve been watching Danica race for a few years now, kudos to her!

    Boxlock, Women have long been disadvantaged in the mostly men’s world of ruling and play so cut Mary some slack. We’re still trying to become somewhat equal. I’ll be very happy the day we are equal in compensation.

  9. Posted April 22, 2008 at 3:29 pm | Permalink

    Damn women drivers. Bet she was on her cell phone too. Puttin on her make up…

    ;-)

    Bully for her. Hope she keeps it up.

  10. outlander
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 3:42 pm | Permalink

    Get out on the interstate and getting going a cruising speed, say within 5 to 10 mph over the limit. Then notice who passes you. Two thirds to three fourths will be women.

  11. Posted April 22, 2008 at 3:43 pm | Permalink

    Ron Paul is more popular than Miley Cyrus

    http://www.google.com/trends?q=Miley+Cyrus%2C+Ron+Paul&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0

  12. Posted April 22, 2008 at 3:44 pm | Permalink

    CRAP. Wrong thread…

  13. Boxlock
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 4:13 pm | Permalink

    WichiWomn,

    Having a wonderful daughter and granddaughter I can completely agree.
    Though, I personally think women ARE equal, but in different ways. Every bit as important, just different.
    I am proud to say my daughter earns more than her dad and that pleases me just fine.
    And my granddaughter, no genetic bias here, is worlds smarter than I when I was her age. :up:

  14. Boxlock
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 4:14 pm | Permalink

    test
    :up:

  15. Boxlock
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 4:16 pm | Permalink

    See I said about the “smarter than I”, can’t get it to work. :roll:

  16. Nathaniel
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 4:26 pm | Permalink

    I wonder if she got to where she is by walking backwards in high heels?

  17. MaxGrobnik
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 4:52 pm | Permalink

    Danica Patrick is HOT alright.

    Did you see her pass the lead car at the end? It looked like the lead car slowed down for her to LET her pass by.

    Affirmative Action, at it’s best.

  18. MaxGrobnik
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 4:53 pm | Permalink

    Did she start on the Pole?

  19. MaxGrobnik
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 4:55 pm | Permalink

    That’s one small step for woman, and one giant leap for womankind!

    Wow, women can now drive!

    Who told them they could do that?

  20. American
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 5:14 pm | Permalink

    The real fix us males will be in is when women stop deciding to have babies.

    There goes humankind.

    Oh boy.

  21. Mary_Caruso
    Posted April 22, 2008 at 7:44 pm | Permalink

    I’ve always wanted to be a race car driver…I have 4 speeding tickets in the last year to prove it.
    I can’t imagine a bigger high than letting all those guys eat your dust.

  22. Posted April 22, 2008 at 8:27 pm | Permalink

    “It looked like the lead car slowed down for her to LET her pass by.”

    Bullshit. Even Helio (the lead driver) said that she passed fair and square. A driver that sets up a pass properly on the open straight WILL look like he or she is going twenty miles an hour faster - it’s all in the draft and set up.

    For all you half-witted chauvinists - STFU.

  23. Posted April 22, 2008 at 8:28 pm | Permalink

    “Did she start on the Pole?”

    No, she started on the fourth row.

    What the Hell differ3ence does that make?

  24. Posted April 24, 2008 at 11:07 am | Permalink

    Nice

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  25. Posted April 24, 2008 at 11:41 am | Permalink

    Nice

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  26. Posted April 24, 2008 at 12:05 pm | Permalink

    +1

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