Also a model and spokesperson, Danica Patrick is considered one of the most successful women in the history of American open-wheel racing.
Danica Patrick has made quite a name for herself, commanding a net worth of $80 million, as of 2022.
Here are other interesting facts you might like to know about Danica Patrick:
Who Is Danica Patrick?
Danica Sue Patrick is a former American race car driver, born March 25, 1982, in Beloit, Wisconsin, and raised in Roscoe, Illinois. She was raised by her parents, who owned a Java Hut coffee shop and a glass company.
She is half Norwegian and part Irish, French-Canadian, Italian, and Native American. Danica dropped out of high school and went to the United Kingdom to continue her racing dream after her national success in karting. She later returned to America in 2001.
In 2002, Danica Patrick signed a contract with Rahal Letterman Racing, then co-owned by Bobby Rahel and David Letterman.
Who Has Danica Patrick Dated?
Danica Patrick has been in a couple of relationships through the years.
Danica was first in a relationship with a physical therapist named Paul Edward Hospenthal. The two first met in 2002 after she visited him regarding a knee injury she suffered in a yoga session. The pair got married in 2005 but ended their relationship in 2012. Their divorce was finalized in 2013.
In 2012, she started dating NASCAR star Ricky Stenhouse Jr. After their five-year relationship, the pair split in December 2017.
After months of speculation, Danica Patrick was confirmed to be dating NFL player Aaron Rodgers in January 2018. Unfortunately, the two ended their relationship in July 2020.
In 2021, Danica Patrick confirmed that she was dating the co-founder of the meal-prep company Freshly, Carter Comstock. This was less than a year after breaking up with Aaron Rodgers. Patrick and Comstock split in March 2022.
Danica Patrick Racing Career
Danica Patrick’s career started when she was 10 years old after her parents bought her a go-kart. After her national success in go-karting, she left America for the United Kingdom to compete in the cutthroat world of European racing. She spent three years in U.K. Formula Vauxhall and Formula Ford and came ninth in the 1999 Formula Vauxhall.
In 2000, she came second in the Formula Ford Festival at Brand Hatch and was awarded the Gorsline Scholarship Award for Most Aspiring Road Course Competitor. She later returned to America in 2001.
In 2005, Danica amazed the world by leading 19 laps and winning fourth place in the Indianapolis 500. She became the first woman to lead a lap and score a top-five finish.
In 2008, Danica stunned the world again by becoming the first woman to win a major league open-wheel race in a Northern American series with her victory in the IndyCar Series Indy Japan 300 race.
In 2013, Danica joined the NASCAR Cup series. She made headlines worldwide when became the first woman to win a NASCAR Cup Series, setting the fastest qualifying 500 and taking eighth place.
In 2018, Danica ended her racing career after a violent car crash in the Daytona 500 race. Ahead of that race, Danica announced that it would be her last race so she could focus on her business ventures.
In 2019 and 2022, she was the race analyst for NBC’s broadcast of the Indy 500. In August 2019, she launched her weekly podcast called Pretty Intense.
Did Danica Patrick Get Breast Implantation Illness?
In 2014, Danica got breast implantation to have an ideal body. After four years, the NASCAR driver said she started noticing unusual symptoms, including thin hair, weight gain, and more.
After many tests and hospital analysis Danica concluded that she had breast implantation illness. She had her breast implantation removed through surgery, and she claimed that after the surgery, she felt good.
Can Danica Patrick Act?
Danica has proven that not only is she a good race driver but also a good actress. Danica debuted as an actress in February 2010 when she landed a role as a car driver suspected of murder in CSI: NY.
She also appeared as a voice actress in the Simpson episode How Munched Is That Birdie In The Window?
She also appeared as the voice actress for the Nickelodeon animated series Blaze & the Monster Machines. In 2019 she played the role of a driving instructor in the movie Charlie’s Angels.