"Feels like home": When Danica Patrick spoke candidly ahead of her final IndyCar rodeo

Former racing driver Danica Patrick is a legend of the IndyCar series. She competed in the sport from 2005 to 2018 on an off-and-on basis. In the 2018 Indy 500, which proved to be her last, she candidly discussed her stint during the race weekend.

Patrick discussed how she was getting back up to speed with everything in IndyCar, coming from competing in stock car racing (NASCAR). She added that she feels at home at Indy, while acknowledging her familiarity with the track.

Patrick said (via For The Win):

"It does (feel like home) because I’m staying at my parents’ house. So that really helps you feel like you’re at home. She is helping feed my dogs and feed me dinner and all kinds of things. It always feels like home here at Indy. The track feels so familiar. Everything from the walk to and from the pit lane."

Danica Patrick was chosen as the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year in her debut IndyCar campaign (2005). In her last outing in the event, as well as in her overall racing career, she managed a P30 finish in the extremely challenging 200-lap race.

Danica Patrick keeps F1 legend Ayrton Senna in high regard

Danica Patrick praised the late Formula 1 legend, Ayrton Senna, earlier this year. The Brazilian was a serious racer during his time and won three world championships.

Patrick appeared on the OutKick the Coverage show in March, saying she would have loved to test her mettle against Ayrton Senna.

"Well, so I'm assuming I'll be going to be racing against them, they are not in my car, right? I'm racing against them, driving. Well, maybe I'll just do a hybrid. Let's see, because I think I'd probably wanna see how I stacked up against Ayrton Senna, which was, he was one of the greats in Formula 1. Maybe get out there and door bang with Dale Earnhardt Sr," Patrick said.

Danica Patrick competed in a whopping 191 NASCAR Cup Series races. During this time, she managed seven top-10 finishes and a solitary pole position.

Her career in the IndyCar series was impressive as well. In 116 appearances in America's highest class of open-wheel racing, she managed a Grand Prix win, seven podiums, and three pole positions. Moreover, she remains the only woman driver to win a race in the series (2008 Indy Japan 300).

Since retiring in 2018, Patrick has become a well-known motorsport pundit and a podcast host.