The Danica Drama

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Katiegan
I don't really think Danica wants to be treated any differently from the guys. It's just the media can't cope with a girl in a race suit.
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This. It's a case of one step forward, ten steps back for equality. "She lead a lap. It's special because she's a girl".
 
Indeed. I know if I was in her place, I'd tell the media to stop. But unfortunately, that's what you get when you're female and you enter something male dominated.
 
F1 fan
This. It's a case of one step forward, ten steps back for equality. "She lead a lap. It's special because she's a girl".
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Absolutely. I mean what happened to a rookie leading the lap.

And in the top three at the final laps?
 
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You mean the F3000 champion turned Champ Car champion turned Indy 500 winner who left all of that to have a fairly successful F1 career, then left that to eat hamburgers take part in NASCAR; and the twice-in-a-row V8 Supercars champion?



Because those are a bit different.
 
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I sort of feel bad for Danica because the way the media has treated her the last week. They have blown rather meaningless(in the long run) things like winning a pole and leading a lap into huge deals. In a way it almost seems like they weren't expecting her to be able to do anything at all. Granted I don't even see her winning many races if any but it's not like she's some random person from the street doing these things either. It pretty much reminds me of whenever a low ranked team makes a run for a title, only in this case we are talking about a team ranked in the middle.

Carbonox
Were they that excited when a Colombian or Australian first led a lap in a Sprint Cup race?
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This post furthers my point, other than a brief mention neither event really got coverage, but mostly because they were expected to be competitive.
 
We're frowning on the media obsessing over DP but we're doing the same by giving her a topic of her own. I wish not only the media would stop talking about her but also that message boards would stop.
 
IceMan PJN
that message boards would stop.
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That won't stop anything as I doubt broadcasters track message boards since they don't make a profit on them. What they do track though are article clicks and viewer numbers, aka things that make them money.
 
I remember the race announcer for the 500 said these very words; "drivers and Danica, start your engines!".
I found that kinda odd and possibly a little sexist, maybe im looking at it too hard and misinterpreting it.
 
If DW just stuck to the "Let's go racing boys" I could somewhat tolerate it, but now it's "Let's go racing boys and Danica". Pisses me off. Isn't it discrimination anyway?
 
Danica is the most mediocre racer ever. Never had success anywhere and most likely never will. Dont mean to be sexiest but its the truth really.
 
This whole chapter reminds me of a conversation I had with a customer at work. My Saturday job is as a race instructor for a F1 simulator centre, and this occurred some years back now.

A guy within a group (who was there with his partner as well) asked me after his first session if girls are able to use the simulators. Now, I spend a lot of my time convincing the wives, daughters, sisters etc to try the systems out before sitting out and watching, which happens most of the time. I'm used to girls not wanting to race or take part, even if just initially. My response to the customer was therefore part aimed at his partner, but also at himself with just a simple "of course".

It was then the look on his face as he tried to imagine it. "But, how do they drive them?". I'm now worried about getting myself into deep water and if this is a 'secret shopper' trying to test me. So again, a simple reply of "The same way as you and me, in fact they tend to listen more within the briefing which helps.".

"Oh. So they don't struggle more because they are girls?"

To be fair to the Journalists / Broadcasters, they are only reporting on either what they are told to, or what they believe will get the most viewings.
 
photonrider
MisterWhiskers - Maybe you haven't met those die-hard fans that adore Dale and have a shrine to him in their homes - most times it's an entire basement, or the whole pool-table room is all about Dale. They'll give you so much 🤬 about Dale that you'll cover your ears and run away.

And then are those who will start talking about Cale or Peterson or the Woods brothers . . you don't want to go there, either. :lol:

I'm not saying we should forget Dale. I cried the day he died. I thought he was invulnerable because of the way he raced and survived.

But right now there is this phenomenal woman rookie called Patrick that is right out in front with the Champions, and still there at this moment after a hundred and twenty miles of blinding racing. With less than a dozen of these races under her belt as experience. She's doing okay. Give her a break from the hype and take a look at her as a rookie, and a challenger for this Cup.
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Actually my shrine is in the living room, so people have to look at it when they come over and then wonder...

MatskiMonk
It's historic, a first for the sport, because she's a girl. Of course they are going to mention it.
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There is mentioning it and then going overboard with it. I mean Danica is a household name not due to merit, but gender and placement against those of the opposite. It disturbs me that the nightly news will only talk nascar for two reason, when a cars wreck at one of the two plate races (like a car going into the catch fence) or Danica. I mean the other night they talked about the big nationwide wreck, but couldn't get Tony Stewart's name right...instead calling him Larry Stewart, ironically Danica's boss...How you get Larry from Tony is beyond me.

However, I digress that is below the news outlets because the average folk don't care.

Also James Franco got quite a good amount of flak for his Marshal work...
 
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Toronado
You mean the F3000 champion turned Champ Car champion turned Indy 500 winner who left all of that to have a fairly successful F1 career, then left that to eat hamburgers take part in NASCAR; and the twice-in-a-row V8 Supercars champion?



Because those are a bit different.
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They still made history equally to Danica. Foreigners competing full-time in the Cup are quite rare after all.
 
Carbonox
They still made history equally to Danica. Foreigners competing full-time in the Cup are quite rare after all.
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I think the idea that foreign drivers are unable to accomplish anything in NASCAR went out the window in 1967.
 
