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Former NASCAR driver and reporter Kenny Wallace recently praised retired driver Danica Patrick's bold and outspoken demeanor.
IndyCar race winner Patrick is among the drivers who faced the scrutiny and judgment of fans. The former NASCAR Cup Series driver, known for her role as a presenter for Fox in Formula 1, has been a regular feature in the fans' crosshairs.
Many could blame her divisive and controversial opinions to be a reason for the lack of fan support. Her statements on the growth of female drivers in motorsports were one of many instances where the racing community disliked what it heard, thus leading to a flurry of reactions towards her.
However, Kenny Wallace sees things differently. Wallace, a three-time winner of the NASCAR Busch Series' Most Popular Driver award, said in a recent episode of The Kenny Conversation podcast:
"Danica Patrick reminds me a lot of great racers. They either love them, or they hate them. I've taken a lot of polls lately, and it seems like it's always 70/30."
Drawing parallels between Patrick and legendary racers of the past, Wallace likened her fearless attitude to that of his brother Rusty Wallace. He said:
"I think she's a throwback from the past. She reminds me of my brother Rusty Wallace."
According to Kenny Wallace, modern-day drivers are unwilling to come out and express their opinions on subjects of varying degrees. Referring to Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron, Wallace added:
"People are so afraid to talk now, but Danica Patrick is a breath of fresh air."
Kenny Wallace wishes male drivers were more like Danica Patrick
Patrick, who won the Busch Light Pole for the Daytona 500 in 2013, remains one of the most polarising figures in the sport. Sharing an interesting statistic from her recent appearance at his podcast, Kenny Wallace revealed:
"We had Danica Patrick on Kenny Conversation. She literally blew away. She's upto 85,000 views, and that was an hour 20-minute show."
Kenny Wallace expressed his admiration for Patrick's willingness to tackle taboo subjects head-on. The nine-time Xfinity Series race winner hopes for male drivers to emulate her bold approach. He added:
"What I like about Patrick is she says, what everybody's thinking. I wish the guys were more like Danica. She's polarizing, she says what she thinks and then people respond. She's going places that everybody is afraid to go."
