7X Olympic Medalist Compared “Bad a** chick” Danica Patrick to Russian Beauty Maria Sharapova in 2007

Danica Patrick has been known to be a strong personality both on and off the track, mostly during her racing days. To boost the fact, back in 2007, a certain seven-time Olympic medalist had reiterated that she considered Patrick to be a badass.

In the interview, Sports Illustrated asked, “If you wereHef, what other athletes would you want to have pose for Playboy?”

Beard responded, “Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova, and Danica Patrick. Anna is gorgeous. And Danica is a badass chick. She has a lot of male fans, so she would be perfect.”

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Patrick sure is a badass, there is no denying it. She has proven that to everyone throughout her career. Even fellow drivers would agree with what Beard once said.

Danica Patrick was once regarded as a badass after winning the iconic NASCAR Daytona 500

Patrick proved her caliber during her NASCAR days by becoming the first and only woman to have secured a pole in the Daytona 500 race.

However, she was not lucky enough to go one for a win the next day, but her achievement was well enough recorded in history. Later during an interview, the IndyCar turned NASCAR driver mentioned, “I deserve to be here and I want to win.”

Another time, Patrick had also amassed the record of being the only woman to have led a staggering 90 laps of the field in a Cup Series race as a female driver. Tales like this are what made Patrick a household name for many. Moreover, she also became an influence for several other up-and-coming women in the sport. Many established young female drivers have also cited Patrick to be one of their major influences while coming up through the series.

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Even after all these years, now that she has not stepped in a Cup Car, she remains active as a successful entrepreneur and influencer. She has a vineyard where she produces her own wine, a podcast that features some of health and fitness’s greatest minds, and a scented candle company. Danica has surely proven her merit to everyone by this stage of life.