
Danica Sue Patrick is an American former professional racer. She has been the most successful female in the history of American open-wheel car racing--her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only win by a woman in an IndyCar Series race.Born to a working class family in Beloit, Wisconsin, Patrick started karting at the age of 10 and gained early success by winning her class in the World Karting Association Grand National Championship three times during the early 1990s. In 1998, she left high school and moved into England to pursue a career. Patrick competed in Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford before returning to the United States in 2001 due to the lack of funds. She took part in five Barber Dodge Pro Series races in 2002 for Rahal Letterman Racing. Patrick then raced in the Toyota Atlantic Series for the next two years. She finished third in the championship standings of the 2004 season. This was when she became the first woman to be crowned the winner of the series. She was named the 2005 IndyCar Series Rookie of Year. She saw improvement over the next two years, racing for Rahal Letterman Racing in 2006 and later Andretti Green Racing in 2007. Patrick finished sixth in the drivers' standings following her victory in Japan. Her performance improved to finish fifth in standings for drivers the following season. This was her most impressive performance in the Indianapolis 500 and a career-high for Patrick. Patrick's overall performances slowed during the year, but she managed two-second-places at oval tracks prior to leaving IndyCar after the 2011 season, focusing on stock car racing full-time.
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