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Who Is Aaron Rodgers’ Ex-Girlfriend & NASCAR Pioneer – Danica Patrick?

Published 11/07/2021, 10:14 AM EST

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Danica Patrick is a big name in not just motorsports but culturally as well. The former IndyCar winner has found himself in the headlines even after her retirement in 2017 because of her close involvement with racing, but also because of her personal life.

Patrick suffered a tough period post her breakup with Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers. The former NASCAR driver and the NFL quarterback called it quits in 2020 after dating for almost two years.

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Earlier this summer, the racing driver opened up on her struggle post the split.

“I think we learn the most about ourselves through relationships, but there’s nothing like heartbreak to really throw you in the deep end of that,” she said as reported by People.

“I’ve learned a lot, and as broken open as I was on the sad end, I have felt so much joy in so many more instances and so many more unlikely places than I ever have, so it’s like my heart got broken open to both ends of the spectrum.”

via Getty

But that was last year; Danica Patrick has admittedly moved on in her life since.

Danica Patrick is a racing icon in her own right

The 39-year-old is the most successful female driver in American open-wheel racing history.

After making her debut in IndyCar in 2005, Patrick took three pole positions in her first season. This led her to win the Rookie of the Year Award for the IndyCar series in 2005.

She made history after winning the Indy Japan 300, becoming the first woman to ever win an IndyCar race. Patrick finished sixth in that year’s standings.

After 2010, Danica Patrick raced in NASCAR Xfinity Series (then known as Nationwide Series). Her highest finishes were fourth place in a race in Las Vegas in 2011 and a tenth place finish in the standings in 2012.

Patrick also competed in NASCAR’s top tier Cup Series where she became the first woman to secure a pole position after setting the fastest lap at the Daytona 500 in 2013.

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Racing in motorsports is like going through life.

Most of the time we’re trying to compete against others, to come out in front no matter what, which is not wrong to a degree. But we don’t always succeed, we get wrecked, get overtaken, and pushed off track.

Yet we keep coming back into the action. And after a while, the reason to race shifts from being competitive to simply race for the love of racing, to be on track, as we mature.

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Danica Patrick is a great example of this analogy.

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Written by:

Shaharyar

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Shaharyar is a Formula 1 & NASCAR writer at EssentiallySports. A Graduate in Journalism from Amity University, he has been a passionate follower of motorsports for the better part of the decade. A Max Verstappen and Ferrari supporter, he dreams of a pairing of the two in the future.
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