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Toronado
I think the idea that foreign drivers are unable to accomplish anything in NASCAR went out the window in 1967.
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And I think a woman achieving something as mediocre as leading a lap is no greater than a foreigner with no prior NASCAR experience doing the same, plus actually winning races.
 
Pretty sure Andretti winning a race and being competitive in the top tier of NASCAR as an Italian driver is held as a big deal to this day.



Also, either being the first to lead a regular lap as a woman/foreign driver/whatever is an accomplishment worth noting, or it's a mediocre achievement that no one should care about for anyone. It can't be both.
 
If the first woman to lead a lap gets that kind of attention, the first Canadian/Colombian/Australian/Russian/whatever foreign driver deserves just as much.

That's all I'm saying.
 
If she keeps finishing in the top ten, she will be Rookie of the Year and be in The Chase. That's big!!

However, I suspect she will have her hands full on the short tracks and road circuits. So I'm predicting close, but no cigar.

Respectfully,
Steve
 
I'm of two minds about this. Obviously, the media frenzy over Danica getting pole was huge... but hell, even the regular motoring beat guys wrote articles about it. And maybe the team are milking the publicity... why not? Running a team costs money. Exposure brings more sponsor money. If I had a racing team and I could pull in a few more sponsors by posing in a bikini, hell yes I would!

-

I think that all this hoopla covers up the main issue at hand. A woman beating men at motorsports is kind of a big deal. Because no matter how much we try to pretend women are equal to men, no, they aren't.

Women are physically smaller in general. They are physically weaker, in general. Their body shape is different, they carry around too much hip and oversized glands on their chests. Their brain is wired differently, with less focus on the areas that make men better race car drivers. Spatial skills, navigation, etcetera.

As there's no Women's NASCAR League, none of us know how good Danica really is for a girl. As it is, she has to stay buffed, trim and extra fit to keep up with the boys. Gaining pole position is like a woman qualifying for the Men's Olympic 100 meter dash. A woman would have to go to superhuman lengths to keep up with the midfield in such a contest.

Granted, racing is not the same, but Danica's base physiology is an extra handicap that none of the other drivers have.

Carbonox
And I think a woman achieving something as mediocre as leading a lap is no greater than a foreigner with no prior NASCAR experience doing the same, plus actually winning races.
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Juan Pablo Montoya, former FEDEX CART (I refuse to call them Champ cars!) Champion, who won many a race in a ridiculously overpowered open-wheeled car on ovals, has no prior experience that could count towards his success?
 
IceMan PJN
We're frowning on the media obsessing over DP but we're doing the same by giving her a topic of her own. I wish not only the media would stop talking about her but also that message boards would stop.
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We have discussed that aspect before in the thread but here's the latest take on it - and I'll use my own since it's the OP you have an objection with (and that was my responsibility):

photonrider
But, then . . . is this discussion itself part of the extended hype?

Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danica_Patrick#Career_summary

That's a lot longer than my own driving abstract. (And I drive a lot, there's gasoline in my blood.) So I'm not one to judge her. ........

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From that viewpoint, we don't really care who is in it but what they do to impress upon us how great we can be when we dare to be the best we can be - against all odds about gender, age, creed, caste or colour.
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You may want to read the whole post, maybe even the whole thread if you wish to participate fully. The idea is of course to try and contain what you are concerned about, in one place, and not in random threads scattered around the Board.

As well, there may be those who have more encouraging things to say about this rookie. The last time a rookie was this much of a sensation he was called 'Wonder Boy'.

Is this Wonder Girl? If not, why not?
 
niky
I think that all this hoopla covers up the main issue at hand. A woman beating men at motorsports is kind of a big deal. Because no matter how much we try to pretend women are equal to men, no, they aren't.

Women are physically smaller in general. They are physically weaker, in general. Their body shape is different, they carry around too much hip and oversized glands on their chests. Their brain is wired differently, with less focus on the areas that make men better race car drivers. Spatial skills, navigation, etcetera.

As there's no Women's NASCAR League, none of us know how good Danica really is for a girl. As it is, she has to stay buffed, trim and extra fit to keep up with the boys. Gaining pole position is like a woman qualifying for the Men's Olympic 100 meter dash. A woman would have to go to superhuman lengths to keep up with the midfield in such a contest.

Granted, racing is not the same, but Danica's base physiology is an extra handicap that none of the other drivers have.
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Then why does only Danica get this amount of hype, and not Johanna Long, who beat her multiple times in inferior equipment? Oh that's right, she didn't sell herself in bikinis, so forgeddabout her completely. :dunce:
 
If Long got a good Nationwide ride I think she'd do just as good if not better then Danica.
I kinda wish she'd sell herself in a bikini (Ummmmm, let's just say you wouldn't want to get the Sports Illustrated at the library if you see me returning it :p ), but at the same time I'm actually very proud that I cheer for a female driver, not a female driver/model who thinks she is in the right 100% of the time (Just ask one Mr. Hornish)
 
Silver-Sylph
If you consider winning one race counts as a successful career then yes. She gets everything from her sponsers.
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Most male drivers race all their career and never win. Her career may not not be successful in your eyes but she's done better than alot of men who have tried the sport. Most men would kill to have ONE win.
 

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