“Changed the Game” – Former NASCAR Star Danica Patrick Pays Tribute to Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer

Published 11/10/2020, 6:30 AM EST

Danica Patrick is a former racer who is best known for racing in IndyCar and in NASCAR. Although she was a more prominent figure in IndyCar, she also raced in NASCAR for a few years. Ahead of the 2020 Cup Series race at the Phoenix Raceway, Patrick returned to the NASCAR paddock.

On this occasion, though, she was there merely as a spectator.

Following the race’s conclusion, she paid a small tribute to the outgoing Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, and Chad Knaus. Knaus is set to leave his role as crew chief and move to a higher role with Hendrick Motorsports.

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Happily on the outside looking in 😌. Had a really good time back at the track today for the last race of the season. A few retirements today from @clintbowyer @jimmiejohnson and @chadknaus….. guys that have changed the game in @nascar. So, it’s only appropriate for the championship winner @chaseelliott9 to be one of the youngest ever. Life is always evolving and changing. 🙌🏼
A post shared by Danica Patrick (@danicapatrick) on Nov 8, 2020 at 6:30pm PST

Meanwhile, Johnson is set to mirror Patrick’s move. The only difference is that he moves to Indy from NASCAR, while she started off in Indy and later moved to NASCAR. Finally, Bowyer is set to take up a commentary role from the 2021 season onwards.

Danica Patrick: A look back at her NASCAR career

Truthfully speaking, Patrick did not really have a very successful stint in NASCAR. Her highest ever position was sixth place at Atlanta in 2014. However, she did have a bit more success in IndyCar, where she took her one and only race win at Motegi in the 2008 season.

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Danica Patrick likely hit her peak years from 2007 until the 2010 season. Within that timeframe, she bagged six podiums and that solitary win. Additionally, in the 2009 season, she had a career-best championship finish of 5th place.

However, her career has often been mired in criticism, owing to largely sub-par results. Many actually considered her a publicity stunt to try to promote women in racing.

She did manage to silence most of the critics with her 2008 win at Motegi, though the talks flared up once again when she was unable to repeat that feat.

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All said and done, Danica Patrick has definitely paved the way for women in NASCAR and IndyCar. She will be pleased to know that there are a few female racers who are willing to take the fight to their male counterparts.

Kevin Harvick Cites the Example of Danica Patrick and Says Results on the Track Matter Most

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.