Can she drive? I'd say avg. at best. She has the best equip. in the field, half the field wrecked (which is a whole other story). She spins and goes to the tail which is what 20th if that? and passes a bunch of junk, not impressive. It's hard enough for guys to get rides even with money, now they have to get boobies?..j/k

Does she deserve all the attention? A resounding NO! I was literally waiting for them to get to victory lane and ask Gerhardt what he thought about Danica's debut. It was just waaay overkill.

Good job young lady, I like her and am proud of her.

Jerry Spencer

I really think the guys that danica passed would have bought hendricks engines it would have made it harder for her to pass them.

Guess I am just different than some of you. I can barely make myself watch this crap even in the winter. But the trucks and ARCA I don't mind a little. Seems fairly entertaining and somewhat grass roots at times.

But I really don't see the issue. Then again I didn't watch the whole race so I didn't get to hear all the talk about her. The part I watched I think she deserved to be talked about. I think both her and Owens did a heck of a job.

Oh well.

I didn't watch the race (thanks Insight), but I heard from a fairly impartial friend that Danica's save through the grass was pretty impressive...not to mention, I'd love to finish 6th in an ARCA car just about anywhere, not just Daytona...

She's new to taxi's that's why the media coverage. Did you see the reporters after the race all wanting her opinion about everything taxi. I was blown away by this.

First, she had the best car by far and maybe 3-4 others could compete with this. Second, moving through that Arca field is like Darland moving through traffic at Bloomington on a regular Friday night show. Third, I don't think the transition was that big of a deal, your going 40 mph slower.

I actually enjoy Arca at times because the races are shorter and the action is pretty good, but if it becomes the Danica series, I'm probably gonna miss a few races.

lets just say this....running 7th in by far the BEST equipment on the track is nothing to jump for joy about!

A USAC pavement sprintcar race?

---------- Post added at 06:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:25 AM ----------

Hey she worked hard to get that one contrived win in Japan in the middle of the night way on the other side of the world when no one could see the freakin BS that race was. She deserves whatever befalls her in her career.

She will always be the meaningless sideshow act to American Racing.

She beat MIKEY WALTRIP---- BUT WHO DOESN`T ?

He got his usual second from last again.

I amazed by the "she had the best car 'by far'" comments. How, exactly, do you know that, and even if she did, since when does "having the best car" automatically propel a race driver to the front? Reason would have it, I would think -- if Danica had the best car in the ARCA field then Earnhardt Jr should have had the best car in the Shootout -- but, he didn't seem to set anything on fire last night...

Hey -- I'm not defending her because she's a girl, or a celebrity, or new, or any other reason other than she went out there in a new car on a new track in a new series and ran 6th. She probably could have easily ran 5th but, unlike what some of you are stating (that she isn't much of a race car driver) she took a racing chance, moved up off of the yellow line and TRIED to advance her position. I wouldn't have, but she did cause she wants to win.

If any of you think Danica Patrick is out there on the race track to get attention and media coverage and to look pretty and to be talked about and doesn't really care that much about "winning races," you are sadly mistaken.

Danica is no different than Jr. Nobody in NASCAR could talk about ANYTHING or ANYBODY else for years other than Earnhardt Jr. Now, because of fairly lackluster results, it has quieted down somewhat. But, he is still voted 'Most Popular Driver' year after year after year.

Doubting Danica cares much this morning about our ranting and raving on IOW.com. Because she drove a good race yesterday she is arguably even more 'media-loved' than yesterday. She did what was expected of her or any other new driver -- she finished the race in the top-ten. And I'm one fan of racing that was justifiably impressed.

JP