“Messing With the Wrong Person” – Danica Patrick Was Once Reprimanded and Sent a Warning by Dan Wheldon During an IndyCar Race

Back in 2007, when IndyCar raced at Milwaukee, the rivalry between Danica Patrick and Dan Wheldon had flared up, leading to a point where Patrick shoved the Chip Ganassi Racing driver and argued with him once they were out of the car.

Later on during an interview, Wheldon sent out a warning to Patrick regarding her behavior.

Back on track, while entering a turn, Danica Patrick got cut by Dan Wheldon, who suddenly dived down the inside. That maneuver forced Patrick off the track and lead her to lose momentum and drop places.

Soon after, tempers flared when Danica thought of confronting Wheldon face to face after the race. While Wheldon seemed unbothered to even look at her, Patrick gave him a shove and then proceeded to walk away.

During the post-race interview, Dan Wheldon stated, “She’s (Danica) messing with the wrong person if she wants to get feisty that’s for sure because I’m a lot tougher than she is on track .”

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Both IndyCar drivers faced an intense rivalry throughout the following races. However, unfortunately, Wheldon would only drive till the 2011 season, before a horrifying accident saw him tragically lose his life.

What happened during Dan Wheldon’s final IndyCar race?

The 2011 race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway has been forever shrouded under a dark cloud, ever since IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon lost his life after a horror crash during the race.

After a 15-car crash began to occur, Dan Wheldon’s car was seen hurtling 325 feet in the air before hitting the catch fence and catching on fire. According to reports, Wheldon’s head took a direct impact against a pole on the catch fence, after which the grim reality was evident.

The CEO of IndyCar at the time, Randy Bernard, came under fire for asking Wheldon to race from the end of the field in order to win a cash prize of $5 million had he won the race from all the way down there.

However, IndyCar president Brian Barnhart blamed the race venue for its track surface being multi-grooved, which according to him caused significant risks while racing through the high banked curves.

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The race was eventually stopped, and a moment of silence was held for Wheldon. Even though it has been 11 years since his fatal crash, the memory of it still remains fresh in the hearts and minds of many, including the drivers who raced alongside him that very day.