What Cars Are Those?
 

What are the cars in the new Jay-Z Bud Beer commericals? Dale Jr. is driving a Ferrari but what is Danica driving? The Bugatti (spelling?)?? What is the round port thingy in the rear of the car...the exhaust pipes??

Zonda
 

it's a Zonda

Thanks, that's it. Check it out:

http://www.paganiautomobili.it/english.htm

Zonda Shmanda! How freakin' hot is Danica Patrick? And she can drive???

I bet she can a drive a stick.

That was the gayest video on the planet, Danika Is decent I would do her!

Umm..seriously, is Danica Patrick really that hot? If she wasn't the only female in a sea of sweaty oil-stained pit-crew types would she really stand out?

She's OK in that girl next door way, and it would be cool if she was my neighbor, but other than borrowing the occasional cup of sugar, I don't think I'd go out of my way to get to know her.

I don't think Danica does herself any favors in terms of being taken seriously as a driver when she uses things like Grizzly's laydown pose as part of her publicity portfolio.
It's an old racer's saying that "When the green flag drops, the bull**************** stops" and Danica has yet to prove that she can be a winner at the top levels.

Keep your eye on Liz Halliday. She's got the goods.

Hi,

While I do believe that in the Public's eye, Danika needs 1 in the Win column to be given her props, she is nonetheless definitely the Real Deal, as anyone in Racing knows. She was IRL Rookie of the Year and has more Top Ten Finishes than not, and has even captured a few Poles.

I think that there is definitely some Gender-base bias where she's concerned. There are lots of recognized and respected male drivers, perennially in the middle-of-the-pack, and no one questions their credentials. There's nothing inherently gender based which makes a woman any less capable than a man in today's racing, in fact, physiologically, a woman's body is slightly more G-tolerant than a man's.

So far as the Sex Kitten image, for such a personality, it's about endorsements and exposure. Would she have even appeared in those same publications if she was wearing her FireSuit and Helmet? I don't blame her a bit. But, she married her chilhood sweetheart (who also happens to be a Surgeon), so I expect to see less of her as time goes on.

In 1994, I had a chance to take Newman-Hass's 1989 Lola on a couple Hot Laps at Indy - it was Speed Restricted to 180MPH, and I know the Team and was there for their off-season testing. I gotta tell you, even though I have raced open-wheelers for almost 20 years (Formula Ford, Formula VEE), that car (even with the restricted speed) and that Track were a handful, the Mental focus alone, not to condescend, but most of you cannot imagine. Going 500 miles at speed in one of those things is one of the most grueling things I can imagine.

Liz Halliday is also a great driver, but I don't believe that she's better than Danika, only time will sort that one out. It'll be interesting to see what Danika does with her new Team, now that Rahall-Letterman has jumped to NASCAR. Maybe she'll stand on the top of the podium and maybe not, but she definitely deserves to be in top tier racing, she's already proven that...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

I think the coming IRL season will be interesting with Marco and Danica at AGR. With a first rate ride she could be hell on wheels. But watch out for Marco! He has the genes and the buzz.

DP's owes Rahal big time. I remember when she was in the Atlantics I thought "am I missing something here? what is she his niece?" and so did allot of others. But then she nearly wins the 500 and makes some muy experienced guys like Franchiti and others look like.... girls.
as to whether she is hot well she small but to zip around at warp speed (ever been to an Indy oval race? RIDICULUS speed) she's mentally strong which is always attractive unless you are looking for a Jessica Simpson who thought chicken of the sea was chicken.
p.s.
I still can't get over Marco Andretti being a pro driver. I remember like it was just yesterday that he was karting, albeit the only guy in the kart race with a full Motorola motorhome, 10 mechanics, a chief engineer and he had every lap record.

Brit Katherine Legge cannot go unmentioned now that were are into this topic. Also very good looking AND....

Three actual wins in first Atlantic season, winning at Long Beach, Edmonton and San Jose. (Two other podium finishes: second at Road America and third at Portland)

Third overall in the Toyota Atlantic Championship as a rookie

First woman to win a major open-wheel race in North America with her victory in Long Beach

Won the pole position at Oulton Park in 2002 British Formula Renault Championship with a time that beat Kimi Raikkonen's lap record.

Not to mention that horrific Champ Car wreck at Road America when her rear wing came off into corner at speed. If you haven't seen it it's out on YouTube I'm sure.

And she's not Kevin Kalkoven's niece either!!!!

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OHMYGOSHH!! Is she scratching the clearcoat with her heels!! I guess we'll just have to take them off. And while we're at it. .. . .

"I think that there is definitely some Gender-base bias where she's concerned."

Damn right there is. Danica has gotten more ink for less results than anybody I can think of.

I'm a big Danica fan, and I hope she can get to the top of the podium with Andretti-Green.
At least maybe she can get some of that "Andretti Whine" if she doesn't make it.

Hi,

Man, you're holding her to an unrealistically high standard - just because she's a woman?

Her IRL Career Stats: Starts- 30, Finishes- 24, Top 5 Finishes- 4, Top 10 Finishes- 15, Poles- 3, Laps Led- 63

There are a lot of drivers in the series whose 30-race stats don't equal hers. And, statistics compiled by the IRL show the average driver's first win comes in his or her 33rd start, so don't be so hard on her. She's a great driver and good for the sport...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Jim, I have made basically three statements about Danica Patrick's career.
1.) Some of her publicity efforts do not contribute to her being taken seriously as a racing driver. A personal opinion; you and others are free to disagree.
2.) She has yet to prove she can be a winner at the top levels of motorsport. Thusfar she has zero wins, and therefore is not a "winner".
3.) She gets a lot of publicity due to the fact that she is an attractive woman driver and thus an oddity, not because she has had spectacularly good results in the races she has run. There are drivers who have WON the Indy 500 and are virtually unknown outside the open-wheel racing community, Buddy Rice being but one example.

Danica has done well thusfar in her career, but in my opinion, little better than could be expected given the fact that she has had the advantage of pretty good equipment during her stint with Rahal-Letterman.
Will she do better with Andretti-Green? I hope so, but she will doubtless be playing second fiddle to Marco Andretti. Not necessarily a good thing, but then how many races would Rubens Barrichello have won if he hadn't been second fiddle to Schumi at Ferrari?

Hi,

OK, fair enough. But, one thing about her equipment, last year the IRL went to all Honda engines, Firestone Tires and Rahall-letterman also introduced a new chassis. So, on a new engine, new tires and a new chassis, Danica had her worst year yet, but her teamates' records also suffered similarly. Coincidence or truly equipment related? It's not at all unusual to take a season to sort out a new pkg.

With AGR, Danica will be on a proven engine/tire/chassis combination and I expect to see her pick it back up. Yea, she'll start out second chair to Marco, but she'll be nipping at his heels and if she starts to win, knowing Michael, the positions will be reversed. It'll be interesting that's one thing I say with some confidence.

I am glad she didn't follow R-L to NASCAR though, the IRL isn't really as strong a venue as many had hoped or expected and I think she'll help that to whatever degree (especially if she starts posting wins). I think that while her purse would swell by jumping to NASCAR, it'd be a waste of her talent and renew all the controversy in the Press. I say "Let's just go Racing!"...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99