Patrick ‘incredily focused and driven to succeed’

Danica Patrick burst onto the auto racing scene in May 2005. In fact, she generated attention from around the world when she led 19 laps of the Indianapolis 500 before finishing fourth in her first run at the Brickyard.

One week later, Patrick was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In April 2008, she became the first woman to win a major league open wheel race in a North American series when she captured the IndyCar Series Indy Japan 300 at the Twin Ring Motegi oval.

Three weeks later, the native of Roscoe, Ill., landed another Sports Illustrated cover, joining Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Al Unser as the only racecar drivers to be on the front of SI twice.

In 2013, Patrick became the first woman to win the pole for the Daytona 500 and led laps 90 and 91 under caution — the first female to ever lead the race — before finishing eighth. She also led laps 127 to 129 under green, as she posted the highest finish for a woman in the “Great American Race.”

By leading the Daytona 500, Patrick became a member of an elite club of drivers who have led the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. She joined A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Bobby Unser, Bobby Allison, Jim Hurtubise, Johnny Rutherford, Tim Richmond, John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart.

“Danica is incredibly focused and driven to succeed,” said Stewart, who co-owns SHR with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas.

Patrick, who finished 33rd last year in the Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, opened the 2014 season with a 40th-place finish in the Daytona 500 after being involved in a multicar accident. She was 36th Sunday in the Profit for CNBC 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Patrick told NASCAR.com that while “it’s been a little bit of a rough start to the season as far as results go, (her) cars have a lot more speed” than last year.

NASCAR has a new playoff format this year, but Patrick said she won’t alter her racing style.

“I don’t think you can really try any harder to be faster,” she told NASCAR.com. “The team is always putting that kind of effort in to go faster.

“When you’re out there on the track, I’m not thinking about making the Chase with this win. I’m thinking, ‘Go forward. Win the race. Oh, yeah, you’ve made the Chase now.’ It’s something that happens as a result. As a driver, you’re always trying as hard as you can to get to Victory Lane.”

She’s also trying to learn a new sport. Patrick’s boyfriend, fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., is an avid golfer, so she has picked up the sport.

“I almost had a hole-in-one,” Patrick said. “How amazing is that? It was like under a foot. It was amazing. I took a picture. (Ricky) said that he’s never been that close to a hole-in-one, so already I’m ahead of the game, and I’ve only been playing for about a year.”