When Danica Patrick Lost $20,000 to Her Temper

Published 01/26/2023, 10:41 AM EST

When it comes to women in NASCAR, Danica Patrick is one of the top names that crosses the mind. With her massive popularity, Patrick has had a monumental impact on motorsports. One of the most successful female drivers in open-wheel racing, Patrick has made millions of dollars through driving and endorsements.

To date, Patrick continues to prove her entrepreneurial prowess through her new ventures. Be it her acting and hosting stints, her wine brand Somnium, or her popular YouTube podcast Pretty Intense. However, even with everything she has today, Patrick might often regret spending that $20,000.

During the 2016 Auto Club 400, former Hendrick Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne probably misjudged and bumped into the right-rear end of Patrick’s car. Due to the collision, Patrick went straight into the outside wall and this caused extensive damage to her vehicle.

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The impact of the crash ended her day on the track, however, things were about to get worse. And Patrick lost $20,000 due to this incident. No, not in repairs, but as a fine.

When her temper cost Danica $20,000

Although Patrick was not injured, she was completely frustrated by what had happened. Amidst the frustration, the IndyCar driver lost her temper. And what she did next had some serious repercussions that cost her dearly.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MAY 19: Danica Patrick, driver of the #13 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, reacts after her hat does not fit during Indianapolis 500 qualifications on May 19, 2018, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Angered by Kanhe’s actions, Patrick walked up to the track to give him the universal WTF signal. According to USA Today, “After climbing out of her battered car, she (Danica Patrick) walked onto the track apron to gesture at Kahne as he drove past under caution.”

Viewing Patrick’s actions after the race as a violation of safety rules, competition officials levied a $20,000 fine on Patrick. And what’s even worse? She found out about it while on a vacation.

Danica Patrick does not feel she was in “danger”

After the incident on the track, Danica Patrick was relaxing on an island, enjoying a much-needed vacation. However, just then, she received an unexpected message about her being fined $20,000. While talking about her side of the story, Patrick said she did not feel she was in danger.

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As reported by Yahoo Sports, Patrick stated, “Did I feel like I was in danger? Absolutely not. It’s my own body, I don’t want to put my body in danger at all. Then you start working into gray areas as to what’s too close and what’s not close. I get it. I get their position.

“I understand NASCAR needs to do whatever it can to, again, protect their drivers … and making sure that we don’t put ourselves in harm’s way. I get that it is 2016. We can get smarter and better. There’s certain things that cross the line, and I guess that they deemed that I did it.”

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WATCH THIS STORY: “This Is Stupid”: Danica Patrick’s Weird Reason for Selling Her Lamborghini Shocked Joe Rogan Once

Although the fine might have stung back then, it looks like the $20,000 did not have much effect on Patrick’s finances. As per the Celebrity Net Worth website, the former NASCAR driver is worth $80 million as of 2022. However, in all fairness, only Patrick can tell if she still regrets spending that $20,000.

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Written by:

Devyani Sharma is a NASCAR Author at EssentiallySports. Having completed her postgrad in English Literature, she has worked as a content writer for a while now. With over three years of experience in the field and hundreds of articles published on the web, Devyani has now associated with EssentiallySports to start her journey in the world of sports journalism.

Edited by:

Nischal Kandpal

When Danica Patrick Lost $20,000 to Her Temper

When her temper cost Danica $20,000

Danica Patrick does not feel she was in “danger”

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